The Chautauquan, Vol. 04, July 1884, No. 10 — John Shaqi
The Chautauquan, Vol. 04, July 1884, No. 10Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
History
The Chautauquan, Vol. 04, July 1884, No. 10
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Chautauqua Institution -- Periodicals; Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle -- Periodicals
A friend of mine who recently failed disastrously, showed me one of
these new flat houses he had put up. It was three lots broad, each
lot one hundred feet deep, making a front of seventy-five feet. Each
of these lots he held to be worth $30,000, making $90,000 for the
situation, though it was not on a fashionable street, but rather up a
side street. He then raised one upon another seven apartments on each
side of the entrance, and over the entrance were six bachelor apartments,
each consisting of only one room, a bed alcove, and a bath closet.
Consequently, there would be in such a building twenty tenants, of whom
fourteen would be families. These fourteen paid from $1,800 to $1,300
apiece. Each had the same number of rooms, in the same space, the rents
only being modified by the position of the floor. The lower floors of
course rented higher than the upper floors. Generally speaking, each
living place consisted of a parlor and a side room, either library or
sitting room, a bath room, and a servant’s bath also, about three bed
rooms, beside a servant’s bed room, a dining room, a kitchen, pantries
and wardrobes. The only economy in such living lies in the reduction
of the number of servants, and in the less expense of furnishing. The
proprietor has to keep an engineer, an assistant engineer, a porter and
assistant, and perhaps a housekeeper, and of course a watchman. Elevators
front and rear accommodate the landlords and the servants. Such a
building, exclusive of the ground, probably cost $150,000, and therefore
it would be hard work to make ten per cent. upon it after paying
salaries, taxes, etc. The bachelor apartments rented from $50 to $30 per
month.
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