newyork.localmean.com/tenement
Tenement
TEN-uh-munt
Local meaning
A multi-family rental building, especially one associated with the crowded working-class housing developed during New York’s nineteenth- and early twentieth-century growth.
Tenement has both a broad dictionary sense and a specific New York historical weight tied to immigration, industrialization, overcrowding, reform laws, and neighborhood life. Many former tenement buildings remain occupied today, often renovated or regulated under later housing standards.
Example in context
- “The museum preserves apartments inside a former Lower East Side tenement.”
How it is used
A general housing word with especially deep historical association in New York City.
historical, architectural, sometimes class-coded
housing history, immigration, architecture, neighborhood tours
A general housing word with especially deep historical association in New York City.
Do not use tenement as a careless synonym for any old or inexpensive apartment building; it carries social and historical meaning.
Spelling and scope
A general housing word with especially deep historical association in New York City.
- Search forms
tenement meaning NYCNew York tenement buildingtenement vs apartment building
LocalMean keeps common search spellings discoverable without claiming that every borough, community, or generation uses one written form.
Frequently asked questions
Is every old New York apartment building a tenement?
No. Tenement refers to a particular housing form and history, not simply any building constructed before a certain year.
Do people still live in former tenements?
Yes. Many buildings remain residential, although interiors, systems, ownership, and legal conditions have changed.
Read next
All words →Evidence and further reading
These sources support the regional association, dictionary sense, or broader spread. The entry remains open to correction from New York speakers and qualified reviewers.
- tenementMerriam-Webster
Dictionary definition and historical housing senses of tenement.
- The ABCs of HousingNew York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development
Official New York City housing guidance and terminology for apartment buildings, owners, tenants, maintenance, and building services.