The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-02
ENTERTAIN IN PUBLIC.
Fashion in Cities Tends Toward
Restaurant and Hotel Life.
New York Sun.

New York Sun.
Whether or not all well-to-do New York
ers will ultimately come to live in apart
ment hotels is a question which, of course.
the future alone can answer Probably the
millionaires, at any rate. will keep to their
own independent houses.
The inclination to live in the apartment
hotel is. however, the most marked ten
dency in New Yorks social ways that has
been exhibited for a long time. Since flats
were first built there has been no such
decided novelty in New York's manner of
living.
One need only ride on the West Side
elevated road to observe what a part they
have come to play in the city's architecture.
Nearly every side street possesses its
apartment hotel towering above the dwell
ing houses that formerly held exclusive
possession of these streets.
And the new hotels of this kind are al
most as expensive as a single house. If a
tenant desires to live with anything like
the same degree of comfort. This way of
living has long ceased to be economical.
1t may be cheaper theoretically than main
tanning a house; but it will cost quite as
much unless the entire manner of living
is restricted, just as ones living space is.
are crowded until more and more must be
built, not because they are inexpensive,
but because they are convenient.
Wealthy men and women who have social
obligations and enjoy social pleasures
might never have taken to these hotels
but for change in New York's way Of en-
pertaining. Now 1t is quite usual to give
a dinner in a restaurant as in ones own
house and there is not to-day a social
function on the list that cannot be pulled
off," as the language Of the ring would
have ii, just as well in restaurant as in
a hosts own house.
And there is no question of the popular
ity of this way of entertaining. Young
women who are just beginning to go out
than dinner at home because the life and
variety of it are new to them. Older women
like it because the monotony of dining in
private houses is in this way broken
Both men and women like 1t because
there is much more to be seen In res
taurant than there ever is by any POSSIBLE
ity at private dinner. Then there Is a GER
tain freedom from restraint that most men
enjoy. whatever the superiority of certain
private wines and cigars may be.
And although ii may be a shock to some
of those who are proud of their private
chefs, the dinner is usually better cooked
in a restaurant-provided. of course. that
one goes always to the right restaurant.
Almost any restaurant is, in the opinion
of some men, likely to cook better dinner
than the casual incumbent of the kitchen
at home.
Dances have always been given at res
taurants in this city and there was time
when such entertainments were more
common comparatively than they are
to-day. Formerly there were only two
or three private bathrooms in New York.
Now there are more, and in many city
houses 1t is possible to give a very
elaborate ball. But this is the only form of
entertainment that is less popular in the
restaurants than at home.
Dances are still given In restaurants
by hostesses who have small houses and
ffr.,n nv hos -ho hox -
| room, but find ii less trouble to hire some
place outside their own homes than to have
| the house turned inside out. For this same
reason, private musicals are given occa-
sionally in restaurants and in the rooms OF
a certain exclusive Fifth avenue club
unique i'm having room for the wives of
its members. There dinners are frequently
given and the rooms are capacious enough
| for small dances as well.
| This new mode of entertaining in restau-
rants has had it's effect in making popular
would ordinarily have found the compare
| tive lack of space impossible in view of
| their duty or desire TO entertain.
YES" said the manager of the most
modish establishment on the avenue, 1--WE
arrange here nowadays nearly every kind
| of entertainment that could be given in a
persons own house. And from the constant
/ demand from persons who desire to enter
tain here. am certain that this method OF
paying ones social obligations is growing
more popular.
we 90 dnttHiDS. 10 Desln WIFI the
| simplest form of trying to do In a restau-
| rant what used to be done in ones own
/ house, suppose a young woman wanted tC
have dozen or more friends in to tea just
| as she would in her own house.
| "Of course. she won't want a private
/ room. Private rooms are now at discoun,
for all kinds of dinner parties except those
| at which the guests want to stay very late
| and enjoy themselves afterward with music
| or some other form of enlivenment impos.
sible in public. But for luncheons and
dinners the private room is out OF style.