So I was taking a walk in Palo Alto today -- I think along Webster Street -- and noticed one of those (common in Palo Alto) new-ish homes with fancy light wells for the habitable space in the basement. (It's popular because basements don't count as floor area for zoning code!)

I like basements. Feels like a private separate area from the rest of the house. Rare to see on the peninsula, but see a lot in Denver