Clifton Heights Houses

The wide variety of housing stock in the Clifton Heights neighborhood is fascinating, particularly because so many houses are built of wood, and not brick or stone.

The houses look like something you would see in Kirkwood or Webster Groves, with large lots and even original garages behind many of the houses.

My favorite house is the lone red brick house in the immediate area, with its distinctive square turret.

The green on this houses's siding really makes the house pop out from the white and blue houses around it.

Is this the doll house everyone has been talking about?

Clifton Heights Streetscapes

The gently curving streets of Clifton Heights offer a panorama of vistas as one walks down its streets.

While walking past some houses, you might see a break in the trees and glimpse Barnes Hospital off in the distance.Below, a couple of gingerbread houses have crept into the neighborhood, adding another dimension of architectural style.

The wide variety of housing stock, from different generations certainly adds to the character of the neighborhood, including a wide variety of sizes, as this street of bungalows attest.

This church, wedged in between two streets, is a great example of the walkable church, where the people on surrounding streets would attend.

I love how the red brick stands out from the clapboards of the nearby houses.

Mineral Springs Park, Pekin, Illinois

Mineral Sprinhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifgs Park in downtown Pekin is one of the most stunning Victorian era parks I have ever seen. At the center, the elaborate, restored pavillion is a jewel.

Other Victorian Period Houses, Main Street, St. Charles

West Cabanne Place

I had the pleasure of finally seeing West Cabanne Place two weekends ago. It is truly spectacular in its sense of neighborhood cohesion; people actively checked out what I was doing on their block instead of being apathetic. Likewise, the neighborhood president greeted me when I walk by; we struck up a conversation about the street. We need more streets citizens care about.

Victorian Period Masterpieces, Washington, Illinois

On the street heading out of town south of Washington, Illinois is a classic row of various Victorian Period houses.It's a little difficult to photograph them, as there are so many large, mature and well-maintained trees blocking the view.The southeast side of Washington is the healthy part of the town; walkable communities segue into farmland, while on the northwest side, towards Peoria, farmland is being swallowed up for cookie cutter Mini-McMansions.