Columbia University Libraries Digital Collections: The Real Estate Record

Real estate record and builders' guide: v. 44, no. 1123: September 21, 1889

Text version:

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