The name given to this unusual typology refers to its orientation relative to the street pattern and/or lot boundaries, not to any kind of negative moral judgement. In fact, the opposite could be said about these stalwart structures: that they should be celebrated for "preserving" the complexity of the evolving urban form by reflecting previous street patterns. Since Queens is an amalgamation of villages, these houses are more "pre-grid" than "off-the-grid".  In many cases, their orientation is the by-product of of an old village road that followed natural topography or meandering paths. In other cases, it is based on an unpopular alignment preference to a secondary street, most often for improved vehicular access reasons. Similar to "Corner Houses" these houses can be used as "minor" landmarks because of their high visibility and conspicuous massing.