Saturday, June 20, 2009
TRIPLEX
Hard Times for New England’s 3-Deckers
In Boston, they are called triple deckers but maybe in New York it is by another name.
What is sure is that there are no triple-deckers out here in the desert.
Anything over one floor is either a motel or office. Most condos. But very few third floors. Can you say "earthquake"?
The idea of a triple decker was that you would live on one floor and rent the other two. Affluence led to renting all three. Now, the collapse as a lot of people borrowed on their real estate equity. Just like everywhere else.
I suppose that the triple isn't very fashionable any more. It probably never was. More a matter of efficiency or necessity.
We had friends who lived in them. They were nice. A front and back porch. Good sized rooms.
You really wanted to be on top so you wouldn't hear the footfall.
Gay guys bought them and converted them to two floors for the owner and one for the renter.
I once owned one in Plymouth. When I was married and had five kids plus a small extended family of three adults.
We had two floors and a renter on the third and then got rid of the renter, an old lady who bitched all the time about us. She didn't even have the footfall part.
It was nice. Big. Airy. Porches.
If you ever fly into Logan, take a look. You will see East Boston just below you. All triple deckers. If you swing out and get to see the outer communities, the same.
Another good thing going to hell.
