| Originally the word apartment simply meant a | | | | times these are called an efficiency apartment, |
| room. However, today the word usually means a | | | | pullman or kitchenette. At times in an apartment |
| room or a group of rooms in which an individual | | | | bed could fold up into a wall or closet. The stove |
| or a single family lives where several such the | | | | and refrigerator could also hide behind doors. |
| same are grouped into a single building. It could | | | | Apartments may have many rooms that take up |
| also mean a group of buildings with a lesser | | | | one or more floors in a building. An apartment |
| amount of single units. These could be a six-plex | | | | which occupies on an entire floor often is called a |
| or eight-plex or even a sixteen-plex of many. | | | | flat or a penthouse. The term flat is not used |
| The structure itself can also be called an | | | | much anymore. Apartments were formerly found |
| apartment building, apartment hotel or even an | | | | in very large cities such as Chicago, New York, |
| apartment house. Those who live in apartments in | | | | Dallas and Los Angelos. Americans and other |
| such buildings share certain conveniences such as | | | | countries with ever growing populations have |
| gas, heat, elevators. Pool and laundry facilities | | | | continued to flourish to the big cities since the |
| could be shared. With escalating cost however, | | | | 1920's. Fewer rooms are needed today because |
| management has been converting individual | | | | families have grown smaller and there are many |
| meters for all or some of the cost in recent | | | | amusements and forms of recreation and |
| years. | | | | entertainment. |
| Apartments do differ from hotel rooms in that | | | | As I touched on at the beginning, many |
| they usually contain the necessary means for | | | | apartments are clustered together to form small |
| cooking and for preserving foods. Refrigerators | | | | village-like groups. These may have their own |
| and stoves differ in many sizes and shapes. | | | | schools and shops. A co-operative movement in |
| Clothes washers and dryers can or cannot be | | | | apartments has also been successful! People buy |
| included. Apartments may or may not be | | | | their own apartment under this plan instead of |
| furnished. A furnished apartment could very well | | | | paying rent. In my experience this being the case; |
| have dishes, linens, furniture, gas and electricity. All | | | | they seem to take better care of their unit |
| this can be included by the land lord all included in | | | | because of ownership. |
| the rent. | | | | In the United States as well as other countries |
| An unfurnished apartment is one in which all these | | | | the words "tenement" or "tenement" are applied |
| items are paid for and supplied by the tenant. The | | | | to the older and cheaper group houses, |
| smallest apartment can be just one room. Some | | | | particularly in slums. |