The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-10
To HOUSE THE BACHELOR.
VEN BUILDINGS PVT UP FOE TIA
HOTELS WANT HIN.

EnmafFneIlOn n U e
Tho private Lodging House ana mo
Yuo,.,-Ronts In tho New Apartments
T. look, os ~ tho investors in real estate had
.o.o,,dod TIM, tboro was no field just at pres
.rt so nroftable a. that of housing the bache'
ia- Throo largo buildings devoted entirely 10
tbis nurnose will he opened early this winter.
eno number of lodging houses Is not only rs
i,rye as ~ over was, but every day more houses
arc added to the list devoted TO the purpose.
Tb. boarding houses are willing to take
h,oho,ors md relieve them from the customary
rront basement adjunct Of their establish
vrs,ts Tho hotels arc making an eager bid
for tho vagrant bachelor, and ono OF thom mas
nut aside some 3Oorooms on two floors, when
arc TO be given over to single.mcn at a prlce
-ouo rkably low in view OF the luxury of the
Mace. There is to be n valet service attached
m the use Of these rooms. and everything that
would tend to the case OF living IL TO be sup
plicd. The clubs are finding greater demands
every day for their sleeping apartments, and IL
This were n time in which clubs were being
bu,lt such rooms would doubtless be a leading
feature of them. But the paralysis OF clubs
tbnt arrived two years ago is not yet distant
enough to encourage the formation OF any new
ones or the erection of any more houses. But
tho bachelor apartmentshouse and the bachelor
lodgings are just now supplied to an extent
that seems in excess Of the demand.
There is no evidence, however. that there Is
not plenty Of men TO fill the p%roffercd quarters.
The cry for good accommodations from single
men is one which, tho real estate dealers say.
never ceases. For men who will pay any
amount, provided they get What suits them,
the question Of providing suitable apartments
has never been a difficult one. New York was
supplied with satisfactory places for them years
ago. and to-day there are on Fifth avenue quar-
ters accessible to this demand that are rs 1ne
ne those OF any city in the world. But tho
great majority OF men who live in apartments
in New York are not seeking these which may
cost from s., 500 to $4,000 or $4,000 a year.
Probably the number of mon in New York who
nay the last-named sum.is small. But of those
who pay $500 a year for three or four rooms
there arc q great many. But their number is
small compared with the army back of them
who want to pay at most $500 or 5000 each for
the places in which they sleep.
The men who are to provide bachelor quar-
tiers recognize this element in the demand. and
the buildings that arc to be opened this year.
as well as those which recently have been built,
are for the great majority. They will provide
a man with q sitting room, bedroom. and bath
at a price Of about 81 900 a year. That sum 10
not moro than the clearinghouse keeper will
ask. whether her house be old or new and wheth-
or 1t be carefully kept or not. The places which
offer rooms at q smaller price are decidedly be-
low the achievements OF these newer apart
ments in tho comfort they offer. For an ordi-
nary double room in one Of tho usual New
York twenty-foot dwelling houses. whether it be
back or front. the average price is $40 a week.
There may be slight variations in this. and the
propinquity to Fifth avenue and the uptown
streets might make q difference of So a week.
Thus q landlady at No. 6 on q street might
get $40 o week for a room, while at No. IS on
the same sire t tho customary breakfast might
be thrown in for the same sum-. while the room
was in every way as attractive. The exclu-
sive use of o bathroom adds always from 81 to
So to the price of q room. Going west OF sixth
avenue or east Of Madison there will be found
nus q room which on Thirty-eishth street.
between Fifth and Sixth avenues, would cost
$40 . week could be had one block further
houses In the better neiehborhoods are likely
to be more comfortable, or at all events to look
the hSfe rule Io"t On blocks a little out Of the ordinary
run there are frequently ths;- to 5ooS pc found lou d.. houses an Is
s w1lSh d nqe enl matters e rs ' as m 1oaass Sss a ana a. Ice g
stone fronts which boast Of being but a few feet
ways Of New York lodging houses, win soon
E~iIcation for:rooms the difference among tho
finds q women Pm 1,,T Th 4. LOCK- sSIs after aso these e, i, >
paratively late period in her life. begun to take
enough to recognize her viii also be wary
enough TO avoid her. Generally speaking, 1t
The "f greatest test degree Of comfort and the mini.
mum ground for complaint will be found. But
this rule is subject to variations, and too much
keeper Is likely to be sometimes misplaced.
But she is certain to be more businesslike In
a,spirit which mitigates the hardship of an &C.
casional tusslc with women. Among New
YoEk.s lodgins,hoqsse use keepers keeper ,,I perhaps APPS a ma a
OF this kind. Many Of them are foreigners,
and the Germans possibly predominate. There
in the business, and a consider lbIe proportion
of graduated buffers and walters are also at
'hf h Is a 81 dis .aSSe einao faet that the untidiness
of his lodging house is what the average
bachelor lodger will find most to complain
not always be the result Of unwillingness on
of any particular ineficiency on the part of the
servants. 1t is the effect Of q complete ina
Siiti!y Of to rb Pefs mskes t a soo 5ana fidS:S Clean G. saf tSw els
may be stacked about tho wash basin, and
there may be dirt half an inch deep in the cor
like diamonds, while the sediment in the bot,
tom OF the water pitcher Is never disturbed
IL Is sucn ulScOuraBlng phases winch inc odcne
Tor lodger ~contemplates in. desperation and
then moves on to another house. There the
corners of the room may be clean and the tow
els dirty. Wherever he goes something is Ger
tain to be wrong.
These objections. which in nine cases out o.
ten constitute the chief objection that every
man justifiably has to the house In which III
lives, are to be found as often in the most ex
pensive places ms in the cheapest. One ma!
tells Of q house in a downtown street near Fin
avenue in which he paid $l4 n week for a room
on the second floor; he left 1t because he wa
entirely unable after an occupancy Of three week!
TO persuade the landlady that the carpet needed
swecPing; Another tells of a place in which
he paid $40 II week for n small back room ant
struggled Intellectually to get the landlady +
have. the furniture busted. She persistcntll
failed TO see the necessity of that, although thu
dust was like the crust of a cheese: In an
other house u man who never went to bed befor,
inidnight had to submit quietly to having hi
Ice water put In the room at z.
These are the customary disadvantage o
many lodging houses. They all have thei
origin in the chronic repugnance TO neatnes
which it is impossible to persuade the averag
lodging house keeper to abate. It was nftc
a inng experience that one man said he ha,
come 10 The conclusion that the New Yor
lodging house keeper aimed to 90 as little IA
possible TO assure the comfort OF the person
In hn. In,,u mkt t., nlx.a 49,. - 80. "a