The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-08-12
How do People Live In New York :-Tone-
ment HOuSea.

How do People Live In New York :-Tone-
ment Houses.
Tenement houses are modern invention, having
sprung into existence as regular New York insti-
tuition since the era OF the great European exodus
to our shores We shall have better data when the
census report is completed but for the present. it
will be near enough for purpose to estimate that
twothrdi Of the entire population Of the city of
New York reside in tenement houses-houses either
expressly constructed for the accommodation Of
from one to four families to each floor, or else,
houses which have been converted into such use and
occupation. house occupied by two families, we
do not regard as q tenement house. Three or more
families we think fairly ente the house to that ap
pellation.
Tenement houses are constructed either double or
single, according to the width OF the lot Double
houses in the upper parts Of the city are built about
twenty-five feet wide and fifty feet deep. In the
older portions Of the town, they may be found Of all
dimensions, according to the shape OF the
ground on which the house is erected. They
are seldom less than four stories high, often
Eve, and occasionally six. The popularity
Of the double house Ia this the stairs go up in the
centre Of the house, in such Q manner as to leave
room for two goodsized parlors on each front floor,
and also two in the rear. The balance Of the room
on the floor is divided in the most economical man.
ner into bedrooms, kitchens, &C., making four COM
plete suits Of rooms all alike, and adapted for four
different families, who, for ought we know, may
have all sprung from as many different quarters of
the globe. Water and waste-pipe is constructed
in the common hall, for the use of the families on
the same floor great objection to these double
houcoa ia that tho atairs cOnatructnd the
very centre of the house, and within the smallest
possible space, there is no means Of lighting the
floors, unless, perhaps, the upper one of ALL except
by gas which il rarely used. The respective floors,
therefore, or rather the stairs, are always dark and
gloomy, and poorly ventilated. In five story
double tenement house, with four families to each
floor, there viii be, Of course, four times five, or
twenty families to one house. Of these FIVE noors
the first is not regarded the best, on account Of
its great exposure to noise, numbers, dirt, cold in
winter, &c. The rooms on the second floor are the
best and command the highest rent. They are high
enough to escape most of the objections to the first
floor, and not so high as to make it laborious to
reach them. After that the floors diminish in value
az you ascend. All front rated at higher
rent than rear ROOMS. The cheapest rooms in the
house will Of course be the on the extreme
upper floor The best, the front rooms on the second
floor. Prices OF suits OF rooms in such house will
range, say from So to IS per month, and the whole
house should yield about 81 900 per anum rent.
Such, in construction, is double tenement house.
A single tenement house is very easily described,
being much like any other house, or like the side
half of a double tenement house. They are of va
nous widths, but rarely twenty feet. Suits Of
rooms in these command higher rents than those in
the double houses, and OF course are occupied by
superior class Of tenants. Great numbers Of these
houses are expressly constructed, not for two
families to one floor, but for one. Such
are almost all the houses the First Second Third
Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, Ninth and Tenth avenues,
few on Fourth avenue, and none on Lexington,
Madison and Fifth. On these avenues the first
floor is appropriated to store; and it is not uncom
for tie person who rents the store to rent the
whole house. and sublet such portions as he may not
require for his own On the side streets will be
found double tenements, and single ones of various
widths.
AS to the location of tenement houses we say &C.
morally that the entire city, east Of Third avenue,
and above Eighteenth street, is filed with them.
OF course, we only design to indicate very generally
the quarters Of the city where they abound; also
few between Third and Lexington avenues. Scarcely
score between Lexington and Sixth avenues.
Between Sixth and Eighth avenues there are few
streets, such as Twentieth to Twenty-ffth, well
built up, but it is generally q condemned country,
and no true Goldfish will dwell there. OF the
character of the streets between Eighth and Ninth
avenues we have already spoken in former ar
ticle. In Chelsea west of Ninth avenue, and
especially on and around about what was formerly
Moore's Hil-a block lying between Ninth and Tenth
avenues, and Twenty-second and Twenty-third
streets--is to be found one Of the most quiet and
pleasant neighborhoods in all the city; some very
handsome improvements are now being made there.
The old time-honored hill is now entirely removed,
and scarcely yestige remains to mark the spot,
although new monuments Of art are springing up in
the shape of handsome four story brown stone
houses. Above Chelsea and west of Ninth avenue
up to Fifty-ninth street, where Bloomingdaie road
commences, you have region Of tenement houses
in some portions Of which-the region we mean
there are smells which, if prope ly cut up and dried
would yield guano enough to fertize the States and
cause even Canada to stretch out her hands (and
nose too) in thankfulness for the reciprocity treaty.
The riches of New York city have never yet been
properly developed. SO much for the location of
tenement houses.
Who occupy these houses? Here, too, we must
answer very generally. Without offence, however,
we may state that double tenements and the neigh.
borhood where they found are most frequently
cupied by foreign born, and of these the Irish
the most numerous, as far our observation has
extended. American born citizens dislike greatly
to be mixed up under the roof with foreigners
Their manners, habits and tastes widely differ
ent and they rarely agree. Indeed, it will not be
difficult to believe that it must require extrnordi
nary amount Of magic influence TO convert twenty
different families with twenty different names, and
jabbcring everything but the dead languages, into
one happy household. For example, Mrs. Smith,
who lives on the second floor, front right has heard
that Widow Machree, who occupies the fifth floor,
left has said that she knows who said that Mrs
Smith was no better than she ought 70 he: and nc.