The Washington times., 1928-06-15
SLUM IS FEARED
BY CHICAGO
ELITE
international News servles


CHICAGO, June 15.-The exclu
sive Gold Coast society folks are
worried again.
Architects. are telling them that
their highly fashionable residence
district around Lincoln Park and
north along the north shore of Lake
Michigan is going to be a f'slum "
in few years.
The Gold Coast folks know what
slums look like, and they aren't
breathing free for while. They
can see visions OF undesirables en-.
croaching on the sacred precincts
and already in their backyards they
have a foreign district hemming
them in.
For years, through the history OF
Chicago, the Gold Coast has been
famed as show place, and the resi-
dence of the city's elite. Tall apart
1nent towers with luxurious FITTINGS
and tremendous rentals have risen
in serrfed ranks, and the residents
are proud OF them.
But it is from these very apart.
Rnent buildings that the danger is
Young couples, they say, will be
moving into these towers. and fill
ing them up as soon as they are
built. In a few years the young
couples will be well established
and will be moving with their
children to the suburbs. Vacant
apartments, creating a problem Tor
the building owners, will force
rentals downward in q sharp drop
and the once Wanted structures
will become inhabited by less and
Aess desirable tenants.
This has been the case, the archt.
Aects point out, in other parts OF
the city where apartment districts
have reared.
The once brave structures have
become the roost Of transients..
persons Of dubious character. ana
the foreign population, with It's
aeeming families.
SUBURBS FIGHT EVIL
Only a few weeks ago the mil
hionaire population of the suburbs
of Wilmette, Evanston and other
tnorth shore communities became
alarmed at the encroachment OF
apartment houses and congestion
OF residents.
Now the Gold Coast finds itself
an the position OF having admitted
already a vast number OF apart
xnent houses.
Allan B. Pond, architect. toto
members OF the Chicago Resionai
planning Association: ..,.a.
sCrowding in so many fan1liies
per acre. as the apartment build
inc allows. could not have any
other than a disastrous effect on
q community.
YOUNG couples move into the
apartmelts. When they have chill
f5ren they move into the suburbs
and build homes. Rents are lowered
in the apartments. Eventually those
in destitute circumstances inhaols
them.
Axe1 Lonnuuist, OF Wilmette. re-
newed his warnings to the assocla-
ton that the suburbs will face the
same problem, If apartments are
allowed there.
large percentage Of the popu
aation of Chicago now lives in apart
Inent buildings, according to real
estate men. Rentals are placed high
enough while the buildings are new
TO allow sharp reductions afser the
first two years. Because OWAeES u
ground find it difficult to be public
minded and refuse large offers from
apartment builders, the associations
is having trouble in passing coming
restrictions.
The Gold Coast has awakened
10 the situation-with brown taste
in its mouth. The Wanted apart
ment palaces may be the nemesis
of the Coast, and residents and
owners are attempting to find
way to combat the menace-with
little chances Of success. according
to the architects.