Railroad apartment explained

A railroad apartment or railroad flat, sometimes referred to as a floor-through apartment, is an apartment with a series of rooms connecting to each other in a line.^[1] The name comes from the layout's similarity to that of a typical (mid-20th century or earlier) passenger train car.^[2] Without hallways, it results in less semi-public space.^{[3] [4] [5] [6] [7]}

This style is most common in New York City, San Francisco, and their surrounding areas. Railroad apartments are common in tenement buildings or even modern apartment blocks, and are sometimes found in subdivided brownstones.

Railroad apartments first made an appearance in New York City in the mid-19th century, and were designed to provide a solution to urban overcrowding.^[8] Many early railroad apartments were extremely narrow, and most buildings were five or six stories high. Few early buildings had internal sanitation, and bathrooms emptied raw sewage into the back yard. In some cases, one family would take up residence in each room, with the exterior hallway providing communal space.

Floor-through apartment

A floor-through apartment refers to an apartment that extends from the front of the building to the rear of the building, usually with front and back windows,^[9] even if it does not occupy the width of the full floor.^{[10] [11]}

See also

• Enfilade (architecture) – similar design in grand European architecture of the Baroque period
• List of house types
• Shotgun house

Notes and References

1. Sennett, Richard. The Conscience of the Eye: The Design and Social Life of Cities. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1992. .
2. Cassidy, Frances Gomes. Dictionary of American Regional English. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1985. .
3. Web site: What Is A Railroad-Style Apartment? . The Spruce . 11 July 2022 . en.
4. Web site: Everything You Need to Know About Railroad Apartments . NY Rent Own Sell . 11 July 2022 . 4 February 2022.
5. Web site: The Underrated Apartment Layout That's Perfect for Renters on a Budget, According to Real Estate Agents . Apartment Therapy . 11 July 2022 . en.
6. Web site: Frishberg . Hannah . What Is a Railroad Apartment? A Guide to a Misunderstood Apartment Layout . Brownstoner . 11 July 2022.
7. Web site: 7 Railroad-Style Apartments That Will Shock You . Rhythm of the Home . 11 July 2022 . 7 May 2021.
8. Eisner, Simon; Gallion, Arthur; and Eisner, Stanley. The Urban Pattern. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1993.
9. Web site: Floor-Through Apartments Available in NYC . cityrealty.com . 11 July 2022 . en.
10. Web site: Definition of FLOOR-THROUGH . merriam-webster . 11 July 2022 . en.
11. Web site: Floor-through: definition and meaning . Collins English Dictionary . 11 July 2022.