New-York tribune., 1908-02-23
SPECIAL PRIVILEGES COSTLEST.

The highest rents in New York paid for
standing room. The most princely rental paid
for store. office. residence. apartment or hotel
space does not compare. proportionally. with
the sum expended for humble bootblack
stand soda fountain or cigar kiosk.
A. Schultz pays $50 a square foot for cigar
privileges in the Cortlandt street Terminal
Building. and this is said TO be next to the
highest rent paid by anybody in the world The
cigar lease for the northwest corner OF Cortlandt
and Church streets runs for twelve years at a
cost of $50 a square foot for 900 square feet.
while the lease includes five other stands IN the
Terminal Building at total cost Of half
million One of these is in the exact centre
OF the Hudson terminal concourse floor. and for
this glass booth. open on three sides and cover
ing space u by o feet In size, rental OF
81 $50 a year is charged. II is said that $4,000
cigars at two for % cents would have to be sold
a years expenses of this stand. and
taking other expenses into account. quarter
of a million would need 10 be disposed Of before
profits would begin
Higher prices paid for cigar privileges
than for any other occupying proportionats
amount OF space. In a Broadway Office building
$500 is received annual rent for stand
80 square feet in size. and such stands pay
Correspondingly high prices for space in other
buildings and hotels.
Booth space is rented subject TO bid and
charged for the basis of the business pro-
posed as much the location of spaCa-
Eight trades are great lessees Of space privi-
Ieges and rank in the following order profit
able tenants of these: Tobacco. bootbIack. soda
water. package candy. news. flowers, fruit and
cutlery and satchel stands.
A bootblack formerly rented a large stand in
the Empire Building at cost of $4,000 year
and one paid 81 900 for small space in the
Equitable Building which was the first 10 es-
tablish booth lined corridors. and even now
charges high $1,000 for stand privileges
The bootblack privilege IN the Hudson terminal
rents for $4,000 a year for term Of twelve
years.
Notwithstanding such tax upon the privilege
of shining shoes. bootblack stands netted Tony
Aste fortune and enabled him to maintain a
costly racing stable.
Office building booths pay average OF
$3.50 to $500 a year, with exceptions here and
there notably in the Terminal Building. whers
a small central space of about 10 by 20 feet
rents for $4,000 soda water stand for $1,000
and ordinary side booths from $1,000 TO 5000
a year. while in the corridor booth about $50
feet square is leased at $1,000.
small bar pays $4,000 a year for It's space
and restaurant the concourse floor about
$4,000 for in which to feed hungry
travellers. While cigar stands pay the highest
rentals. bar privileges make a close second IN
buildings where these exist, and flowers some
times match their fragrance against that of the
popular weed when its comes to paying rent,
as in the Grand Central Station. where flower
stand pays the highest rent for the space it oc-
cupies of any booth actually engaged in busi-
to-day
Flower booths in hotels pay an average rental
of 81, 800 to $1,000 year. and in the Terminal
Building nosegays will cost their sellers from
$4,000 to $4,000 in booth rents
Those who adOrn every available spot-frou
chimney top to bedrock-with advertisements
have to contribute not less than S404. 3-$3 81
year to the Golfers of the subway and elevated
systems for the privilege Of informing the way
farer what to chew and how TO make hair grow.
while railroad trunk lines derive a pretty penny
from news companies who dispense news and
candies along their lines