Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-31

w place to live IN New YORK IS on rooi'
it is said. On the roof of tall build
ing, particularly, the air is marvelousy fresh
and clear the view is unusually charming, and
it is possible to achieve degree of quiet and
privacy unobtanable anywhere else in the
city, AS the site for summer home it ex-
cells the finest suburb for it is cool and
mosquitoless and can be reached without the
daily tedium of committing.
Yet, roof-dwelling is still comparatively rare
there. Except for few prosperous business
men who can afford expensive novelties, and
some lucky janitorS who are provided with
living quarters attached to pent-houseS on the
top of apartment houses and office buildings
New Workers, for the most part, cling to the
old-fashoned idea that roof, having been
designed as a protective lid and that only:
should not suddenly be called upon 10 lulllll
the duties of floor.
This view is held with particular firmness,
for some mysterious reason, by the city'S real
estate owners who Stubbornly resist the idea
long since urged upon them, of building bun
palowS on the roofs of apartment houses,
office buildings and private houses Because
of its extreme narrowneSS, there is Woetul
lack of residential space In the lower part OF
Manhattan although there is any amount OF
lions of square feet ready to be developed IN
this manner, there are probably not more
than 50 roof dwellings in the entire city.
One of the most interesting of these is the
home of Henry L. Doherty, well-knoWn New
York banker, on top of the Battery Park build
ing, where the outlook is magnificent. On
the one hand, lies the harbor, with its quiet
islands and strange, busting craft And on
the other hand, there is the New York sky
line-that unparalleled stretch of giant office
buildings which, lighted up in the night time,
suggest weird, jewel-Studded cliffs.
A Roof Tennis Court
Mr. Doherty not only has a comfortable,
spacious apartment on this novel site, but
tennis court and curious, painted garden as
we'll. He prefers painted gardens to real ones,
because they do not harbor flies and mosquitoes.
Sitting on his back porch these summer eve
ningS, he looks out upon picturesque rural
landscape with rolling hills and green, fertile
valleys, mountain top or two in the distance
and in the foreground lovely garden with
trelliSeS of climbing roses and lily pools set
here and there on green lawn or between
flower beds. Everything is painted
"My idea is to make this place a real health
resort explains Mr.. Doherty. zone that
can reach in few minutes walk from my
office. The principal thing is to get lots of
good, sweet air. l never could see why people
want to go to places In search OF 1reSh ar,
and then screen themselves away from it.
haven't screen in my place and l don't want
any. Neither do l want any mosquitoes or
flies So have the plants and evergreenS
which are out on this place in winter taken
away in summer. and, as l don't want it to
look too plain and bare, l have had the walls
and floors painted to give an effect of foliage,
pools and flowers.
"If New Workers would only realize how
fine it is up on the roofs, more of them GER
tainly would build roof gardens and play
grounds" he continued. 1t seems amazing
though that when by simply taking an ele-
vator to the roof they could get glorious fresh
breezeS and air as sweet as in the country
they continue to ignore these possibilities and
spend their time down at the ground level, or
travelling to and from summer resorts
"The average New York Suburbanite travels a
long distance from his office to his country
home and gets there just about in time to go
inside to get away from mosquitoes. Or per-
hapS he has his veranda screened and sits out
side, deudng himself that he's getting just
as much benefit as if he were really out in
the open. Think of the time he passes in the
cars and the struggling crowds he encounters
every day If he only would realize what fine
places could be built up on the roofs he could
have infinitely more time out of doors and
with infinitely less trouble.
Gall this life in the open air makes for
efficiency. I'm not the kind of man to take
long vacations, and as for communicated