And Edison, like Mr Ovshinsky, straddled the fields of energy and information technology: he originally made his name with the invention of the quadruplex, a device that increased the capacity of telegraph lines, before moving on to electrification.Another similarity between the two inventors is that both thought of their inventions as entire systems.
Edison's work culminated in the quadruplex, a system for sending four simultaneous telegraph messages over a single wire.
That is what the new owner of 12 East 72nd Street, Steven Croman, has notified tenants he plans to do -- empty the six-story building so he can create a lavish quadruplex for himself, his wife, Harriet, and their two small children, as well as a duplex for his sister-in-law's family of four.
Including a particularly notable one in which the landlord of a building on East 72nd Street near Fifth Avenue is seeking to vacate all 23 apartments, with a total of 65 rooms, to create a quadruplex for himself, his wife and two children, as well as a duplex for his sister-in-law's family of four.
The notices said the landlord "will be serving the tenants of all the apartments on the first, second, third and fourth floors" with similar notifications -- to create a quadruplex for Mr. Croman's family of four -- "and all the apartments on the fifth and sixth floors" -- so his sister-in-law's family can have a duplex.
The notice says the landlord "will be serving the tenants of all the apartments on the first, second, third and fourth floors in the subject building" (that would be the quadruplex) and "all the apartments on the fifth and sixth floors" (the duplex).
David Yen, a tenant for 32 years, said that the proposed quadruplex would take up the space now containing "15 apartments with 44 rooms, if you count kitchens and bathrooms".
The company is in the process of doing a 3,360 square-foot quadruplex containing four apartments for about $178,000 that will be used to house the staff on a 12-acre East Hampton estate.
A Manhattan developer is hoping to find an athletic buyer for a quadruplex apartment that would come with its own indoor basketball court, running track, swimming pool, steam room and sauna.
Of the 31 units, nine are still occupied by original tenants, and five are currently available, including a rambling quadruplex that will rent for $8,950.
