Omaha daily bee., 1910-11-20
RENTAL MINIS IN GOTHAM
Big Income from Peg Privileges in
and Around New York
Hotels.

There is a hotel in the Forties, near
Broadway, New York, that is run without
a dollar OF expense to the proprietor His
bills are paid out OF the rent which he
collects from subiessees OF a cigar stand
a carriage stand, barber shop, a layatory
a coat room and half a dozen more privi-
leges. The income from these sources
covers his own rent and other OUTLAWS con-
nected with the hotel proper. The earn
ings Of the bar and the hotel rooms are
velvet"
TIE carriage stand in front Of this par
ticulsr hotel is valued at $1,000 a year. This
Is, no doubt, big sum to pay for the
mere privilege of keeping a dozen cabs in
front OF building, but it is by no means
the highest paid for carriage stands. Prob
ably the highest is that paid to Jimmie
Regain OF the Knickerbocker, at Broadway
and Forty-second street. Mr. Regan gets
10 per cent OF the fares collected by the
cabs in front Of his hotel. which are said
to amount to about 1900 day This
would make Mr. Regan's share about $685.
900 year.
The carriage privilege at the Waldorf
Astoria Is said to- be worth $4,000 a year.
IL would be much more valuable but for
the traffic regulations, which limit the car
riage stand on Thrty-fourth street to
about 100 feet.
The question whether the cab stand or
the roof sign privilege commands the
larger rent has frequently been debated.
Real estate men in the Broadway section
are inclined TO regard the sign privilege
as the better money maker. The sign COM
panies will not say much about their at
fairs and absolutely nothing about the
rent they pay. II is known, however, that
at least 100000 is collected from sign
privileges every year. The companies are
buying roof space and wall area continu-
ously and at prices that in some cases are
greater than the rents obtained for floor
space in buildings A staff Of as many as
dozen men is employed by the big COM
panies to do nothing else than contract
/ for space and keep labs on contemplated
building improvements 1t is nothing for
company to pay 500 month for the use
/ Of the exposed side Of a building.
Tho rents paid for sign privileges de-
pend. OF course, ON the Importance Of
street or section as traffic center. In
some Instances roof space on Broadway
/ buildings in the white light district has
! equalled the rent obtained from the rest Of
the buildings.
The old Metropole hotel, which stood on
the corner Of Broadway and Forty-second
street, was leased by John Consldine from
the Coe estate at steep rent. OF this rent
Mr.. Consldine paid about 5000 year, the
rest Of it coming from the sign company
which used the roof.
The roofs OF the old buildings OF the Nc
Alpin estate az the southeast corner of
Broadway aud Thirty-fourth street were
leased ia 1891 to a sign company Tor three
years at an aggregate rental Of $4,000 OF
nearly $4,000 q year.
! joe Weber some years ago took a lease
OF the northwest corner OF Broadway and
Iweny-ninth street. a plot fronting III
feet on Broadway and 40 feet on the street
The plot contains besides the theater sever
or eight one-story stores shortly after Mr.
Weber took the property a sign company
leased from him the roof space over IN,
stores and erected two rows of signs abou
thirty feet high. Just what Mr. Weber
gets from the sign company e. not known
but Il Is said that the rent from the stores
and the double row OF signs pays the rem
/ Of his theater.
Cloak room privileges are estimated I,
be worth over $4,000 a year to Broadwa,
propHetors. Every one Of the restaurant
. In the white light district farms out tn
cloak room either to employees, as the hea,
porter or the chief bellboy, or to outsiders
The rents vary considerably and, like IN
{ sign and carriage privileges. depend on IN
populousneSs Of the district
In the lower midtown section Of Broad
3 way &,5o0 is the price; a little further mort
e $500 and $500 Around Long Acre Squar,
I where the gayest Of the lobster palace
3 are. the privilege Is valued at 5000. Il
{ one place it Is said that Si20O0 is paid. Tn
e pes" privilege there is cheap at that pric,
. [ FOR w--Canf md En-sanr ffr. a. an
the patrons Of the place. some OF IN