5 ms·
It is my understanding that boarding houses were not cheap. But I've mostly only read about them in fiction form the time period. If there's any truth to them,
by onlyrealcuzzo 7y ago
It is my understanding that boarding houses were not cheap. But I've mostly only read about them in fiction form the time period. If there's any truth to them, it seemed like to afford to live in a boarding house in the city proper you needed to be a single working professional.
I think people liked to live like that, just like they'd like to have fresh made meals and live in walking distance to everything now. But once you get married have kids, it gets too expensive. You're housing and feeding multiple people that aren't working. Also, people forget boarding houses usually came with a shared bathroom.
- compiler-guy 7y agoBoarding houses also came with all kinds of guest restrictions (particularly around the opposite sex). Restrictions that would never fly today.
- CydeWeys 7y agoThose restrictions are enforced quite healthily in hostels across the US at least.
- lonelappde 7y agoHostels are temporary housing.
- blaser-waffle 7y agoIn the US. Lots of longer stays in places I've stayed at in Australia or Asia. Mostly travelers or foreign workers, but there was a flophouse element, most notably a prostitute in melbourne who rented a private bunk and would sometimes entertain "guests".
- Aeolun 7y agoI think boarding houses were generally a combination of bachelors and widows (who presumably got the house when their husbands died), at least the combination as shown in Sherlock Holmes is, I think.
- lazyasciiart 7y agoNicer boarding houses, yes. It scaled a long way down.