REAL ESTATE
Hi
AND
NEW YORK, MAY 20, 1916
CAUSE AND EFFECT IN APARTMENT HOUSE
CONSTRUCTION IN NEW YORK CITY
By REGINALD PELHAM BOLTON
Author of "Building for Profit"—"Power for Profit"
WHY is an apartment building con¬
structed in a certain locality; why
does it contain a certain number of
apartments; why should the number of
rooms per apartment vary, and why
should the height vary in different parts
of the city of New York?
These are problems which constantly
present themselves to builder and opera¬
tor. The student asks further why a
certain number of apartments are built
every year, and whence come the avail-
.\part- Population
Pro¬
Borougli
ments
1915
portion
Manhattan
.. 535,124
2,143,061
Ito 4
. 127,6-9
625,635
Ito 5
Brooklyn . .
.. 265,609
1,803,191
Ito 6.7
. 26,572
395,651
1 to 15
Riclimond .
. 1,652
98,684
Ito 60
Total ...... 956,616 5,066,222
On an average basis of ^yi persons
occupying an apartment, the total of
956,616 such spaces would account for
4,300,000 people out of the total by the
Table No. 1:
Existing
Borough. Jan. 1,1915.
Manhattan............. 35,839
Bronx.................. 4,847
Brooklyn............... 35,296
Queens................. 1,922
Richmond.............. 396
Summary of Report of Tenement House Department for 1915.
TENEMENT BUILDINGS.
BUILDINGS OF OLD LAW TYPE.
New Bldgs. Demolished Added hy in- Existing
erected. & converted, spection. Dec. 31.
____ 209 27 35,657
----- 19 41 4,869
.... 259 131 35,168
46 7 1,883
----- 16 3 383
Existing
Borough. Jan. 1, 1915
Manhattain............ 5,097
Bronx.................. 4,942
Brooklyn............... 11,248
Queens................. 3,264
Richmond.............. 24
78,300
BUILDINGS OF NEW
Erected
during year.
143
313
641
268
LAW TYPE.
Demolished
& converted.
1
"6
11
Added by in¬
spection.
24,575
TOTAL OLD
1,365 18
AND NBW LAW BUILDINGS.
Existing
Borough. Jan. 1, 1915.
.Manhattan............. 40.9.36
Bronx.................. 9,789
Brooklyn............... 46,544
Queens................. 5,186
Richmond.............. 420
Erected
during year.
143
313
641
268
Demolished Added by in-
& converted, spection.
210 27
19 41
265 131
57 7
16 3
102,875
1,365
567
209
77,960
Existing
Dec. 31.
5,2.39
5,255
11,883
3,521
24
25,922
Existing
Dec, 31.
40,896
10,124
47,051
5,404
407
103,882
design by the Tenement House Law.
This exterior element ruled a line across
the course of tenement-house design and
changed the situation so radically that
the field of apartment house construc¬
tion and occupation is divided into two
parts—the old law and new law build¬
ings.
One result of the greatest value which
has flowed from the operation of the
Tenement House Law is the compilation
of statistics upon the subject by the De¬
partment charged with its administra¬
tion. Year by year these have become
more specific and comprehensive, and
now afford a record over a sufficient
period to render it possible to study
both the effect of the law itself, and the
progress of the changes due in part to
its operation, and in part to those some¬
what mysterious developments of the
habits of the public, as well as the
shifting of centres of business and popu¬
lation. An analysis of the statistics of
the Department is productive of prac¬
tical information and should aflford some
guidance to the large number of per¬
sons concerned in the operation, con¬
struction, planning and occupation of
apartment buildings. See tables Nos. 1
and 2.
First Important Feature.
The first important feature which
comes to view is the fact that the type
of apartment building known as the old-
law tenement, which has had no ex¬
pansion since the passage of the Tene¬
ment House Law, can have no future
increase, but must decrease by some
process and at some rate of progress
dictated by commercial or physical de-
able tenants. The owner of old prop¬
erty asks what is to become of his in¬
vestment. Information bearing upon
these subjects seems to be of direct and
monetary value to those who are con¬
cerned in investment in and loans upon
this class of real estate.
Builders build to sell or rent. Mort¬
gagees loan on assumably safe and con¬
tinuous investments. * Owners of old
buildings are compelled to hold them if
rentals fall or to sell at a loss to any
available purchaser. All of these are
afTected by the supply of tenants in
suitable numbers whose needs and
wishes,must be met and who will pay
a rental sufficient to render the building
investment profitable. Which of these
factors controls the situation, and what
are the determining elements in the pres¬
ent developments of location, type and
character of apartment house construc¬
tion?
Old and New Apartments.
The tenement or apartment house,
which is really a community building, is
now the largest fixed feature of New
York City domestic life. That it has
met the requirements and has developed
by the demands of the resident popula¬
tion of this city is clear from the fact
that the great majority of the popula¬
tion reside in that class of building.
The following statement, comparing
the number of apartments with the popu¬
lation of the several borou.ghs, shows
how greatly the apartment house has af¬
fected the life of the people of this city;
Table No. 2: Summary of Report of Tenement House Department for 1915.
NU.MBER OK APARTMENTS I.M OLD LAW BUILDINGS.
Demolished Added by in-
Existing
Borough. Jan. 1,1915
Manhattan............. 393,725
Bronx................... 32,816
Brooklyn............... 165,869
Queens................. 8,278
Richmond.............. 1,535
Erected.
& converted.
1,308
80
912
163
44
spection.
170
1.30
458
32
18
Existing
Dec. 31,1915,
392,485
32,882
165,373
8,135
1,497
Borough.
Manhattan.
Bronx.....
Brooklyn...
Queens.....
Richmond..
602,223
APARTMENTS IN
Existing
Jan. 1.1915
.. 137.889
87,.507
90,a56
16,3.34
155
2,507 80S
NEW LAW BUILDINGS.
Demolished Added by in-
Erected. & converted, spection.
4.783 41
Borough.
Manhattan.
Bronx......
Brooklyn,..
Queens.....
Richmond..
332,741
TOTAL APARTMENTS
Existing
Jan. 1,1915.
.......... 531,614
......... 120,.323
......... 2,56.725
......... 24.612
......... 1,690
7,271
9,416
2,147
23,617
IN BOTH
Erected.
4.783
7,271
9,416
2,147
1
36
44
122
CLASSES OF
Demolished
& converted.
1,349
81
•948
207
44
600,372
Existing
Dec. 31.1915.
142,639
94,777
100,236
18,4.37
155
BUILDINGS.
Added by in¬
spection.
170
130
4.58
32
18
356,244
Existing
Dec. .31,1915.
535,124
127,659
285,609
26,572
1,(162
934,964
23.617
2,629
956,616
State Census of 5,066,222, or 86 per cent,
of the whole population, leaving only
14 per cent, resident in private dwellings,
in small stores, in hotels and institu¬
tions.
During a comparatively short period
of time, the character and form of the
tenement building has undergone sub¬
stantial changes, the most radical of
which was that due to the restrictions
and requirements imported into theic
preciation. The extent and rate of the
removal or alteration of this class of
building is a subject of interesting study
in itself, and is particularly important
in its bearing on the resulting replace¬
ment of old by new-law buildinp-s. _ The
situation at the pre'ient time in this re¬
gard is peculiar. At the end of fifteen
years of operation of the Tenement
House Law, or on January 1, 1915, there
were 35,839 buildings of the old type