Newport daily independent., 1913-11-19
First Modern Apartment House
 Built 43 Years Ago.
Rutherford Stuyvesant Got the Idea From Paris and Other Realty Owners Took 1t Up-Bring
 Very High Rentals Now.

New York.-It might have been cen turies instead of forty-three years since the first apartment house was erected in this city, so great has been the improvement in this popular type of dwelling. Rutherford Stuyvesant, a member of the old Stuyvesant fam fly, was the first to introduce the apartment ill this country. He had seen apartments in Paris. They were popular there with the best of peo- pie. Besides, it increased the ability of the owner to pay his tax bills and other expenses.
 The tax problem interested MT Stuyvesant, as he owned considerable property about the city Probably this was the reason for his interest ill Paris apartment houses. After con vincing himself that they would go in New York, he erected the Rutherford, at 142 East Eighteenth street, soon after the Civil war. It was known as the French flats, and was the talk Of the town. The Rutherford Stuyvesant house is still standing, and according to brokers, has comparatively few va cancies. It is five stories high, ll2 feet wide and ninety-two feet deep. There are four apartments of seven rooms each to floor. It has steam heat and hot water and is absolutely soundproof.
 The reception that met the apart ment house was so great that many builders entered the apartment house field. Of late years the number has increased considerably. These build CTS have given up the construction or all but apartment houses, which has got to be a science requiring constant attention and application. Through this specializing New York has been forced in the last ten years into the front rank as the apartment center of the world.
 Many of our apartments here rival palaces in grandeur and fittings. Scores of such houses may be found on Park avenue, Fifth avenue, Mad ison avenue, Broadway, West End av- enue Riverside drive and crosstown streets to the east and west of Gen. tral park A private dwelling fitted in the fashion of many of the suites in houses along these streets would rent for figures many times that which is asked for these apartments. Many families have learned this and are glv' ing up costly dwellings to live Tn apartment houses, in which they are 1f hot thnU had in the dwelling, yet are saving several thousand dollars year by the change, enough in many cases to maintain the latest in motor cars.
 Rents have increased, but tho great improvement that has been made ln apartment houses warrants the in- crease. In other words, the increase in rents, has not been as great as the increase made in the construction ana appointment of these houses.
 South of One Hundred and Six teenth street there is not an apart ment house where suite may be had for less than $15 room. In many or the best apartment houses S5o room is nothing unusual. Apartments or two and three rooms bring compara- lively more rent than the large suites. s2O room being the lowest rentai that a small size apartment can oe had for They run as high as $oo and s7O q room. In some of the ex- pensive small suite apartments TO the west of Park avenue and on the s1de streets along the west side, s75 room ;s often received. Up to two years ago there were kitchenettes attacheo to small suite apartments. This year b,;lders have not been permitted to s',i,s l,;tchenettes; instead miniature kitchens have been introduced