I am in Boston, Massachusetts, and I live in a building style that is unique to the New England region called a triple-decker or three-decker. There are a number of variations, but the original idea was that the owner lived on one floor and rented the other two for income. As is usual, we have a built-in china cabinet with drawers below, and a small stained glass window high up in the bowed wall of the dining. Closets are small -- Victorian factory workers had not so much stuff to put away! And there are porches front and back, high ceilings (helps with cooling in summer) and tall windows all around. And although the houses are built close together, there's usually at least bit of space between them, enough for light and air to come in.

When we moved here, at the beginning of the century (it's so fun to say that!), many were being sold off and converted to condos. That was the arrangement in both our previous homes. Our current buidling is completely owned by the landlady -- she grew up here -- so we are pretty sure we don't have to worry about that this time!

Read more here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple-decker