New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-14
New Apartment Embodies
Best Features of City
Structures.
ON MARQUAND SITE,
IN EAST 6STH STREET
Cost of Living on Premises Much
Lower than if Occupant
Had a Town Dwelling.

= No better illustration OF tho change that
is coming over fashionable New York
i'm regard to its dwelling places could he
given than one OF the city's newest
apartment houses. II East 6Sth st, four
doors from Fifth av. This apartment
house lends itself the more readily 10
comparison with a private dwelling. for
the rsason that IT was built on tho site OF
ono OF the city's best known town houses
the Marquand mansion, and that immedi-
ately adjoining il are the residences OF
Mrs. George r. Bliss, Harry Payne Whit
ney and Mrs. Alfred Arson.
Tho building OF this apartment house
wiped out three private residences. the
Marqusnd Mansion, the Grover Cleveland
house and that occupied by Judge Ward.
on the combined area OF these, 1900
square feet, there has been erected, in
living space. the equivalent Of twelve
average four-storied private residences
and tho equivalent OF twenty-five aver
arc ;hree-storied private residences.
The architect. Herbert Lucas, aimed
first to give in living and sleeping space
the equivalent Of a four-storied or three
STORED private dwelling, with the average
city frontage. Those who remember the
imposing pile of the Marquand mansion
will be surprised to know that the living
rooms of the large apartments in II East
6Sta ST. are larger than were the living
rooms OF the Marquand mansion, and the
dining rooms as large. There are few
town houses that can boast living rooms
81 feet Q inches Of length and 20 feet OF
width In the small apartments the
smallest living room is 17X1S feet.
The Marquand residence had light and
air on all sides. The thirty-four apart
ments of II East 6Sth st. have II on all
sides. too, as the lot has a large southern
frontage-the architect broke the court
into the south-assuring sunlight all day
tong fer every apartment, from the first
to the last noor-the eleventh. The living
room. the dining room and the principal
bedroom Of even the smallest apartments
have this sunlight frontage.
The living rooms, the sleeping rooms
and the service quarters are as separate
and distinct in these apartments. al
though on one floor. as they were in the
four stories OF the Marquand residence
The service is neither seen nor heard UNI
less il is wanted. The sleeping rooms, by
the mere closing of 4 door, become as de-
tached from the living rooms as though
they were on another floor. The elevators
open directly into private vestibule, as
completely isolated from neighboring
apartments as the vestibue of one private
house is from that of ANOTHER.
The aggregate of closet space in the
large apartments is far greater than in
the average private house. They have
thirteen closets, varying from four feet
square 10 six by eight feet, and in the
smaller apartments each room has at
least one and some two closets. All
closets are fitted with electric lights.
The Marquand mansion had bedrooms
Cor nine servants. The large apartments
OF II East 6Sth ST. have three bedrooms
for servants, "A servants dining room and
a servants sitting room. In the Marquand
house the servants living rooms were in
tho basement. In the apartment house
the workrooms and the sleeping rooms
receive tho same light and air that the
masters quarters do. on the roof there
are rooms for as many additional SER
wants as any tenant could possibly need,
and there are buffers quarters on the
first floor.
4 In such details as wall safes in bed
rooms, sanitary garbage safes in kitch-
ems, all laundry facilities in the base
mcnt, inclosed flreproof stairways, steel
elevator and steel vestibule doors, II East
6sth st. is as modern as the minute. The
private house idea is still further carried
out by restricting the decorating TO a
background of French gray on and around
which the tenant can frame his own
decorative scheme.
II has been said that in these days OF
tho advancing cost Of living even the
well-to-do are not averse to cutting ex-
penses, and the fact that apartment
houses Of the highest class filled so rap
idly is due in no small measure 10 the
desire to avoid the yearly increasing eX-
pense OF maintaining high class private
residence here. A woman, prominent in
New York society, who lives not 800 feet
away from II East 6Sth St, is consider
ing moving into one of its apartments
and selling her private house, for the sim
pic reason that IL costs her $4,000 year
for its maintenance. In the apartment
house she would get 1900 square feet OF
living space for 5000. She would have
all the advantages that she now enjoys,
avoid a thousand and one worries and
add $4,000 year to her income 1t cost
not less than $4,000 a year 10 maintain
the Marquand residence.
Looking at IL from an investment point
Of view. the cost of house which would
equal in its living space and conveniences
one OF the large apartments OF II East
18Th st, and be situated in as desirable
a location 0he very heart Of the present
social centre), would be $4,000. The in
terest on this amount at per cent would
he 1880. Taxes would be $500 year.
Upkeep and repairs and insurance would
add another $1,000, and give total OF
$1,000. For 5000 year, $500 less. one
gets an apartment which gives as much
space, more light and air and better
housekeeping facilities than would be af-
forded by the majority OF $4,000 houses
Tho Marquand mansion was the scene
of many brilliant society gatherings. Yet
il Is doubtful II any one OF them was
carried off with more eclat or smootnness
than the two bal poudre dances recently
given by Mrs Albert Pease in her apart
ments in ii East 6Sth ST. AS showing
that the modern apartment house has
as good II not better facilities for en-