Because Rochester is an older town that is still growing, there are tons of options for house styles and areas.  Today I want to share with you one of my favorite neighborhoods.  Growing up, my parents would drive me around what they called “Pill Hill” which is where the rich doctors traditionally lived that worked at Mayo.  The lower area by the Apache Mall is nicknamed “Aspirin Flats” with smaller, more affordable houses, in a nice quiet neighborhood.  The houses on Pill Hill remind me a lot of the houses you can find in the southern part of St. Paul and Minneapolis along the Mississippi that I have featured in past neighborhood tours.  They are old, but most of them have been updated and they are gorgeous (and definitely expensive).

Take a look:

The one above is spectacular – it is either brand new to fit with the rest of the neighborhood or was majorly renovated.  Either way, I love it!

Gorgeous, right?  I definitely could fit right in in this neighborhood.  Unfortunately as a future English teacher and San in the food industry, we don’t see doctor salaries in our future.  But that’s definitely okay with me.  I’ll take cute and cozy over huge and polished!  I’ll just make sure to stop by every once in a while and keep dreaming. :)

I hope you enjoyed this short tour of just a small bit of what Pill Hill, and Rochester in general, has to offer!

I already know I am…

But please humor me and say you like these houses, too!

Seriously, can I write “I’m swooning” after every photo without being annoying?

Okay, that’s it.  I can’t take it anymore!

Well maybe just a couple more….

Color and ivy?  Really people, why do you do this to me?  You’re house is too beautiful!

And this was only the side of that house!

Okay, so maybe if the ivy covers the front door it is too much, but I’m still swooning. I’m off to secretly plant some ivy along the sides of my apartment building.  Shh…you don’t know where I am or what I’m doing if anyone asks!

Have a great weekend everyone!  I’m moving back home with my parents for the summer!

This post is linked to Inspired By Friday Link Up Party at The Inspired Room.

Yesterday, I posted the first part of the Minnehaha Parkway neighborhood tour.  I promised I would show you the more colorful houses, which I am doing in conjunction with my Think About It Thursday post.  After seeing all the more subtle colors on the homes yesterday, I want to know what you prefer – neutral or colorful homes.  Would you rather have a home with neutral colors and use landscaping and accessories to bring in color (or bring no other color in at all) or use color on the house itself and limit the color in other areas?  Or, do you like color everywhere and cannot get enough of it?

Let’s look at the second part of the tour so you can be the judge of what looks best.  Again, for the first part, head over to yesterday’s post.

Light blue shutters and a red clay tile roof. Very pretty!

I’m loving the turquoise!  Think of how bland this house would be without the splash of color. The red looks so great next to the brick on this house.  Great choice!

Okay, so this house has no color, but the black and white are so striking on this house compared to the beiges and tans found on all the other houses.  I had to include it! A colorful door always makes my day brighter!  Does it for you?  I want to know whether you like colorful houses or not – weigh in in the comments section.

I think it’s probably obvious that I like some color on the exterior of houses, although some houses are so beautiful they can be very neutral because the architecture stands out.  My parents renovated an Amish house we lived in for over ten years while I was growing up which was very beautiful on the inside but not so beautiful on the outside because it had white siding and nothing to spice it up a bit.  They added a wrap around porch on the front and a long deck on the back and used dark stain to add contrast.  Before moving, they added burgundy shutters and it made a world of difference.  I’m a color girl!  What about you?

These may be more plain in comparison to the other houses I will be showing you tomorrow and Friday, but they are still gorgeous.  They may lack the color and ivy some of the other houses boast, but the architecture of these houses needs little embellishment.  Why don’t I just show you what I mean?

Look at that gorgeous brick!

The one above was one of my favorites.  I love the mix of stone, brick, stucco, and wood as well as the beautiful upstairs window.  This one may be more plain than the others in its color scheme, but it sure is unique in its details.

I love how neutral this pale blue is.  It does not necessarily stand out, but it sure is refreshing!

Straight out of a fairy tale!

Gotta love a cute little bungalow thrown in!

So, are these plain-colored houses up your alley or are you ready for more color?

Here we go!

I found this one really interesting – a typical American Four Square its shape but with Spanish-Mediterranean stucco and clay tile roofing.  An interesting mix for Minnesota!

There were tons of flowers blooming everywhere – especially tulips!

The last few were my favorites.  Can you tell I’m a huge fan of the Dutch Colonial?  It was the first house style I ever learned and they still keep me coming back after so many years!

Are there any homes here you would love to use as a second (or first) home?  Do you have a favorite style of home that you can’t get enough of?