New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-25
APARTMENT HOUSE DEFICIENCIES.

Within a few weeks the current of travel
from the summer resorts will set toward the
city. and the daily routine of life in thousands
Of homes will be re-estabIished. With many.
however, it will be a new beginning. The
landlords, especially OF apartments, have dis
covered of late years that their tenants were
taking advantage OF the privilege Of giving
I'D their apartments on May /, in order to
spend the whole summer in the country and
come back TO find new quarters in the fall.
This change was met by making the apart
ment wear date from October / . and that rule
seems now pretty well fixed. The month of
September, therefore has become the Hat
hunting period rather than the spring. and there
will be much sport of that dubious Ilnd during
the next few weeks.
The first impression Of those who engage in
this delectabe pursuit must be one Of wonder
at the lack Of taste, judgment, or even OF ordi-
naIy common sense displayed in the construc-
ton and arrangement of a large proportion OF
these houses II would be difficult to say how
many people in New-York now live in apart
ments. but the number must be enormous
This used to be considered a city Of boarding
come rather a city Of apartments. Flats now
shelte! handsome share OF the entire popuia-
ton. The capital invested in these structures
must make up prodigiOus total. Yet is Is the
exception rather than the rule, when one OF
them is found to be inteligently adapted to
the uses for which it has been erected. DO
mestic architecture has made great strides IN
this country during the last ten years, but the
apartment-hOuSe does not seem to have leaped
It's share II the advance. There are large ana
snowy houses in abundance. but even in many
of these there is the same display Of poor taste
and poor Judgment as in the more modest
APARTMENTS The arrangement Of rooms Is
often such as to suggest that the designs were
the work of an ignorant person and not VI a
competent architect. Any clever housewife
can usually suggest ways in which the space
at command could have been put to more prac=
teal use Here is one branch Of architecture AZ
least in which it would seem that women might
be If great service. bright woman is likely
to have clearer and better ideas than even the
most accomplished man as to the relative posi-
lions Of dining-room and Kitchen parlor ana
bedrooms and bathroom aud the plans OF
vast number Of apartments would probably
have been improved by submission to Such an
authority.
The excessive cost Of land is undoubtedly
responsible in part, for all this, though sheer
stupidity seems to have a good deal to do with
it. Two apartments are crowded into the space
where only one should be- The air-shafts are
reduced to a size which makes them mere
apologies for devices for ventilation. Space
that might be utilized for comfort is often Sacrl'
feed for show. The desire to make gooc
appearance, which is so great a bane Of ON
social life, affects the very construction OF the
! flat. 10 have a little more style in the draw
/ ing room the servants bedroom is cut d0wr
to a mere box and ii does not need Il proiount
| domestic experience to prove that where The
comfort If the servant is not considered. the
family life will have to pay the penalty in ont
wav or another. Too little thought has beer
given in the construction and arrangement o
apartments to questions of health and rea
pIeaSantness Of living, and too much to way
Of getting the largest possible revenue from
every square foot of space. In this way land
lords and builders often overresch themselves
because an overcrowded and badly arranged
apartment is likely to stand empty much o
| the time.
Unfortunately, the business of building
apartments as well "a houses is largely in tn
! hands Of ignorant contractors-men who hav
had the shrewdness 80 make money. but VIII
are without education or culture Of any sort
They build houses Of all kinds simply to sci
them as quickly as possible just as they nigh
any other article of merchandise. Not havini
| taste themselves they are not likely, undo
ordinary circumstances to know where to fin,
il in others. II is this state of things which i
responsible for so many malformsd homes Oh
this island, both in houses and apartments
In time. however, even this class of men vii
probably become more conscious Of the need
of such work, and higher grade of skill tina
is often employed now will be summoned to it
aid.
The head Of The Atlanta Constitution is di.