Record  and  Guide.





1263





The Hotel Beresford,

rCOUlUINICATED.]

This fine buildiug, an illustration of which is presented herewith, is an
example of the new mode of living due td the desire to avoid the cares of
housekeeping. It is the fli'st of its kind ever built west of the Centra]
Park, and its success, already assured, opens np a new vista fco the builder
and capitalist.' The Beresfoi-d is uot a hotel in the usual acceptation of
the word. It is what is in future to be known as an " apartment hotel,''
That is, it is comprised of a uumber of suites for families and bachelors,
whicb they occupy just as though they lived in au apartment bouse like
the Dakota, the Osborne, the Rutland, or any other fiist-class flat. But it
differs from them iu thio
respect, tbat no cooking is
done iu any of the suites,
as everyone eats in a large
dining-room, the meals in
whicb are cooked, served
and supplied liy the uwner
and manager of the build¬
ing. There ai-e uo kitchens
or culinary appliances in
any of the suites, for the
simple reason that they are
unnecessary. All one i-e-
quires to do is to eat, drink,
sleep aud pay one's check
when it becomes due, the.
cares of house-keeping being
shoulflei'ed upon the pro-
prietorof the hotel. Ladies
who have for years been
breaking their hearts over
their troubles with servants
will no doubt welcome with
open arms the new era of
apartment hotels which has
just dawned upon us.

The Hotel Beresfoi-d is
situated ou the northwest
corner of Ceuti-al Park West
and Slst street, within oue

block of " L" station. It has an imposing exterior and its win¬
dows overlook Manhattan square ou tbe one side and Central
Pai-k ou the other, views which will be miinterrupted as long as the
building   stands.      It   contains  thirty-four  suites   of   apartments,  some







Parks, the Museums of Art and Natural History and other objects. To
dine under sucb conditious must surely aid both appetite and digestion
In order to attract teuants and make thera feel perfectly content to remain
in their quarters the proprietor appears to have adopted a wise plan. He
has cu't down the cos-t of meals to as low a sum as is consistent with good
food and service, the figure heiug understood to be §7 per capita weekly.
This makes life in an apartment hotel not only easy, but comparatively
inexpensive.

The entrance to the building is quite handsome aud sjiacious, the hall¬
way being IS feet wide. There are two elevators to conduct tenants to
their different suites oi: rooms, and the appointments are of an attractive

character, all the improve"
ments being introduced.
The owner aud manager,
Mr. Alva S, Walker, is the
same gentleman who built
the Winthi'op ou 7th avenue
aud 13fith street, an apai't-
ment hotel wbich has been
remarkably successful.

The ground on whicb the
Beresford stands has, by
the way, quite a little his¬
tory. It is one of the
choicest and most costly ou
the west side of the city,
aud was formerly owned
by Jos^ F. de Navai-ro.
The latter, indeed, once
filed plans for the erection
of a grand fli-e-proof apart¬
ment building on the site,
but owing to the financial
eompiicatious in wbich be
became involved, due to
mideresti mating tbe cost of
the Central Park apart¬
ment bouses, he mortgaged
thLs and other properties to
secui-e advances, and the
mortgagee, Jas, J McComb,





'srii/£»s ^KielW-





two-thirds of which have already been rented, although tbe building wip
not be ready for occupancy autil October 1st. The i-ents of these suite^
range from $1,200 to -?1,SOO each, accordiug to their size and location'
They contain four rooms, with a bathroom and all the othei- conveniences'
while there is steam heat throughout. There are also several bacheloi-
apartments, which are considerably lower in price. The rents iuclude
chamber and waiting service, like any large hotel. Every suite enters
upon a wide hallway, and the elevators bring the upper floors practically
within as easy access as the lower floors. Tbe dining-room is a superb
I'oom on the seventh floor. It is delightfully located, as it places the guests,
while they are taking their meals, in fiUi view of Central and Manhattan





the well-known millionaire, subsequently acquired the property under fore-
elo.sure proceedings. He then sold it to John D. Crimmins, who, in his
turn, sold it to Mr. Walker, the present owner. The latter owns
a plot of four lots adjoining tbe Hotel Beresford, on the southwest
corner of 82d street and Central Park West. These he proposes
to turn into a small park, and he has iu contemplation tbe laymg
out of two tennis courts in tbe centre, with seats around, for the use
of the guests in the hotel. This idea, if carried out, will prove an attrac¬
tive feature.

The Beresford is probably only the beginning of an era of apai-tment
hotel building on the west side. The advantages of such a mode of living
as these buildings afford will in future attract hundreds of famUies to
whom the inconveniences and expenses of housekeeping have become a
burden.

Lynx.





Keal Estate Hews,

A quai'ter of a million dollars is the figure at which the choice plot of six
lots on the southwest corner of Central Park Wesfc (Sth avenue) and 7'2d
street is held.    The Harsen estate are fcbe owners.

Broker F. R. Houghton, who owns fche plot of four lots on the southwest
coi'ner of 9fch avenue and 7-3d street, is holding them at $100,000. About
$35,000 apiece was paid i-ecently for adjoining street lots,

As higb as ¥3,000 per year is asked for suites iu choice flats on West 72A,
street. They contain twelve rooms. On West 73d street %'AOO less is ask-ed
for similar apartments.

For private houses, say, of 23 feet frontage, located in the vicinity of the
72d street "L" station, from Sl.COO to fl,S0O rental is realized; TSd street
houses, of course, excluded.    So says a Oth aveuue broker.

An office on the west side which had iiOO houses to rent a year ago I'epoi-ts
that they now have only forty. The number of vacant houses has thus
been largely reduced.

We hear the Occident Club has selected a site for a new club-house. The
Building Commitee is composed of Richard Deeves, Samuel Colcord, Johu
T. Farley aud C. W. Luyster, This club was organized last April, and
now has 300 members, who are estimated to be worth SSO,000,000. They
occupy one of the Batchelor houses on West TSd street, for wbich $3,500
per year rent is paid on a two years' lease. D, S. Brown is the president,
and among the merobers there are something like fifteen ministers.

A full lot on the south side of 59lih street, east of Madison avenue, wis
recently conveyed to Wallace C, Andrews, of the Standard Gas Light
Compauy, afc $2,5,000, or $1,000 per foot frout. Choice lots on tbe west
side—ou West 73d street for instance—are held at higher figures. We hear
$40,000 apiece was i-efnsed for two lots on that street between Central Park
West and lith avenue.

Some of the brokers signs on west side lots are very ancient. We recently
noticed one of a firm which was dissolved about three years ago

Among tbe costliest block fronts of private dwellings on the west side is
the row of nine erected on Central Paj-k Wesfc, between 84th and 85th
streets. They were built in 1887 by Wm. Noble, aud the iilaus gave the
cost as $37,000 each. Few if any have been sold straight, without involv¬
ing the exchauge of other properties.

Another costly row was built by Bernard S. Levy on West 77th street,
opposite Mahattan square. They changed bands at about $90,000 each.
The plans.caUed for a total expenditure of $275,000 for the five houses.





Some idea of the magnitude of tbe volume of water to be suppUed by the
uew aqueduct may be had by those who get a sight of the eight ro^vs of
48-inch mains which are beiug laid on 9th avenue, norfch of 125th street.
We hear two of these mains will turn out at 135th street, two at 110th street
and four continue on dowu to the I'eservoir in Central Park.

.\u up-town broker, who w.os met by the writer ou the "L "road the
other day, wheu asked if there was any news, .said : ■'Yes, we arranged
three sales within a week at the figures giveu by the owners only to find
when we secured purchasers that all three owners declined to sell. Two of
the sales embraced parcels of lots and the third a dwelling." Of course
the owners paid you for your work? "That is the annoying part of it,"
he answered; "but T am now going dowu to place tbe collection of our
claims in the hands of our attorneys, aud teach owners that even brokei-s
have rights which must be re«pected."

The cost of reg-iilatiug and pavmg witb granite blocks fche roadway of
Madison avenue, from 94th to 103d street, will be $30,493.   Matthew Baird

has secured the contract.

---------»---------

The Water Grant Arraugemeut.
Owners of lauds originally acquired by water grants are certainly
going to get the best of the bargain in the arrangement which the city
bas decided to make witb them. The Department of Public Works has
now formally advertised the terms under which tbe obligations of
those owners for all future time will cease. By the terms of the
original grant the latter are compelled to pave, repave, keep in repair
aud maintain the streets aloug which their property runs. This iu neai'ly
every case they have neglected to do, because the conditions a>-e somewhat
hai-Qssing, and because it is generally conceded that the city has as much
right, in equity, to take care of the streets used by citizens generally as
the owners have. Recognising the force of this view of the ease and to
avoid having tho public thoroughfares affected continue in the bad
condition in which tbey are now, the authorities have decided to repave
and repaii- the streets, charging the cost to the owners of the properfcy,
once for all, and thereafter to keep tbe streets in repair at the city's
expense. They will only do so, however, on the application of the
proper ty-own ers interested. Commissiouor Gilroy said: " The owners will
be benefited by the ai-i'angement, for it will assess them just once and
never again, whereas the city will gain by the streets affected being
placed in good condition, instead of beiug continually out of repau-, as