LIFE IN NEW YORK TENEMENT-HOUSES
 

49
 

called flats. The word tenement is becoming unpoxoular down-town,
and many landlords have dubbed their great caravansaries by the
more aristocratic name of " flat," and the term " rooms " has been
changed to " ax3artments."

There are three distinct classes of homes in the tenement-houses ;
the dieax)est and
humblest of these is
the attic home, which
usually consists of
one or two rooms,
and is found only
down-town. These
are generally occu-
X-)ied by old x^ersons.
Occasionally three
or four attic rooms
are connected and
rented to a family,
Lut as small single
rooms are sought
after by lonely old
peox3le, the landlord
often rents them sep -
arately. An old lady
who has to earn her
bread with the nee¬
dle finds the attic at

once the cheax^est and best place for her needs. The rent of one or
two unfurnished attic rooms ranges from $3 to $5 per month.

A large number of very poor people live in three rooms—a
kitchen and two dark bedrooms. Wliere the family is large the
kitchen lounge is opened and converted into a double bed at night.
The rent for three rooms is generally from $8 to $12 per month.

The vast majority of resx3ectable working x^eople live in four

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