New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-07-28
APARTMENT BUILDING
Evolution of PLAYHOUSE to Cost
Iier Structure.

r r. Wood SAYS that few persons
can remember when the term nat be-
came the distinguishing word between the
home OF the iaborer and the clerk-a
question of locality in the main.
He adds:
"Au can remember the evolution Of
the fat To the 'apartment'-the latter
not so much a question Of locality The
term tenement suggested the lower East
Side. or the West Side below seth street
Tho term nat suggested the home OF the
middle class-mosty north Of 59th street:
the avenues generally Astounding In
stores. with tenements above. and the
side streets with small private houses
and fats.
- tenement may be said 10 yield from
s. to so a suite a month. a Hat from so
to 80 a month. but to-day the word
apartment may mean a suite for which
tho tenant pays anywhere from so TO
500 a month or more. Tie time was
when the four or live story tenement paid
the large returns and wcro sought by
tho investor and Spectator or late
years. due 20 increase IN value Of the
ground the returns have been smaller,
consequently the demand has been less.
About 1898 the six story apartment
house on moro than one lot OF ground
appeared. containing an cleyator-hfty
feet front Vas the rule at that time
Within year seventy-nve feet became
the fashion. and from that on up 10 100 or
even 80 feet front Then. az the building
laws were changed, 1t became necessary
10 initiate fireproof construction, which
necessitated higher buildings to show re-
turns on additional cost"
To-day wc have the twelve and sixteen
story apartment houses. covering entire
blocks Of ground. and containing every
known device FOR the comfort and con
venlence OF those no formerly were only
content 10 I've in their own private
houses. These apartments supply eirc-
trio light. steam heat, refrigeration. vac
uum cleaning system, etc. and from the
standpoint OF income show as large Ic-
turn on the investment to-day as the cold
water tenements did fifty FEARS ago This
entire change being brought about by the
increase IN value OF land. and n CORES
ponding addition 20 the height OF the I'M
provencnt, coupled with the universal de-
mand OF the public for more comfort,
with less care and expense than entailed
in private house maintenance
THE change Of the skyline Of West
End avenue or Riverside Drive in the last
five or six years IS the best proof OF the
foregoing statements-both Of these thor
oughfares were essentially private rest
d.nce avenues To-day many OF the ex-
pensiyc residences have been demolished
20 make way for the modern apart
mcnt." People who. a dozen years 'go,
purchased homes on these exclusive ave-
MUGS. and for various reasons desired 20
resell, have been unable 10 do so without
loss until the increase ia land values for
apartment hous, purposes permitted
profitable sale. the entire value being in
the land
Docs it seem strange that these same
onc-tlmc owners-who have become at
tachcd 10 the locallty-arc now occupy
ing apartments on the site Of their old
homes quite as happy-and paying rent
10 some investor. who has found thereby
profitable Investment for his funds?
Thus we bow 10 the onward march OF
commercialism, aud pay Just tribute %
the readiness with which the American
people can conform to the inevitable
giving up the Individual home and senti-
ment particularly IN Manhattan and adj
justing themselves to circumstances and
progress a. no other nation possibly
can