Why I'm Spoiled

Here are a few photos of houses in Bethlehem. Some of the larger mansions are condo or apartment buildings. But any of the single-family houses would probably cost about what you'd pay for a very ordinary two-bedroom condo in Back Bay, or a ratty, tiny wooden house in Cambridgeport.

I find that there's so much more architectural variety in eastern Pennsylvania. For example, there are loads of stone farmhouses. There are also even more picturesque styles. like this ivy-covered English-style cottage:

This stucco-over-stone (or brick?) French mansard Victorian one has a few large condos in it, plus one in the matching carriage house in back:

The one below, an extremely large and elegant mansard-style Victorian, has a huge fenced lot with gigantic old trees. It used to be an apartment building. It's looking very spiffy, so I'm wondering if it's been converted to condos by now:

There are loads of beautiful brick houses, too, in quirky styles we don't see much of in the Boston area:

Here are a few more beauties: Queen Annes, painted ladies... I guess we'd need to move to Newton or Woburn to find a house like this:

I grew up dreaming of living in one the dozens of similarly gorgeous houses in my hometown. I'm still dreaming about them, and I guess I always will.