New-York tribune., 1922-12-03
Spanish Flats introduced New York Apartment House
r;eh Standard of Living Represented by
Modern MuIti-FamiIy Dwellings Grew
Out Of Navarro's Venture OPP
posite Central Park

...rots Ass long ago BECOME p',,IsSoI,. Tseon.
~ he serapping OF euiiu'nes
~ ~,rk Interesting perez psnd ~ ,,,;,h ~
80 Il.s,loyment. Y accepted WITH
If y 60 last week the announce
8. e'5,a,s. ~. rrobsbie end OF the famous
rsrt q tss srs,ls,.s Al Seventh Avenue and
rS,snii, : ~ So street. They are likely
Tllu nins- ,tsre is said 10 be detormi-
dpsntd' lo1 srsneisl strength back Of
asio1 sne s.- replacing the old apart
she sehens - hotel that will be the
nfrs Fisa world. II the scheme
laFgsst y many expect IL will,
3, Ssgnissd olt s.IeS,I,lSd ~ old CASTLE viii
sss as a...,sS 80 81 ttis time next year IN
h 1870 kesps II the secondhand
rneonisii-r3 rne.s.i rsr3s of ths city.
mtifriA rlnnned for the land
Tee mss.,ri,t Flats" eight In num-
Of ths ,-~riinf 400 feet on Fifty
er ~ s,,.,t 200 feet on Fifty-ninth
elgnts ~ es6 feet on Seventh Avenue,
sHss. =. Aotel building twenty-five
W ~ ard representing an in
He1,.s n s20,0OO.0 900. Even though
sss'..ss~s may miss FIRE, the fact re-
~. Ins list these half century old
e,s 80 auiiy homes must come down
y, rear future 20 make way for
!. ;~srorement that will produce a
r.,urs II keeping with the high value
4 lhs ltnd. -,
fss average newspaper reader will
-. ~ . eerond Thought 20 the pass
hf Il the old buildings, but the man
~ knovs New York and the various
- 81 its progress will ruminate q
Ier the advancement in living and
e,rrrBction due directly 70 these
n, spanish Flats" introduced TO
We Yu-k the apartment house idea.
n, hixh standard Of living, as pre-
$50 IN the modern apartment house,
I, eL, direct result of the message
-k..h the "spAnish Flats" brought 70
yer York some forty years ago.
Frst Flats in City.
Th,re were fats before the building
!, tbe Tiftv-ninth Street buildings, but
ts,y we're dwellings altered into suites
Tbe arst Of these altered fats was on
Seventeenth Street, east Of Fourth
sv,uue. Juan de Navarro, father in
l,v Of Mary Anderson and One-time
spanish consul In New York, was the
syst so Far ss real estate historians
n tht city know, TO build an apart
-snt house here. He was the Spanish
trade representative here at the time
he undertook the construction OF TINS
vel known group. He got his ideas
from the fats Of London and Paris.
NJ Navarro was a rich man, as
by the standards Of the time,
but he d;d not have sufficient money
10 carry through this ambitious build
Sug program. The story is that these
buildings reduced him financially and
that he had 70 secure outside as-
siItance 10 complete the group.
When finished they were not well
received. At that time there were two
types Of hemes-tenements and dwell
snRs. AZ Mr. Navarro's houses were
technically tenements a great preju-
dice was reared against them although
IN affsignment, comfort and convent
enee they we're superior TO the finest
private homes in the city, but that
did not increase their popularity with
those Who we're financially able to occu-
py them. Mr.. Navarro was too far ahead
Of his time. He had to force New
York 70 learn TO live differently. that
there was as much privacy in an
apartment house as in q private house
TT the former was nothing more than
30 many private homes under one root
with service and comforts that could
Be had only in an undertaking such as
this.
Many Foreigners Tenants
Gradually New York took 10 the
spanish flats, and every suite was
fvated. Il Is singular that many fami-
lies Who entered the house at that
tine remained for many years. The
Int tenants ii is understood included
: runber Of distinguished foreigners
thsn living in New ork. Many OF
ihsm we're government officials. They
lid no prejudices against Mr.. Nayarros
nae because flats had long been an
f'atution in their countries. English
e',sulate officers have lived in the
toasss FOR many years. II was the
foreign residents Of New York who
pfoke down objections 70 the buildings,
sas firest homes In New York until
me advance Of new houses. Had they
net favored the Spanish houses Il
nleht have come to pass that New
1oFk would still be a city Of two
etAdes Of hopes, cheap tenements and
eostly private establishments.
Although the houses were not a
nnAneial success at frst they were
.mong the sights Of New York, and
VISITOR never failed 70 see the new
we Of house before leaving FOR home.
.,eW iorksr also made Il a point to
.sOW .. friends from other parts these
kew York. '"' -
mo tail graceful arches, the interior
.ns and gardens were things new
Mw York. The city marveled at
~llay Of money and the structural
's(th Of the mass.
eI Navarro named his houses after
rPejpal cities Of Spain. He was
Houd Castilisn and took delight in