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Curious, when I remember The Honeymooner's sticom, when you walked into the flat?, it was right
in the kitchen, the sink was to the left, a kitchen table straight ahead. New Yorkers, is there such
a design ?
Grandparents lived in a flat in San Francisco, is there a difference between a flat and an apartment ?
At the time, 1950's grew up in a home built in 1909 in Oakland, CA, middle class neighborhood. So
enjoyed the home; in the dining room ,fireplace made from rocks, built-in china cabinets, lead glass
in the panes of the doors. No closets on the main floor, only a small closet in one of the three
bedrooms upstairs, other "closets", you opened a door, it's where the roof slanted though insulated ?
(Considered an Arts and Crafts home)
Anyway! What you do remember of floor plans of homes, flats, apartments, dwellings of yester year?
Really no difference between a flat and an apartment- although flat is more of a British term. In San Francisco, the term flat" has often come to mean, a long, narrow hallway type of apartment with rooms off of it.
But basically " apartment" is what you hear most of the time in the US & Canada , " flat" in the UK.
The Honeymooners had a tiny apartment, think it was just the kitchen and bedroom, wasn't it?. Usually, in New York, the apartments in older buildings that entered into the kitchen, also had another entry at the other end of the exterior hallway that went to the living room. So the kitchen would be at one end of the apartment, the living room at the other and the bedrooms in the middle. The used to be called railroad apartments, because the rooms followed one another and you had to walk through one room to get to any other.
Pantries. And an old gas stove that was up on legs so you could hide under it when the doctor came to give you a shot of penicillin. I don't know how they ever found me. Also, wonderful screened porches.
The flat/apartment you described is exactly the design of my grandparents. Also, the toilet was in a room by itself
as was the sink and bathrub.
in_newengland,
Sent you a direct message as pantries brought back LOTS of memories; remember too the cupboard in the pantry,
when you opened it, there was a screen on back to let in fresh air from the sun porch. Sort of like a cooler ?
Afraid to light the pilot light as sometimes my eyelashes/eyebrows got singed !
There were a ton of 2 family flats in Detroit back in the 50's & 60's. Newlyweds were eager to rent the flats because rents were fairly reasonable and the floor plans were quite comfortable for the time.
These homes were built from the early part of the 20th century through the 1920's. Each flat had a small foyer entry into the small living room with a small adjoining dining room. From the dining room you would enter the kitchen that was quite large. There was always a huge kitchen table where everyone would congregate. It was always a thrill to get a new pattern of oil cloth from the neighborhood dime store to cover the table. Sometimes a large cast iron stove sat in the middle of the room. Cabinet & counter space was minimal but adequate. Often there would be a large white cast iron sink with a fabric curtain surrounding the bottom to hide anything that was stored underneath. Often there would be a utility room off of the kitchen. It was not good for much except for a back entry or a place to store certain items.
There were usually 2 small bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Often times there would be a small bathroom downstairs usually off of the kitchen or dining room. There was a shared basement where most people placed their washing machines. There were front porches to sit on and a decent sized back yard.
Unlike today where you can buy one side of a duplex, these 2 family flats were considered to be one house. The homeowner often lived in one of the flats and rented out the other. Sometimes the owner lived elsewhere and rented out both flats.
As newlyweds in 1964, we were thrilled to be able to rent one of these flats. It was a wonderful time to be young adults in Detroit. We lived there until we had saved up enough money for a down payment to buy our own very modest home.
Sadly, most all of those old homes have been destroyed either through arson, vandalism or decay. Nothing remains today except for the memories of the people who were blessed to live in Detroit during it's heydey.
I'm not sure this is a "yesteryear" thing. My two sons currently live in Brooklyn in a 3rd story apt/flat that opens into a small kitchen/kitchenette. No living area, only some cramped bedroom/sleeping alcoves that branch off from the kitchen. They pay a rent that for me is unfathomable.
They're happy, and don't have any vehicle expenses to pay, so it all works out.
edit to add: several years ago, the younger son lived in San Francisco, Haight area, in a two-room flat/apt/whatever. Again, worked for him.
In many older city apartments I lived or have been in, the front door opened into a hall and the rooms ran off the sides of the hall. Like living room, then kitchen, then the bath, then the bedroom. The living room had a door to the kitchen (the door most often gone or a wide entry way). One had to come out of their bedroom into the hall to get to the bathroom. There was usually one window that opened to a fire escape. Also many were 4 story walkups. No elevators.
I thought my first studio apartment in an 8 story newer apartment building, in Harvard Square in 1968, with an elevator and open atrium was living large. My friends use to gawk at the 8 story open atrium.
Several of us had cats and the cats would ride the elevators down and run around the open atrium. You would go out of your apartment, lean over the railing and call the cat. The cat would go to the elevator. You would call the elevator to your floor, then press lobby, The elevator would go down, meantime you pressed the elevator request button again. The elevator would go to the lobby, the doors open, cat would get on, doors shut and elevator returned to your floor. If there were neighbors waiting for the elevator you would ask them to let the cat off at a particular floor. Each entry way had two sets of doors one into the small lobby where mailboxes and intercom was. Then another set of doors into the atrium. People were very careful not to let a cat out. We often laugh and say every cat we have had since then was to stupid to figure an elevator out...LOL
My Father grew up in a similar type of Apartment on Kenmare st. You walked in to one large room that had the kitchen/dining & living area. The Bathtub was the first thing that you saw when you walked in. It was next to the bathroom that was a little bigger than a phone booth.
From what I remember there where two bedrooms. But I think one bedroom was really like a dining room because it had a picture window & did not have an actual door.
I also remember the "master bedroom" was a decent size & had a divider in it to make it two bedrooms.
In many older city apartments I lived or have been in, the front door opened into a hall and the rooms ran off the sides of the hall. Like living room, then kitchen, then the bath, then the bedroom. The living room had a door to the kitchen (the door most often gone or a wide entry way). One had to come out of their bedroom into the hall to get to the bathroom. There was usually one window that opened to a fire escape. Also many were 4 story walkups. No elevators.
I thought my first studio apartment in an 8 story newer apartment building, in Harvard Square in 1968, with an elevator and open atrium was living large. My friends use to gawk at the 8 story open atrium.
Several of us had cats and the cats would ride the elevators down and run around the open atrium. You would go out of your apartment, lean over the railing and call the cat. The cat would go to the elevator. You would call the elevator to your floor, then press lobby, The elevator would go down, meantime you pressed the elevator request button again. The elevator would go to the lobby, the doors open, cat would get on, doors shut and elevator returned to your floor. If there were neighbors waiting for the elevator you would ask them to let the cat off at a particular floor. Each entry way had two sets of doors one into the small lobby where mailboxes and intercom was. Then another set of doors into the atrium. People were very careful not to let a cat out. We often laugh and say every cat we have had since then was to stupid to figure an elevator out...LOL
This is a great story.
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