The tradition of row houses began in order to establish a more uniform appearance within the urban fabric of medieval European cities. It focused on equal lot size, equal building height, and similar architectural features. Many of the streets in Queens were developed in this manner with a great variety of styles. Some tracts are quite prevalent and can be found sprinkled throughout the borough in different neighborhoods, but hardly ever on both sides of the same street. Most find creative ways of incorporating a parking stall or garage into the overall composition of the façade. But few have remained true to the harmonious intention of repetitive architectural rhythm. Renovations and alterations have broken up these rhythms with unpredictable massing, extraneous architectural features, and contrasting colors. Even though in many cases they have obliterated the sense of harmony of a carefully composed street scape, looking at the larger context, they help blend these tracts into the larger, more ecclectic, urban vernacular.

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