The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1921-12-27
Bohemians Exploited by Realtors
Are Forced to Move.
VILLAGE RENTS GO SKYWARD
Studios Are More Numerous Than
Ever, but Artists Are Departing in
Haste Because They Can No Longer
Afford It-Wsaithy, Lured by Ar
tistic Atmosphere, Arc Invading the
Famous New York District-Ma axe
No More Repairs.

Art is leaving Greenwich Village In
sad haste this year. Studios with huge
north windows and facades trimmed
with old rose and pea green paint are
more numerous than ever, but the
artists are departing, not because they
love the village less but because they
can no longer afford 1t. Before the
invasion of the returning wealthy
bourgeoisie, who once more choose to
reside In the vicinity of Washington
square, the artist must retreat-but
where?
This Is what they themselves ask
you, with a rather desperate air.
Where, indeed, can they find an in
expensive down-at-the-heels neighbor-
hood into which they can infuse their
own careless and artistic atmosphere
without attracting a pursuing mob of
rich, would-be bohemians? For, like
Mrs. Vanderbilt, the artists of Man
haitian suffer from too-great popularity.
AS soon as they move into a locality,
get their eases and smocks unpacked
let their boards grow, put antique brass
knockers on their front doors and |
pink borders around their windows, |
Wall street brokers follow suit and |
rents rise.
Rich Deserted tho Village.
The rich grew weary and deserted
Greenwich Village more than half
century ago. Their great estates gave
place to rows of Victorian dwell
fngs, owned and occupied by respecta-
BILE merchant families. When the
elevated trains started coming down
Sixth avenue as far as Blocker street,
with business in their wake, the mer-
chant families moved on. Clerks and
small retailers took over their houses
until in time the immigrants came and
,rowded them out The neighborhood
lad set in for a period of rapid de-
.ay, such as that which destroyed the
,nce-lovely Third avenue, and proper
Y owners of the district had resigned
themselves to great pecuniary loss,
When suddenly New York artists dis
overed the possibilities of Washing
on square.
They entered and took possession OF
he district, ousting the immigrants,
emodeling the old-fashioned houses
nd stables, lending a picturesque en-
hantment to dingy garrets and base
lents and encouraging the establish
lent of cafes and boarding houses
Altering to artistic taste. For several
ears Greenwich Village really con-
aimed an art colony of gepuine dis
nction Then 1t became famous.
6 ,tir
America and as such it began to
old enormous attractions for the
urious.
Many astute persons who had settled :
l the neighborhoOd to study art now
ecided that it would be much more :
rofitable to open restaurants and So :.
allied art shops. Others went quietly
bout buying leases. Some of these :
ere uptown real estate brokers, who
i'd their plans with deep sagacity. :
hey kept rents very low to attract :,
le artists, who unsuspectingly set to :
ork remodeling and decorating the =
llapidated homes they had leased. :
hen at the end of year the land .
rds rented the premises at greatly :
creased prices to uptown business =
en-
Atmosphere Is Expensive.
Under this system which has en- q
ched SO many landlords during the +,
lst five years, true art could not 90
rvive Only rich and successful +,
fists can now afford to live in the 8,
nage, which has become one of the, II
CHEST priced sections Of the city. a,
" hunting an apartment there and re
u will soon find out for yourself. q
1t single basement or garnet, how al
er mean and inartistic, Is to be had.
r less than $75 month. Ten years
o, when the village was at the height
its artistic glory, the best floor In /.
ashington square south could be
nted for $40 a month, while room
erlooking the park cost So. To
v a room without a private bath (andI al