I never give University City enough of its due.

I headed down Balson Avenue east of University City High School, itself a work of art, and checked out some of the amazing single family, two family and four family houses a look. The architecture of these houses are just stunning, at a time, from my personal experience, when other American cities were building downright boring tract homes. We’re lucky in St. Louis.

But what is so fascinating is that it’s really hard to tell which one many of these houses are!

I think the houses above and below are single family houses.

But the houses below is definitely a two family–note the two mailboxes.

And this one is a four family, though I would hate to maneuver furniture into the two first floor apartments!

Four family, below…

But then this is a two family below?

But is the house below a single family or two? Oh, there are two mailboxes!