How did NYC fall in love with the brownstone, anyway? For New Yorkers, few things evoke the dream of upward mobility quite like the brownstone townhouse. With a rich chocolate-brown hue and stately design, this coveted type of townhouse sits several feet above the street, atop staircases with regal banisters. Elegant carvings adorn their doorway trims, like acanthus leaf brackets depicting plants, flowers, or nature run amok. Brownstones tend to be very expensive, or occasionally just regular expensive. 

So what is a brownstone, what are they made of, and how did they become the favorite dwelling of so many New Yorkers? Here’s a bit of NYC brownstone history for you.

What are NYC brownstones made of?

Let’s start by clearing up a common misconception: only a small part of a brownstone townhouse or rowhouse is composed of actual brownstone material.

What most people call a “brownstone” is a brick townhouse with an added veneer of brownstone. That’s because as a building material, brownstone is unreliable: it’s soft, close-grained, and prone to cracking and crumbling. Brownstones give off an idea of permanence — even though they’re anything but.

Brownstone is a type of sandstone that dates back to the Triassic-Jurassic period. When first cut, the stone is pink, but deepens into its classic brown hue once it’s been exposed to the elements. Like many works of art, brownstone facades often need to be restored after years of weathering and exposure.

Believe it or not, the majority of New York City’s brownstone came from the same place: the Portland Brownstone Quarry, formerly located in Portland, Connecticut. In the 19^th century when brownstone first caught on as a building material, the stone was cut in Connecticut, placed on barges and hauled over to the city, where it was unloaded into stone storage yards along the Hudson and East Rivers.

Brooklyn Homes Under $1M on StreetEasy Article continues below

Bushwick

794 Hart Street

$740,000

1 |

1

Prospect Heights

659 Bergen Street

$825,000

1 |

1

Bensonhurst

339 Avenue P

$548,000

1 |

1

Stuyvesant Heights

88 Marion Street

$695,000

1 |

1.5

Bay Ridge

6801 Shore Road

$449,888

1 |

1

Bedford-Stuyvesant

210 Pulaski Street

$675,000

1 |

1

Williamsburg

149 South 4th Street

$480,000

3 |

1

Kensington

3845 18th Avenue

$549,000

2 |

1

Park Slope

300 Eighth Avenue

$620,000

1 |

1

Canarsie

9318 Avenue A

$750,000

3 |

2

Brighton Beach

2943 Brighton 4th Street

$499,000

1 |

1.5

Cypress Hills

152 Miller Avenue

$674,888

3 |

1

Why brownstones became popular in NYC

So how did we get here? Time for another quick NYC brownstone history lesson.

By the mid-19^th century when some of the first rowhouses were being built, Americans were pretty obsessed with the ideals of Romantic Classicism, specifically its adoration of nature. The Industrial Revolution had by then ushered in a widespread streamlining of production — many new buildings were constructed, and fast. Romantic Classicism was a response to the pace of urbanization, a reminder that nature was not only necessary, but desirable.

Brownstones were the happy marriage of these two worlds. Steam-powered machines let laborers cut and shape brownstone material faster and more cheaply than ever before, making it affordable — and its organic hues recalled the beauty and power of the wild.

For middle-class townhouse and rowhouse owners who wanted a taste of luxury, a brownstone was the way to go. For little money — far less than what it might cost with limestone, granite, or marble — a homeowner could have a six-inch brownstone façade built complete with a stoop, a rising staircase, and whatever lovely carved accoutrements they desired.

Ever wonder why brownstones have stoops? Originally, it wasn’t for people-watching or sunbathing. It was to avoid the manure from carriage horses that littered 18^th-century NYC streets. In other words, those elegant stairs were just a way to rise above the muck.

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Chelsea

225 West 25th Street

$875,000

1 |

1

Yorkville

250 East 87th Street

$794,000

1 |

1

Sutton Place

2 Sutton Place South

$710,000

1 |

1

Gramercy Park

81 Irving Place

$725,000

Studio |

1

Battery Park City

280 Rector Place

$628,500

1 |

1

Chelsea

161 West 15th Street

$1,195,000

1 |

1

Hamilton Heights

94 Hamilton Place

$249,000

1 |

1

Financial District

90 William Street

$850,000

Studio |

1

Greenwich Village

211 Thompson Street

$400,000

Studio |

1

Yorkville

419 East 87th Street

$350,000

Studio |

1

South Harlem

303 West 122nd Street

$725,000

2 |

1

Flatiron

16 West 16th Street

$849,000

1 |

1

How brownstones came to symbolize wealth in NYC

If brownstone material became popular in part because it was cheap and easy to work with, how did the material grow to symbolize wealth? And how did it get so expensive?

That’s an easy one: scarcity breeds interest.

After 300 years in operation, the Portland Brownstone Quarry closed down for good in 2012. Though there are other places around the world where brownstone is quarried, experts say there’s nothing quite like the stone that came from Portland.

But it’s not just the material that’s become scarce — it’s the style itself. There are only so many NYC neighborhoods with genuine brownstones — the Upper West Side, Fort Greene, Park Slope, and Carroll Gardens, to name a few. And since the building of new brownstones is a near impossibility given the dearth of materials, demand has exceeded supply.

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Murray Hill (Queens)

144-77 Roosevelt Avenue

$768,000

2 |

1.5

Forest Hills

72-35 112th Street

$359,999

1 |

1

Rego Park

98-20 62 Drive

$359,000

1 |

1

Sunnyside

44-15 43rd Avenue

$369,000

Studio |

1

East Flushing

141-15 Cherry Avenue

$524,900

1 |

1

Elmhurst

44-21 Macnish Street

$395,000

2 |

1

North Corona

37-17 111st Street

$570,000

2 |

2

Flushing

6824 140th Street

$269,000

1 |

1

Woodside

52-40 39 Drive

$399,000

1 |

1

College Point

119-41 27th Avenue

$678,000

3 |

2

Forest Hills

100-25 Queens Boulevard

$450,000

1 |

1

Lindenwood

151-31 88th Street

$279,000

2 |

2

…But not everyone loves brownstones

If you’re in the seeming minority of New Yorkers who don’t care for brownstones, know that you’re not alone.

Edith Wharton, the brilliant writer and master of the NYC upper-class takedown, lived in brownstones all her life and hated the ordinariness of the material, and the way rowhouses repeated themselves ad nauseam down every block. In fact, Wharton said that brownstones made New York “hide-bound in its deadly uniformity of mean ugliness.”

But if you still can’t resist the allure of the NYC brownstone, you can browse hundreds of townhouse listings on StreetEasy and find one to call home, or search for the keyword “brownstone”. For more personalized guidance, connect with our Concierge for buyers, who can match you with a StreetEasy Expert agent with specialized experience helping buyers purchase brownstones.

StreetEasy is an assumed name of Zillow, Inc. which has a real estate brokerage license in all 50 states and D.C. See real estate licenses. StreetEasy Concierge team members are real estate licensees, however they are not your agents or providing real estate brokerage services on your behalf. StreetEasy does not intend to interfere with any agency agreement you may have with a real estate professional or solicit your business if you are already under contract to purchase or sell property.