Life — June 28, 1929 — page 9: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "Closed for the Summer" by Stanley Jones This is a short story about urban decay and social class in early 20th-century New York. The illustration shows a shabby, deteriorating tenement building—likely in a poor neighborhood north of Washington Square. The narrative centers on Mr. Pomeroy Schuyler, a wealthy man who has closed his house for summer vacation. The story explores the contrast between his seasonal absence and the permanent hardship of those living in the surrounding slums. The detailed sketch emphasizes the building's decay and abandonment, reflecting contemporary concerns about urban blight and class inequality. The piece appears to be social commentary on how the wealthy escape the city while the poor remain trapped in declining neighborhoods.