The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-10-20
PRIVATE HOUSES.

NV ~. - why W HaNFN "
glance through the -can,y and for tie most
part ephemeral literature on real estate IN
New York city viii b. struck by the currency
which the opinion obtained some wears ago
that the residential districts In Manhattan.
In - far as not absorbed hy the expanding
REQ of trad" aud Industry. would
eventually 10 restricted 10 homes for the
very rich and 'h- very poor e. ~pslatial
prtNst" residences aud l"yuHo's hotels on
tie on" hand. And 80 sNaruing tenement
barracks on ia" otnsf
The Wild rcreptauo. ~ ~. opinion Was
No doubt assured b. "a. convincing Am
plicits Of IT, logo II va. arrued that. ~
the value ~ land continued 10 rise. nom"
hut the very wealthy would ultimately hs
able u occuuV prvHt" dwelliusr ~ other
housings n whs preui-ad. further. the ten
dcucv would b." towards increase In the num-
bsr OF suites and. consequently. In the ten
antfy such Increase could Oe secured
through taller construction only ny means Of
the elevator. which was costly bot "a install
aud To operate. so that resort 90 n sas i'm
practioahl" Except In exclusive buildings.
chiefly 81 IN" hotel tyne. designed for rich
tenants Ia teneu-ntr. unable a. thew
are To support the cost Of elevators. increase
Of tenAntry would have To be obtained by
reducing the 10. " suites aud m. h-isht Of
rooms and a glpomy precedent sas found
IN the tail tenement ~ imperial Rome. IN
Nhich an pnght posture VA impos-iOl"
Inf middle class ~ tho population. IL was
thought. would migrate into IN" suburbs,
partly m obedience 10 = supposedly un-
chargsahl~ prediction 10 live In Individual
houses. Nh~re possible. and partly because
I Of a decreasing production Of the established
typ. Of elcyatorl~-s nat-. whose rental IN
come. could uo' be augmented by hetding,
a. In the case " tenem~nts. the occupants
being less hound hy long hours and -mall
ASe- to the heishborhood Of their employ
ment
How tho theory rs.erving Nanhs titan for
the very rich and TIC very poor would have
I worked out in the absence Of progress In tho
building industry II would 10 idle q In
quir~ The abstract CONCLUSION drawn from
rising land value was never justified In IL
Applior ton. for IL failed q reckon with the
capacity Of tho modern economic forces O.
modif'. under the spur Of eNig"n"v. the cost
A. well a. the methods Of construction The
Introduction uptown four wears agp ~ cheap
electric power for elevators made possible
vhtt was practically a new type ~ com
lhrau'elv inexpensive elevator fat, The
uew fnt overcaue tho dir1culty Of hish land
vbluNs aud supplied Sn abundance Of housing
within the means of the miidl. Glass OF IN"
pupulau ton IL Wss H. every way superior
In comfort and attractlyene.s o. tho old
slevHtnrless nat. and because of IL economy
aud partial solution Of the servant problem
also lar s-ly modified the prediction 81
people NJ substance for individual dwellings.
especially whcn those dgel,ngs have 20 be
sought In the suburbs
A. rrst it was CON monty believed that
IL v,tor rats Would wholly sup~t-edo ole
yator,-s, Mats IN future construction. and
40 late a. - year ago a spirited investor ~
real estate lent the weight " his authority
TO this opinion A. n matter Of fact. how
ever. during IN" tU~rivcuouth preceding m.
adoption OF the present Tenement House
IAw there were probably ~ many elevat"ric~s
rats erected "a Manhattan as ever before IA
nuy corresponding period. For experience"
had shown that elevator Mats DO not conip"t
with rleva'orl-ss H1t- M which the rent does
not e,ceed. -ay. s. q room a month THIS dts
y,yrry made builders of the latter kind sure
Of their ground and argrr-~Ivrly active,
particularly on the borders Of the tenement
hou-. s'ct.ptl, which 10 som" 'it"nt were
actually invaded Partly oWinx Ia the CON-
p,ti.inn from low priced nats the builders
Of nrm.n were forced to introduce In
novatt0n- formerly regarded a. Unnecessary.
he net result Of recent Developments
In the building industry has i-ren to toconct.
a growing proportion Of tu" population To
fore ego lov and medium priced private houses
Tor Oats. and. measured 10y conNenienoes
and services rendered. there never Was a
time when occupants of and fats
receive 81 80 much for their rent ~ nov tn
the other hand. the rent ina modern ten"m-nt
T. hi.h.r IN collars ami ceuts than that which
prevailed In the old priyBt" hou,es altered
into rookeri.s which The new bJlGing~ have
ltrsclv di-plao-d. and consequently III" re-
building Of the tenement hous" sections down
town has left ,-s- room for To" 'h,'l 49, thAn
before Instead OF higher land values 70
serving Manhattan IN part FOR he very poor.
TN. - the only class Of he puuulsti"n which
current housing t.nisu,ir- Inevitably are
driving OFT The displacement nt the shit
Ices and those unable 70 obtain "oWpNta-
lively regular employment r. u"''rHht",
particularly dow utoNp. near the industrial
c~utrc. but especially 80 oU a." lover Wet
SIDE where the OLD n-gfo COLONY las H'u"-t
Wholly gwen w,y 60 Thrifty indlN dEls from
no a. Of Italy ard 20 I en- ! auce
Meantime IL remains tru" that private
houses arc being Increasingly reserved ~
m. usa o. the r,h throughout a Iarg"
part Of residential Manhattan /" keen contest
Tor suureu HcJ H. NDgIug between Nat ana
prtv,ts house construction In o." neigh
I,t hood tn, ssh, ha. been dc.uii"ly settled
IN favor of IriNate hpusr- ia others. equally
DEFINITELY in fvor 81 rBi- Hut H. the ma
tority 81 Io,.lti-S the is>u" H. still unc"r-
tain. alt though uIlioIs OF dollars OF invested
caI.tal j. involved
Ina, r,rt NJ Harlem which lies inmedi-
nt-Iy north Of ,"utual rBrk b. % good %llustru-
OF . l,rtlty 90 WhIHh NU h'ute con-
..rtrtlan las secured ab-oiut" suur"macy>
Tho section running from lluth To- l,5th sttr~t.
b.tw-.n IA aud lighth aN"nncs. Vs.
r.gsri,-i half = dozen y"trs aco 49, a con-
suiruop-il attractive" priNat" h"u-" n"lgh-
bnrIopI. enjoying 81 distinctly" -u'iHl tone
from the presence ~ a group ~ old Harlem
families. many Of them II note In the history
Of the citv In this section -"yentv-thr@e
pryate hou.e- were erected In iS0s But
sine. then the volume Of construction has
dccr~a--d annually. until last year only