The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-05-03
WHERE B0ARDERS BOARD.
TINS CITY,S OPEN HOUSES Mellow
THE RANK OF HOTELS.
From the Fashionable BOARDING House,
with Charges Ne High as sic ~ bay,
Bows TO the benpest boarding House,
Nyhtc. fat,1s UaaA u,d EO1h for az IA Mat

WNNA " LIEU ~ w. ~
Bows to the benpes Roardinw House
Which Gives he'd and Food for sc IA Week
That ancient and honorable institution. the
New York boarding house, is on the decline
That such Is the case IL not tho fault Of the in
stitution. The first boarding house became an
actually because there was n demand for IL.
The number increased because more were
needed. The increase was regulated by the law
Of supply and demand. From one, the number
of boarding houses mounted up into the thou
sands. There has come the time. however.
when tho supply exceeded the demand, and
that Is why the number of New York's board-
Ing houses is decreasing.
What the boarding house once was to the
people Of this town the apartment and fur
nislied- room houses have become, The cheaper
hotels also have helped along the decline OF the
boarding house. 1t ~ a general truth that the
boarding house was intended originally for the
homeless New Yorker of small or moderate
means. When somebody thought Of a shelter
for the man or woman of moderate means
which gave, in some ways. moro comfort than
the boarding house and more OF the atmosphere
OF Liberty Hall. the boarding houses declined in
favor. The city limits extended, the distances
from Ine section or shops and counting rooms
and offices To the section of DWELLING Increased.
aahha H. Became an cheaper and more convenient for
one place and ent Ia another.
Enlrnnenm. Vol mere Is more Of bohemia In the
bui'pVuu lLli VI living, ana tncfe IL nOtnlnK SO
attractive to those who know little or nothing
about II as that mythical, borderless. moralless
land known rs bohemia. Bohemiuns wouldn't
i've IN boarding houses. That would be too re-
spcctaole. II Bohemians in general believed In
marriaSe the boarding house might still be a
necessity. but most as far IA n be-
lief IN marriage goes, are iniidels. II the keep
ers or boarding houses would form themselves
into n society for the promotion of marriage
there might still be prof; in taxing boarders.
there are no means OF estimating with Ger
York, but 1t Is said that there are between i. 900
and 5000. Estimating, that each boarding
house averages ten b%oHrders. there are at least
10000 or 10000 persons who don't care n rup
about the wonders OF Bohemia, who don't care
to lead rlsquG existence-, who are content to
take up, mated or minated, with the quiet, re-
spectacle, unromantic life in Il New York board
A general classification of the New York
boarding. houses would be as follows, The hotel
expensive boarding house, the family boarding
house, the student boarding house. the boarding
houses, of the French. German. Italian. and
Spanish quarters. the bakers aud sailors
boarding houses: and the very cheap boarding
particular section OF the city. Each class has a
distinct location, rs have business houses in the
The transient boarding house is patronized
largely by women who come to town on shop
ping excursions. The keepers Of these places
seem by common consent to have opened
houses In streets adjacent to the retail shopping
district' From Eleventh to Tnirty-foprth
rows Of these houses. They are thickest be-
tween Twenty-htth and Tlirty-thiid streets.
own bargains, like to believe they are getting
things cheap, They come to terms with a
plume themselves that they viii have much
more to spend for gowns, and hats than if they
bills they find they have been dcluded.
As a matter of fact. nothing is saved by stop
appetite. The smell OF the Kitchen. which ever
pervades the house. takes away ones inclina-
a Week. For sia pr,te soa rnhTo If fF a. Woman S1i no Gets Sts
a place for her trunk and n bed to sleep on.
mum price the room is about two and q half
times the size of a hall bedroom. Breakfast is
ing that hour the food is warm. After II" 4" that H"i It
is c~old-fy you get it. Luncheon is served. but
ne b9arders are not expected to get around to
cordingly. The dinner rises to the dignity Of
a junction. There are as many as four courses.
dinner as a time for dress parade. They array
Themselves in gowns that hnve been described
papers published in the regions from which the
The fashionable, or expensive boarding house.
Is a thing OF beauty and. in most cases. Is a joy
as long as one ltTes there. II comes high, but
found in largest numbers along Madison ave-
nue., from Twenty-sixth to Iwep,y-niuth
along Fifth avenue, from Tenth TO Fourteenth
street, and from Forty-second to Fifty-rinth
the cross streets between, Fifth and Mndts"n
avenues. from T,wenty-sixth to. Fifticth street.
house are possessed OF incomes from some
source-they must be in order to live there. il
wealthy enough TO own their r''t own sNf houses Srs
1 ti"n, et ksfp bm MP mere TSo,s or no LES prstsn,
people 'SGl sS desire 'H'T i've i i""p hons e0a That i6io lhs as
much like a private dwelling, as possible. The
proprietor Of the fashionable boarding house is
house where he hopes to get rich by housing
and feeding people in luxurious style, he picks
out one which looks as much ike a pretcntiuus
private dweiiing as possible. There is nothing
Of the gingerbread in the architecture Of The
hlR E1V mi mo house II = val 1t,tNt J
OF brown stone, or at least has Il brown-stonc
and has every, appearance on the outside
Everything inside the house conforms to tho
outside appearance. There is nothing gaudy in
the house is Furnished in the best possible taste.
II the proprietor OF the boarding house is not a
selects some one to pick out his furniture for him.
The result is that these boarding houses are
better taste than many OF the homes OF wealthy
New Workers. The sleeping apartments are
room. II Max 6h'Re iiD''e once s%id.', I'm in d "itn
they were handsomely appointed and tho
was excellent, yet they would
pended Tor, elevators, and gorgeous IIiiverio.
Tor the pell boys. and more in pictures and
Il O'Reli had ever stopped in a fash
lonable New York boarding house he would
considerable taste show there in the mural
OF the. sleeping apartments. OIL I
water coiors, and etching, brighten
he rooms, and the furniture harmOnilcs in
,olor with the wall tlnts. {
II a person wants t. live luIuriuusly. and yet +
las the notion that he can get his luxury cheaper {
n a fashionable boarding house than IN a fash !
enable hotel, he makes n mistake. Few OF the J
hotels are more expensive than the FASH I
enable boarding house. Tho prices range from !
to $40 and Sl2 IA day. The 80 bOarder gets q
he same In the dining room rs the $40 bnarder. l
Ipt his sleeping apartments are very different. t
are smaller, nearer heaven. and are q
lot so well furnished. 1t il said that the I
most expensive boarding house in New i
iork is ~ Fifth avenue. near tifty-seventh I
treeL. Nobody need apply there for nc I
o pay II minimum rate Of - a day. Before this v
'ouse was opened it was said that the proprietor b
pent nearly a year and II half in select ing tho I
for the house and the bric-a. brGc. IL i
5 said also that many OF the rRrcst pieces Of q
of the time OF the Second French EN- I
IRE are in that house. The walls are decorated a
Nth many paintings by the worlds famous ar n
lists, and the bric-A brac stOrehOusCs OF Italy o
searched for art treasures with which to q
ecorate this New York boarding house.