Plural of brownstone; rows of townhouses built with brownstone (a reddish-brown sandstone), especially common in New York City and other American cities.
From 'brown' plus 'stone', literally describing the color of the building material; popularized in 19th-century urban architecture as a more affordable alternative to marble or granite for townhouses.
Brownstones went from being working-class and immigrant housing in the 1800s to becoming ultra-expensive status symbols in places like Brooklyn today—a perfect example of how neighborhoods cycle through value, and the same buildings that housed struggling families now house millionaires.
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