Morning journal and courier., 1884-11-19
Wednesday, November 10, 1884.
TALL BUILDING.

Land in New York city is so valuable that builders try to make up in height what they lack in other dimensions Some of the apart ment houses which have become so fashion.
 able in the great city are istriking specimens
 of building in the air. One which has just
 been built on West Broadway is especially
 notable. It covers seven city lots, has eel lars and sub-cellars to the depth of thirty feet, blasted out of solid rock, and rises two hundred feet into the air It is one of the cooperative apartment houses, built not with 6 view to private speculation, but with the purpose of combining the comforts of house and private hotel. Some fifty persons of means organized stock company for the purpose of building the house. They had expended on it million and a quarter. There are ninety-seven suites of apartments ranging from three to twelve rooms each. The greater part of these leased by the stockholders for term of years, while those that are rented with the stores in the street front afford yearly revenue of over $100,- 900, far more than enough for taxes, repairs and current expenses. No expense has been spared to contribute to comfort and con- venience. The structure is freproof. Only the furniture and trimmings are combustible. The woodwork of the apartments is of ma hogany, cherry or light wood, the owners taste prefers, and the frescoing of the apart ments is also fin designs of the owners choice.
 Probably more than a thousand persons will find homes or occupation in this vast building. A large force of employees will be required to conduct the daily routine. These will have rooms in building in the rear.
 The kitchen, laundry, refrigerators, butcher shop, coal rooms, engines 200 horse power,
 gas and electric light apparatus are in the
 cellars and under the front sidewalk. Most of the families have two or more servants of their own. In the suites there are kitchens
 with ranges for cooking by gas or steam, if
 the families do not wish to go to the restau-
 rant. Each family may give it's order from it's own rooms and have the meals sent to the apartment. The meals provided for the stockholders basis nearly at cost Each set of apartments has grates and open fire
 places in addition to steam heat, and the coal is furnished at cost. The tenth and eleventh stories are finished with the same elegance as the rest of the building, but es- pecially for artists studios. In the basement there is barber shop. On the twelfth story suite of rooms has been isolated from all
 approach except by the roof and furnished with no less care than other parts of the
 house. This is known as the hospital. A
 person sick of any contagious disease could
 receive all attention and care in the room
 without the least danger to any other occu-
 pant of the house.
 The roof of this tall building commands
 one of the finest views in the city.
 The eye passes unobstructed from the lower
 bay to the Sound, far up the Hudson and
 back of Jersey heights. The roof has a floor
 of brick as solid a Broadway pavement,
 and is surrounded with a high balustrade.
 This will be the playground of the children with their nurses in fine weather. During
 the summer the roof will be laid out in gar den plots and parterres, with awnings for
 protection from the sun. An elevator runs up to the roof and meals may be taken there.
 This kind of thing is rather impressive, but if any earthquake should happen to come along some fine day in New York city tall apartment houses would lose their populari- ty. As it is, it is surprising that they are built so high, and that people will pay the high prices they do for the privilege of living on one of the upper floors.