Many cities across the US are famous for their row houses. They’re synonymous with American city-living, so much so that they’ve shown up in countless beloved shows and movies—think the opening credits of Full House, set in San Francisco, or Carrie Bradshaw of Sex and the City arriving home to her classy Manhattan brownstone.

Take our historic city, for example, you can’t miss the quaint row houses here in Washington D.C. But what exactly is a Row house, and why are they so popular?