The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-10-23

FUTURE PRosPECTs-HARDsuIP AND LUXURY
If Brooklyn is the City OF Churches, New York
is assuredly the City of Hotels. New Workers
may be not improperly divided into two classes
those who keep hotels and those who in
habit hotels We have indeed, been assured by
persons Of high character for veracity, that far
away in the streets up town, wealthy men have
been known to occupy whole house, and stur-
Oily TO refuse admittance to single lodger.
But the statement requires confirmation. From
the dingy, old fashioned three story building in
Houston or Franklin street--where young
men are taken in and done for, in an attic
with dinner on Sundays, for four and five dollars
week-where the landlady looks after your
linen herself, especially your handkerchief and
socks-where the chimneys always smoke, and
your hosts eldest daughter Je-e-ulia," plays
polkas from 6 :: 80 A. M. to II 80 ?. M-where
breakfast is period Of awful solemnity to be
spent religiously in mute mastication from
this sort of home, which we doubt not has been
at some time or other patiently endured by
most Of our readers, to the gorgeous palaces in
Broadway. where well nigh thousand stran-
fed each day--where the furniture, which is
yours for few hours, far exceeds in splendor
that Of your own drawing room, and the table
service and fare are unequalled in the wealthiest
mansions in Europe;-betwcen one or the other
OF these extremes, nine-tenths of the sojourners
in New York are lodged How tie system
originated we know not. Want of money
want of time, other occupations perhaps
forced Jones to take a bedroom at
Smiths, instead Of building or renting house
Jones liked it SO did Mrs. j. and Mrs S. It
was economical-not troublesome-aa social
Robinson followed the example So did Snoolzs
and after while ali these ana other Smiths,
Joneses, &c, found themselves living in BOARD
ing houses and enduring it meekly. Now, as
we said, almost every second house is either
hotel or boarding house and though addition
al accommodation for several thousand people,
in the shape of large hotels, &C., has been added
to the city within tie last twelve months, it
never was so difficult for a stranger to find a
room. Starting at eleven or twelve at night,
one may drive around the city for hours with
out being able to procure a he'd. The demand
advances in the ratio Of the square Of the sup
ply According to the ascertained rate of pro-
gress, we shall next year have dozen more
monster hotels in existence, and respectable
strangers will be found sleeping in rows in the
Park and Parade Ground
We leave it to philosophers to say where this
is to end and trust they will enter upon the in
quiry with nerve and courage. Fit be our des-
tiny hereafter to exhibit the spectacle Of city
too small for its inhabitants, and to undergo all
the petty miseries of periodical ejectments from
our dwellings, whenever o sudden rush Of stran-
gers takes place, the sooner we know it the bet
ter. If it is to cost US thirty dollars week for
an attic, water to wash. and boot cleaning extra
let us be prepared in time. Scholars and gen.
tlemen have subsistcd in comparative comfort,
in tents, at Melbourne and Sydney If it should
come to that, Manhattan island contains dry
spots still, and canvass is cheap
A second inquiry, not less curious than the
first is, where is the present love Of luxury to
end? Take street architecture. for instance
1t is no doubt very true that, artistically
speaking. Europe contains finer buildings than
ours; but, from utilitarian point Of view
neither London nor Paris nor Vienna nor, in
short, any other city in the world, contains
anything that can compare with tho s. Nicho-
las Metropolitan, or Prescott hotels, some OF
our first class stores, or the newly built dwell
ing houses, for comfort, accommodation and
room The same is true Of interior decorations
Europe contains nothing Like Tsylor's saloon.