Spotted Around New York: The New Orleans Row

Visiting my daughter in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn, a neighborhood once known for its Italian-American churches, bakeries, and restaurants, I noticed an unusual row of New Orleans style town houses midway down the block on Sackett Street. I also glimpsed a group of European tourists with their Michelin guidebook snapping selfies in front of these distinctive buildings.

These New Orleans-influenced homes with their elaborate wrought-iron balcony railings stand out among the more traditional set-back brownstones and attractive front gardens typical of Carroll Gardens. The design of this eye-catching and appealing row of homes, like the historic buildings of New Orleans, is derived from the style of French colonial homes. It is surprising that this form of architecture is often overlooked in discussions of architecture in the U.S.

On a recent trip to New Orleans, I saw how closely these Brooklyn buildings with their porches and delicate ironwork resemble landmarks like the 1836 Gardette House and Vieux Carré town houses of the French Quarter.

Top: Sackett Street townhouses. Left: A Vieux Carré town home.