Tenement Life and Housing

Riis examines the genesis and evolution of tenement housing, highlighting overcrowding, lack of ventilation, dark bedrooms, and the physical and moral decay fostered by these slum conditions.

Gotham Court exemplifies the cramped, unhealthy tenement housing that characterized poor urban neighborhoods.

Detailed descriptions of cramped, unsanitary tenement buildings highlight the physical and social conditions of the poor.

The chapter details the origin, construction, and overcrowding of tenements, including rear houses, dark bedrooms, and conversion of old homes into barracks.

The chapter focuses on the physical conditions of tenements, including dark bedrooms, air-shafts, and overcrowding.