100 year old ad for apartments in Prospect Heights (Underhill and Vanderbilt)

whynot_31 · December 2016

Affordable housing in Prospect Heights, ad in the Brooklyn Eagle, October 1916. Note those rents are ANNUAL amounts.

So, a one-bedroom apartment on Underhill and St. John rents for $30 a month (about $712 in 2016 dollars).

Present rates in the building are 1 BR: $2,375. 203 - 209 Underhill

The three-bedroom, two bath apartments on Sterling and Butler rent for $75 a month (about $1,663 today's dollars, but I am too lazy to pull up a recent listing).

Marco555 · December 2016

Wow. Great unearthing. I get the sense this area was expensive then -- $712 (in 2016 dollars) seems like a lot!

whynot_31 · December 2016

They sound as if they were fancy, and in an area with lots of neighborhood amenities

Marco555 · December 2016

Funny to see how much 'luxury amenities' have changed! But also how little.

You can almost do a comparison...
1916 => 2016

Burglar proof wall safes => doorman
Electric lights => central AC and heat
Shower baths => this can go a number of ways. Either the latest and greatest in home bathrooms (rainfall shower head?) or pool/sauna in the building
Elevator => same (though not sure how an elevator operator would play out in today's mindset)
Telephone service => whatever cable hookup is hot these days. Or maybe free, secured wifi for everyone.
Near subway => same. Though I like the idea of it being 'new'!

bk0077 · December 2016

If you find this kind of thing interesting, Columbia has a slew of great documents stored in their online archives:

The New York Real Estate Brochure Collection

100 year old ad for apartments in Prospect Heights (Underhill and Vanderbilt)

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