New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-07-04
Well.to- Do New Workers Are Forced to
Find Homes i'm Sections Formerly
Stunned; Turn Houses About
to Avoid Street Scenes

Unless something happens soon to
increase enormously the production of
residences and apartments in New
York. the line that divides the high
class upper East Side from the rest
OF the upper East Side will have to be
moved out into the East River.
Park Avenue used to be the easterly
limit Of the desirable part Of this sec
tion. Then the boundary was moved to
Lexington Avenue and now it has
moved over to the very water front. The
initial step in the development of the
East River front with fine homes al
ready has been taken, and the progress
IS beng watched by many who have
IN mind communities of similar
nature on the casterly border of Man
haitian.
Building Tie-Up the Cause
Because of the shortage Of apart
ments many people were forced to buy
dwellings, last yAar--so many, in fact,
that practically every dwelling west of
Lexington Avenue that could be pur-
chased was taken out of the market
With nothing more to be had In the
more desirable section late corners
were forced to become pioneers in re-
claiming old districts to the east. Now
the movement has become widespread,
the growing demand for homes caus-
ing radical betterment in many places
for the accommodation of those who
would live near Fifth Avenue but can
not find places.
When 1919 ended it was found that
$50 dwellings between Thirty-ffth and
Ninety-sixth streets, Fifth and Licking
ton avenues, had been acquired by
A
many more houses were needed than
were on the market to meet the de-
mands of folks who wanted to live
west of Lexington Avenue. Since they
were not IL be had, houses elsewhere
had to be taken. This elsewhere was
to the east across the gulf that had al
ways existed on the East Side between
the two grades of home sections. Elk
pansion in this direction was preferred
to one to the north for many reasons,
one of which was that it would be too
far from the social center and general
city life.
The rich man had to invade the sec
ton of the poorer man. He stepped
beyond Lexington Avenue in his first
hunt for new place to live. Then he
moved across Third Avenue and con-
tinued buying over to Second Avenue.
In the last ten days he has located on
the very brink of the East River and
in the shadow of the Queens oro
Bridge. AS many as 100 old dwellings
and flats east of Third Avenue, one of
the most densely populated sections in
the city, have been acquired in groups
ranging from six to eighteen. BY buy
ing In plots a development is possible
that lifts the entire property out of
its surroundings, the home life of
these communities being planned
around a central garden in the rear of
the houses.
The exteriors of the houses. of
course, are made over and stand out as
bright spots in otherwise unpleasant
surroundings.
Many Streets Invaded
Wealthy folks have established
homes in Forty seventh, extending
through to Forty-eighth Street, be-
tween Second and Third avenues: in
Fltty-sixth Street, on the north side.
between Lexington and Third avenues:
Flfty-seventh Street, Sutton Place and
the East River; Sixty-second Street,
between Second and Third avenues;
olXty-third Street, over to Second Ave
nue.; Sixty-ffth and Sixty-sixth streets.
between Lexington and Third avenues;
SiXty-elghth Street, south side of the
block, between Second and Third ave-
nues; north side of Seventy-fifth
street and the south side of Seventy
sixth Street, between Lexington and
Ihird avenues, and in Eighty-sixth
Street, between Second and Third ave
nues.
The making over of the old houses
IN the block in Sixty third Street be-
tween Lexington and Third avenues bv
frederIck y. Steiner, who is also the
Designer of the "block beautiful" as
Nlneteenth Street between Irving place
and Third Avenue has long been called
suggested the idea for meeting the
housing emergency by taking these old
East SIDE homes and altering them to
SUIT nigh class tenants. From $4,000
TO $4,000 has been spent in making
over some of these old houses in the
midst OF the tenement canyons east of
lhlrd Avenue: In many of the houses
only the walls and the floor beams
have been left intact, everything else
being removed. New facades have been
built or the old ones made over.
otucco, dormer windows and other ar
chltectural features have produced re-
markable changes in the appearance of
these old buildings. A similar treat
ment Of the rear is usual.
Houses Turned About
IN making over these old buildings
The living rooms and master bedrooms
and other principal apartments are
placed In the rear facing on the CEN
tral garden, which in some cases is $50
feet long and 100 feet wide, extending
between the two rows of houses.
Rooms overlooking the street are usu-
ally for the use of servants In the
made over home the front basement
is often the kitchen with the dining
room back of it facing on the yard.
Horace W. Hn,