In 1956 I lived in a Greenwich Village fifth-floor walk-up.
Cold water, cockroaches, a gas ring for cooking, and a 1930s Kelvinator with the coil on top that barely kept the milk from turning.
But it was two thousand square feet, the previous tenants having taken our walls between the apartments.
Windows stretched up to the twelve-foot ceilings and looked out over the treetops of Carmine street.
The radiators kept the place shirtsleeve-toasty all winter long.
I was a painter who disdained day jobs.
To make rent, we’d get some demijohns of Dago red and throw a basket party.
Sounds perfect – except for the cockroaches.
Ugh. Cockroaches. Rank right up there with snakes.
A basket party? Is that where people donate money to the host?
Not bad! Certainly larger than my house by more than double, plus high ceilings! Cold water, warm room. Pros and cons. Perfect for a “starving” artist I would guess.
Hard to imagine a place that large would be warm. Then again, heat rises so… sounds like a creative place. 😉
Sounds like a great place, except the cockroaches and fridge. Creative way to make the rent though. 🙂
-David
Needed some roach motels, and all would be perfection … 😉 Well, NYC style … (2000 square feet!!!! Whoa!!) 🙂
Full of atmosphere, great to read