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Bohemian apartments
Posted by:
tomz
()
Date: August 07, 2013 11:01AM
When I was a kid, my dad used to refer to garden apartments in Chicago as "Bohemian Apartments." He wasn't referring to artists. Instead--he explained--it was because the Bohemians (aka Czechs) were the only ones who'd rent them.
Yes, I know he was being a paragon of Chicago's legendary intolerance for people of another culture or race, but I was wondering if anyone else had ever heard this expression.
Thanks.
Yes, I know he was being a paragon of Chicago's legendary intolerance for people of another culture or race, but I was wondering if anyone else had ever heard this expression.
Thanks.
Re: Bohemian apartments
Posted by:
Sit and Stew
()
Date: August 08, 2013 09:55PM
LOL, Heard that and I had a good laugh there. My dad also told me that half of Berwynites congregated in their basements in the 50's and 60's. The "Berwyn Basement" joke might give others funny looks but to those in the know, we can laugh.:)
Re: Bohemian apartments
Posted by:
Berwyn Frank
()
Date: August 13, 2013 12:43PM
He might have referred to them as Bohemian apartments because the frugality (a.k.a. cheapness lol) of Chicago area Bohemians was legendary. Garden apartments usually brought the cheapest rent therefore a lot of Bohemians lived in them including ones that owned their own buildings. Why take a main floor apartment in your own building when it could command more rent? Take the basement and make more money!
