national register nomination for boulevard park historic
national register nomination for boulevard park historic
national register nomination for boulevard park historic
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was very different from the perception of these buildings, and their residents, in the<br />
minds of urban re<strong>for</strong>mers. Because these buildings defied an evolving American<br />
suburban ideal, re<strong>for</strong>mers actively ignored the realities of residential hotel life. They did<br />
not include hotels in surveys or studies and did not plan <strong>for</strong> their replacement when<br />
planning public housing projects in conjunction with slum clearance. They did not<br />
address the housing requirements or social needs of the people who lived in these<br />
buildings. The result of the difference between the reality of hotel housing and re<strong>for</strong>mers’<br />
narrow vision has proven catastrophic, resulting in a nationwide housing crisis and<br />
widespread homelessness.<br />
All residential hotels shared many attributes. They were centrally located,<br />
allowing convenient access to urban workplaces. They were inexpensive compared to<br />
other housing of the same social class, providing social opportunities <strong>for</strong> the nouveau<br />
riche, and an alternative to sleeping in an alley <strong>for</strong> the poorest. Their relative lack of<br />
home amenities meant that hotel residents’ homes extended into the streets of the city.<br />
Their kitchens were nearby restaurants, their washroom was a nearby laundry, their parlor<br />
was the hotel lobby, a nearby bar or billiard hall, or even the streetcorner. Hotels’ typical<br />
pattern of using their ground floor <strong>for</strong> commercial spaces was economically beneficial to<br />
the hotel owner and convenient <strong>for</strong> the residents. This use of public space helped a<br />
uniquely urban and urbane mode of life flourish in American cities. Because hotel<br />
residences were closely spaced within the central city, people of many social classes lived<br />
in close proximity.<br />
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