New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-26
TOWN AND COUNTRY HOMES.
WHAT THE CITY AND SUBURBAN COM
PANY IS DOING.

PAM Is DOlINN'
THE MODEL TENEMENT-HoUsEs IN WEST SIXTY
EIGHTH AND sIxrY-NINTH SITS. NEARING
CoMPLETIoN-A PURELY BUSINESS EN-
TERPRIsE-oTHER PLANS IN VIEW
-sIXTY-FTvE HOUSES GOING
Up AT HOMEWORK.
The double work OF the City and Suburban Homes
Company Is going forward in New-York and BrooK-
Ign a scale and with degree OF rapidly that
give satisfaction to the .arge-minded men VINO are
interested In this scheme for providing people OF
modest incomes with more comfortable and home
like homes than most of them are able to secure
under existing circumstances. While permanent
homes can be obtained by people OF this class only
by going outside OF the thicky built-up parts OF
the city It Is easily possible within the city itself
to provide better tenementhousej than those ordi-
narily constructed on the principle OF putting as
many families as possible under roof and so
bringing in the largest possible income to the
owner.
An Interrogation mark Is likely to be provoked
by the statement that the model tenement-houses
Of the City and Suburban Homes Company are
being erected in Sixty-cghth and Slxty-ninth SITS,
between Tenth and Eleventh ayes. Why. 1t Is
asked, should that part of the city be selected for
an enterprise Of this sort? Why did not this com
pany go the lower East Side, where the
tenement Il
hive and do something in the heart of that district
to relieve the terrible overcrowdng that Is known
exist?
There Is complete answer to these questions.
1t IL that the new buildings of the City and Sub
Urban Homes Company situated almost within
a stones throw OF the most crowded block In the
entire city.
WHERE THE GREATEST CONGESTION EX-
lists.
The investigation OF the Federation OF East Side
Churches has shown that a larger number of peo-
pie packed together in the block bounded by
Tenth and Eleventh ayes, Sixty-frst and Sixty
second SITS. than in any other block In New-York.
the number being $3.50, and the next largest popu-
lation a single block, with one exception, IS to
and sixty-seyenth sts where 3 2s2 people live The
exception relates TO the block bounded by Third
population of about 800 How there comes to be
so great congestion on the West side opposite
last few years, an' erefore must seem surprising
quainted with New-York. '''''
one thing is certain. That is. that the City. and
choosing this neghborhood the scene OF It's first
enterprise within the limits Of the city. Not long
ten in Sixty;eghth-st and nine In slxty-ninth-st.-
nd on zach al the 1t has eTecsd three
ments. The buildings are six stories in height, and
II Is that thew wifi ali Se nhed by hc
beginning of next yea
Some OF the apartments contain only two rooms
apartment is expected to be the most popular and
about O. per cent are of this class. The remainder
four rooms. Tn" work Of construction has been
plumbing and other equpmen;s are first class The
buildings are ninety feet ir depth. leaving yard
ten feet wide in the rear. In the centre OF each
one-hundred. loot building f. court thirty feet
square. and between each OF the buildings is
feet from the street The buildings fronting on
zach zach street; howeyer are connected at the rear
a single dark room IN all the S7i sets OF apart
The class OF people that the company expects to
have az tenants are those living In the nearby ten
cment-hquses' and the rents OF the new apart
rentals have not been fixed as yet. DR. f. T. l..
Could. the president Of the company; says that
they will probably run from s. 80 for the least de-
srab" two-room apartments to 81 or 81 20 for the
best courtroom apartments.
NOT A CHARITABLE ENTERPRISE.
There IS flavor OF charity about this under
taking The Ciiy and Suburban Homes Company f.
not charitable institution Ia any OF the
word. II is not association a society. DR..
Gould is careful to explain TO any one who speaks
Of 1t IN that way. but company organized under
the business laws OF the State with the object OF
providing better homes Tor large class OF the
population. while n the same time earning regular
dividends FOR the shareholders.
WG know no Philan,hropy less than per cent"
company last week and We have not the slightes;
reason to doubt the success OF the undertaking
There f. no limit TO the field of work in this line
our capital stock Is 100000 and soon as that
used shall have difficulty In issuing more
stock We have put the shares at a low figure $40
in the expectation that in ibis way we shall be
able 10 make use OF the earnings Of the working
people. The security Offer is good that OF
the savings banks. namely. improved city real
tate. and we expect that some OF our tenants will
be- for then they will have the feeling OF owner
ship that is 50 desirable. When John Smith occu-
pies an apartment Ia one OF our buildings. and hap
pens TO be shareholder II there Is vacant apart
mcnt across the way or on the next floor he Will
be pretty likely think that that is jus; the place
for Tom Brown. and viii hunt up Tom and get him
to move In. That is the sort OF thing we shall be
The city and Suburban Homes Company is ready
TO proceed with 4 similar undertaking on the other
property of the Colored Home and Hospital In
East sxty-fourth anG Slxty-nfth SITS. between
Avenue and First-avc This comprises forty-one
lots and is more than twice az large as the West
Side property Houses Of ike character will be
erected there. The plans arc being made by James
+. Ware while Ernest Flagg Is the architect of the
West Side houses The company does not secure
BUILDING SUBURBAN HOMES
In relation to the second part OF its work. moth
ing positive has yet been done far New York
proper IL concerned. but tho company IL seriously
considering the purchase Of large piece OF prop
erty somewhere on the other side Of the Harlem
River. which II will erect large number OF
from $500 10 500 year. which they will be able
to pay for IN moderate monthly nstalments Thus
far the company has not been able to find in the
future borough Of the Bronx just the tract OF land
II wants for the price f. is willing pay. but it is
probable that In the near future IL will take a de-
cisivc step in that direction
In Brooklyn It has had better luck. and there the
suburban settlement OF H)mcwoOd is almost an
established TACT. The company purchased a trac;
OF about twcnty-cisht acres In the ,fhr,ieth Ward
formerly the town. OF New Utrecht. and IS now
erecting sixty five houses for purchasers who have
entered INTO 'ontrncts for them ana are waiting
impatieuty 20 take possession of their new homes
1t the intention TO put up one hundred houses
this year. but Il change Of plans made The
siXty-nvc under way will be completed I'm No.
vember. The BROOKLYN property of the company lies
between Oylngton-ave. and Seventy -fourth-st., on
both sides Of SeVenteenth-avc. The houses are not
large, but neat and attractive, and built In the
mos; substantial manner There are no frame
houses among them. IL IL one OF the purposes Of
the company to save Its patrons from the necessity
OF considerable" expenditures every few years FOR
exterior painting Many OF the cxterlors to be