Neighborhood of Stone
Philadelphia is made of stone! After years in New England and the Midwest I missed clapboards at first, but months of walking around our neighborhood grew my appreciation for the gamut of impressive masonry around here.
Mostly the streets are lined with small to medium-sized duplexes and row houses, like these 6.
![](Stone 001.jpg)
But nearby are a few blocks where everything is on a grand scale.
![](Stone 041.jpg)
A tall one.
![](Stone 034.jpg)
Carefree spot to hang out.
![](Stone 035.jpg)
Even the sidewalks are stone. And the trees like to lift up the blocks.
![](Stone 037.jpg)
Here's my favorite house, one of a group which our friend Ethan dubbed "The Castles":
![](Stone 038.jpg)
Closeup of the tower and amazingly tall, steep roof, with their colorful rough-hewn slates.
![](Stone 039.jpg)
Beyond this archway lie our much-visited woods and hiking trails...
![](Stone 025.jpg)
...down the secret stone steps...
![](Stone 027.jpg)
...to an abandoned world of old stoneworks along the creek, like this slowly-disintegrating bridge with one of the nicest arches around.
![](Stone 028.jpg)
The railing on top of the bridge.
![](Stone 030.jpg)
An old retaining wall.
![](Stone 032.jpg)
...and the gateway back to civilization.
![](Stone 040.jpg)