Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-11-02
BOHEMIA'S MOVING DAY
ny Frederic J. rIaslsIn

New York. Nov. 2.--Art Is leaving
Greenwich Village In rad haste this
year. Studios, with huge north win
dows and facndes trimmed with old
rose and pen 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 g. Before the in
vasion OF the returning wealthy
bourReoisie. who once more choose 10
reside in the vicinity Of Washington
Square, the artist must retrcat--but
where?
This Is what they themselves ask
you. with rather desperate air.
Where, indeed. can they find an mex
pensiye. own-at-the-heels nelghbor-
hood into which they can infuso their
own careless and artistic atmosphere
without attracting pursuing mob of
rich, would-be BohemIansy For. like
Mrs. Vanderbilt, the artists OF Man
haitian suffer from too-great popu-
larity. As soon as they move into a
locality, get their easeis and srnocks
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.
The rich grew weary and deserted
Greenwich Village more than half a
century ago. Their great estate gave
place to rows OF mid-Victorian dwell
ings, owned and occupied by respect
able merchant families When the
elevated trains started coming down
Sixth avenue as far as Bleecker street
with business In their wake. the mer-
chant families moved out. Clerks and
small retailers took over their houses
until in time the immigrants came
and crowded them out The neigh
borh0od had set in for a period OF
rapid decay, such as that which de-
stroyed the once-lovely Third avenue
and property owners Of the district
had resigned themselves to great pc
ouniary loss, when suddenly New York
artists discovered the possibilities OF
Washington Square.
They entered and took possession
Of the district. ousting the immigrants
remodelinng the oid-fashioned houses
and stables, lending picturesque en-.
chantment to dingy garrets and base
ments, and encouraging the establish
ment of cafes and boarding house,
catering to artistic taste. For several
years Greenwich Village really con-
tained an art colony Of genuine dis.
. tinction. Then It became famous
People spoke Of it as the Latin Quar-.
ter Of America, and as such It be.
gan to hold enormous attraction for
the curious.
Many astute persons who had set
tied in the neighborhood TO study arr
now decided that It would be much
more profitable to open restaurant
and so-cailed art shops. Others went
quietly about buying leases. Some
Of these were uptown real estat.
brokers. who laid their plans with
deep sagacity. They kept rents vers
low to attract the artists, who IN.
3 suspectingly set to work remodelsnG
! and decorating the dilapidated homes
!. they had leased. Then, at the end O.
year, the landlords rented tn,
premises at greatly increased price.
TO uptown business men,
Atmosphere Expensive.
Under this system. which has en-
riched so many landlords during ths
! past five years, true art could no
survive. Only rich and successfu
. artists can now afford TO live in III,
! Village, which has become one Of til.
highest priced sections in the city
Try hunting an apartment there an,
you viii soon find out for yourself. No
single basement or garret. howeve
. mean and inartistic, is TO be had 70
less than $40 month. Ten years az
when the village was at the height Q
: IT'S artistic glory, the best floor i
Washington Square South could b
rented for $40 q month, while a room
overlooking the park cost SIS. Today
a room without private bath fsn,
also usually without steam heat q
electricity rents for s70 a month, an,
whole floor 1.-TWO rooms) viii COS
you $3.50.
the picturesque little stables il
washington News. which once rente.
for $50 and $40 q. month. now brin,
$4,000 year, in addition 10 the cos
of necessary repairs, which must b.
E'ade by the tenant. A well known
painter rented one of these places 70
$1,000 four years ago. He succeed il
installed new plumbing, built a ney
fireplace and made other costly repair
with the result that the following yea
his rent was raised to $4,000. He pai
the increase, and the following yea
his landlord attempted to collect Sc.
600 for the place.
Now that the influx of business peo
pie from uptown shows signs Of bein,
permanent, however. the landlord
have ceased bothering about repairs
Instead, they actually call attention
to dinginess as mark Of atmosphere
'Yes, it is a trifie dark" a real estat
agent will say to a Broad stree
) broker, who is looking at an apart
= n ent, but very quaint, don't yol
r think2 No hideous electric bulbs o
steam radiators or other modern afro
Il cities. You win find gas heate
quite warm. and. it throws such de
II lightful shadows on the wall. TIL
woodwork painted? Well, you coul,
have it done if you like, but this mel
II low shade of white is admired down
here. Perhaps you also dislike tn
wallpaper; some people of course, d
not care for such an intricate de
sign
"on the contrary. it was the wall
paper that attracted me-" says tn
broker, anxious TO show that h
knows something about art. N'Thai
ana tho fran1oaa er,.a,ty ,,,st 81,