Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-16

uGIldtlu dUOub CNCIIs 1lC odIO.
Pointing out that since the war there
has been a gradual trend here. as In
almost every other city. from living In
houses to apartments. Mr.. Lusk stated:
Sixty-one Per Cent in 1929.
Before the war only one-third of the
home units built in Washington were
apartments. This changed in 1928 to
about 10 per cent apartments and sc
per cent homes. During the first &c
months of 1929 about 81 per cent has
been apartments and 80 per cent in
homes This change is due to many
factors. Among them are the servant
problem and stringent coming regula-
lions. which gradually are preventing
the erection of group homes, and hence
low-priced homes.
In 1920 65 per cent Of the population
of washington lived in row houses and
49, per cent in apartments. Since that
time 49.8 per cent of the construction
has been apartments an only 24.5 per
cent row houses. This clearly shows
that people are not moving from row
houses into detached homes, but into
apartment houses.
Finest Homes in Nation.
"The finest homes on the average of
any city in the country are built in
Washington. The average building cost
Of houses in Washington during 1929
has been $780, This is due largely to
the excellent building code, which re-
ouires the highest standard of con-
struction. Also WashingtonianS as a
class are accustomed to and demand
more in their houses than people OF any
other city. Homes must have the most
modern heating and plumbing equip
ment, hardwood floors. numerous cleo
trical outlets and all those other mod
ern conveniences which tighten the work
Of the housekeeper.
TT Is reasonable to expect in the
future there may be large apartment
DEVELOPMENTS outside of Washington in
Maryland and Virginia. The buildings
will be rather tall, thus giving cheaper
construction costs and more desirable
apartments. The buildings will be set
in large park-like surroundings among
beautiful, handicapped grounds which
perhaps may contain golf course.
Conveniences to Be Provided.
every convenience, such as barber
shops, beauty parlors, stores, etc, will
be provided in these distant develop
ments. They will be similar to country
home developments in which the inte-
rior of blocks will be treated with gar
den effects and individual garages on
each lot would be eliminated by placing
them in one end of the block.
1T is impossible to develop within
the District of Columbia the type OF
garden city such as is now being built
in Radburn near Paterson, N. j. This
is a town built for the motor age. NO
individual home or apartment house
faces the motor highway. The houses
are built around cul-de-sacs which are
courts about 200 feet deep and 60 or 70
feet wide In this way there is obso-
lutely no traffic in front of ones home
Ideal for Children.
''This makes an ideal place for chill
dren to play and when they go to school
they walk along paths and cross under
the motor highway. 1t is possible to go
anywhere in the town without ever
going across a street. Such develop
ment is possible some little distance
from Washington. but it is necessary
for the builder to have control OF large
area and lay out the streets and the
blocks in an entirely different way from
the gridiron street plan of Washing
ton"