New-York tribune., 1884-11-16

Copyright. 1884. fdgar Fawcett
TWO HUNDRED FEET IN TIE AIR.
A THOUSAND PEOPLE UNDER ONE ROOF.

SOME or TIE FEATURES OF TwFLvE-sToEY
APARTMENT HOUSE ~ NEw-Y YORK.
ON the west side of the city an enormous apart
ment house has recently been completed. II
occupies seven city lots. and rises to the height Of
nearly two hundred feet above the pavement.
The cellars are blasted thirty feet deep in the solid
rock Oh which the village goats gamb0llcd in tho
davs of old New-lorl. Beneath the sidewalks
there are spacions apartments. and an underground
passage stretches back nearly three hundred feet
to the street i'll the rear of the structure. The
huilding is in the style of the Italian RcnasSancc
\ brown stone church occupies the lot ou either
side of IT. Twenty-Five years ago these places Of
WORSHIP were marked among the principal buildings
of this part Of New-lork Even now an atmos-
phcrc of quiet and substantial respcctabllity
To- enauaie from them and envelope the neighhor
" which overshadOws them. Ihc castic-like tower
of one of these churches does not reach half way mp
the side of the apartment honse. aud the ith story
OF the "parsonage ~ on level with the " lower
parlors of the apartment house. llo.ght is no OBJ
lection in "A modern apartment in the centre Of
work, p.nvided there are "rapd" elevators
and no stairwavs to climb except a. "a matter of
rel cation and exercise Rents do not lessen appre-
ciahly with the altitude.
This house Is one Ot the cooperative apart mpnt
houses of the city. built not with view 10 prIvate
speculation. but with the purpose oi combining the
comforts of a home and a private hotel Some liity
prrsons of means urEani2el stock company for lie
purpose of hnillmg the house. They have
., pended on IT million aud quarter. There are
ninety suites Of apartments from
three t. twelve rooms IN each. he greater part of
these are leased nv the stuckholdrrs ior term of
years while those that are rented with the Store,
in fhp street front afford yearly revenue uf over
r. 90 200 tar more than enough Tor taxes repal "a
and current expenses No etpcnse has cen spared
to contribute to comfort and convenience lhe
siru,turc ia hfrptouf Only the furniture and
trimmings arc conibustible. The wuodwuik of the
apartments is ul mahoaanv, cherry ut light wood
~ tire owners taste prefers and the itpscninp ni
the apartments "a also IN designs OF the owners
r,uhahly moro than Thousand pctsons viii Hnd
hunps or orrnnatinn IN this vast building 4
lnrpp ntrr nf pnrluvns viii hr tpuutrd tu runlurt
tho daily routine, lhrHc WI have tnuma IA a
huiidng m the teat The Kitchen. laundry. ieitia-
ofatnfh. butcher Hhnp cohl ionna, cnsinrn al gUn
hntnn nnNrf, pha hnd electric lisht arnatstua ato
ia the orllatA aud under The ituui sidewalk Mnai
al tho families have iva ~ mnfr reiNauta Ut thur
own, in tho uutrn there hfe Kitchens with fannea
lor conkmu hy pas 90 Hluan, u tlr lainllus n NOT
wish to 20 o. thr restaurant Larh family may
give lie order from ilA own foolnH aud have tho
,,rnl, -rnt 10 the apartment The nnals ara mn
vied ior the stockholders on a basin nearly at
cost Each eot ui apartments has grates and omen
nreplucrs IN addition 10 steam heat, aud the coal
l. she'd AT cost Ihe tenth and eleventh ,l,,r,,s
are finished with tho same elegance ~ the rest nf
tho building. hut especially tor artists atndios
In the basement there Is "A barber shop. On the
twelfth story a suite of rooms las been isDatru
from ALI aprroach except bY the root and furnished
with no less care than other parts ol the house
This in known AS the hospital. person sick OF any
contagious disease could IocolVo all attention and
c.r,. u This room without the least danger To auy
ol her occupant Of the house.
The roof of the building commands one of tho
finest views in the city. Tho eye passes unob-
structed from the Lower Bay to the sound lar ND
the Hudson and back of jersey Heights. The
roof has a floor OF brick a. solid as a broadway
pavement. and is surrounded with high baus-
trade This Will be the playground OF the
children with their nurses III hne weather During
the the roof will be land out in garden plots
and parteTrcs. with awnings Tor protection from
the sun. An elevator runs up to the roof and
meals may be taken there