Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-11-02
BOHEMIA'S MOVING DAY is EXPLAINED
Daily Letter by Frederic j. HaskiI

study art now decided that 1t would
be much more profitable to open
restaurants and so-called art shops
Others went quietly about buying
leases. Some of these were uptown
real estate brokers, who laid their
plans with deep sagacity. They
kept rents very low to attract the
artists who unsuspeetingly set to
] work remodeling and decorating
the dilapidated homes they had
leased. Then, at the end of a year.
the landlords rented the premises
at greatly increased prices to up
town business men.
Atmosphere Expensive
Under this system, which has n
riched SO many landlords during the
past hive years true art could 10
survive, Only rich and successful
artists can now afford to live in the
Village, which has become one OF
the highest priced sections in the
City. Try hunting al apartment
there and you Will soon find out for
yourself Not a single basement or
garrett, however, mean and mar
tistic, is to be had for less than SIS
a month. Ten years ago., when the
village was at the height of its ar
tistlc glory. the best floor in WASH
iDgton Square South could be
rented for $50 and $40 month, now
room overlooking the park cost IS.
Today a room without a private
bath (and also usually without
steam heat or electricity rents for
$40 a month, and a whole floor 1.-TWO
rooms) will cost you $160.
The picfureSuue liftla StahIeS in
Washington News. which once
rented fr $50 and $40 a month. now
bring $4,000 a year, in addition to
the cost of necessary repairs, which
must be made by the tenant. A
well known painter rented one of
these places for 81, 1000 four years
ago. He succeed it, installed new
plumbing, built a new fireplace and
made other costly repairs, with the
result that the following year his
rent was increased to $4,000. He
paid the increase and the follow
ing year his landlord attempted
to collect $4,000 for the place.
Now that the influx of business
people from uptown shows signs of
being permanent. however, the
landlords have ceased bothering
about repairs. Instead, they actu-
ally call attention to dinginess as a
mark OF atmosphere. 4es, it is d
tritile dark" a real estate agent
will say to a Broad street broker
who is looking at an apartment,
but very quaint, don you think?
No hideous electric bulbs or steam
radiators or other modern atroci-
ties. You will find a gas heater
quite warm, and it throws such de-
lightful shadows on the wall. The
woodwork painted? Well, you
could have it done if you like, but
this mellow shade of white is ad-
mired down here. Perhaps you also
dislike the wallpaper: some people
OF course, do not care for such an
intricate design"
"On the contrary, it was the wall
paper hat attracted me-" says the
broker, anxious to show hat he
knows something about art. That,
and the fireplace. l grew quite ac-
customed to ireplaces in England.
How much is the rent-s150? Well,
wrap it up and I'll take 1T along"
Some of the real estate agents
being art students on the side, are
expert creators of atmosphere. They
find artistic merits in every glazing
defect and so dazzle the prospec-
tive tenant by descriptions of Be-
hemian life in the Village that he
is willing to sacrifice all comfort
III order to live within the charm
ed circle. mo, this room does not
get the sum-" the agent will explain
with patient patronage. but the
marvellous reflection of the sun so
necessary to artists" Gle looks
around hurriedly searching for
some good points to play up, but
sees nothing but rusty fixtures. cob
webs and dirt. Nevertheless, his
kind patronizing n does not
desert him. THE charm of this
particular house." he continues,
lis it's privacy and freedom. There
is only n apartment to a floor.
so that one is never disturbed by
the proximity of neighbors. My
friend, So-and-so (you may have
heard of him in the Village) par
ticularly admires the Gothic APP
pearance of this building"
A Profitable Wreck
This fall a small town woman
who had long revered the name of
Greenwich Village, decided to buy
a house there. Her idea, like that
of the first art colonists years ago.
was to secure a dilapidated place
for a small amoun of none and