A few factors that made the community successful:
— Residents still had jobs
— Residents were expected to pay (very low) rent
— Residents had a lot of leeway if they missed their rent
— Residents were generally selected for their likemindedness/talent
— Residents stayed at the hotel for a good stretch of time, fostering a sense of community
— Short-term tourists and wealthy patrons helped keep the rest of the community afloat (like many of these communes)
— It was in Manhattan, not the middle of nowhere
I think it's still remarkably possible to create successful intentional communities. However, I think that being isolated with 100 people in the middle of Indiana is probably less tolerable (in the long term) than living in a communal hotel with 100 people while still living in an exciting city. It's less incestuous that way, and you're constantly being invigorated by new ideas from your next-door neighbours.
[0] https://medium.com/@bagelboy/make-america-bohemian-again-de8...