The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-09-16
TIE GROWTH OF NEW YORK.
improvements Ia the Upper Part OF tho
IsIand.

second, and Fifty sueets-to say nothing OF
many others aboye-are one hundred feet or avenue
streets We now remember no first class improve
ments above Forty-ninth street, where beginning
was made year or two since by Mr. Phillips, near
the old Blind Asylum, east of Fifth avenue. BE.
tween Fiity-seventh and Fity-second streets, we
have already, in former article mentioned pretty
nearly ull the import mt improvements hitherto
made unless il be very respectable houses east
of Fourth avenue. And while our eye ia on this
latter quarter of the town, We will stop to remark
that there Is portion of the city for which nat ire
has done than for that strip OF llnd lying along
on the lire of Second avenue, commencing at Fifty
seventh street, aud running both east and west of
said avenue up to Sixtysixth street, or Jones'
Wood, sometimes called Mount Vernon. This might
be made-and we have no hesitation in saying that
il ought to be-one of the handsomest quarters
Of the town. There spots, say in the
neghborhood Of Fiftyeighth street which already
look beautiful Take for example such cottage as
the one built by Mr.. Rumsey, late president Of the
Suffolk Bank. II is cottage in true English style,
standing well back from the street. with good pair
of lungs both sides Of it that Is, if we rene nbcr
right it is two story house, 40 or so feet square,
and standing somewhere about the centre Of 100
feet square Of ground, and surrounded with flowers,
shrubbery, &c. A little paradise to those who are
fond of gardening. We believe the whole o9 this
rus in urbs has been sold within the last twelve
months for less than 100000 AS yet there are very
few nuisances in all this quarter of the town. Lots
are worth about 81 200 each on an average, Now,
we ask what is to hinder building up all this section
of the city in the style or Rumsey's cottage? We
appeal to the ladies'; and ii this article should
cape their eye, we appeal to the gentlemen to show
il to them, and ask them if it would not be delight
full to have at least onehalf mile square Of this city
built up in cheap cottage style-one family to one
house-each cottage wholly surrounded with court
yard garden, flowers, shrubLery, DC, and the
whole renting for from $500 to 81 900 per annnm
costing from So 900 to $4,000 in all? The number
of families in this city salaried gentlemen and others,
living incomes of from 5000 to 81 900, or even
including 81 500 people, is very great. Our stores
commission houses, banks, insurance companies,
lawyers Offices &C., are full Of them-all genteel
respectable, we'll bred and well educated people, and
often with better pretensions to refinement thin
many who live between the Fourth and Sixth
avenues on from $4,000 to $4,000 per annum
Now tell where this class of people are to live,
unless at the rate Of two families to house and
the house is yet to be built big enough TO quietly
hold two families let alone dozen. Where, we ask,
are these people to live? Where are the houses TO
hold them? There is scarcely dozen desirable
800 houses for single families for sale in all the
city; and most remarkable fact it il too. No such
houses are built. Ask our builders why they do not
build seventy.fvs hundred dollar houses and they
will tell you il cannot be done. Neither can it, il
you insist upon building house costing $4,000
upon 50 900 lot that is the house costing twice
the value Of the lot. But gentlemen builders, yon
can build beautiful 50 900 cottage upon two 81 800
lots. "Ycs, but where are proitsf We re-
ply build row of twenty at one contract: it is as
easy for you TO contract for thousand for one
What field is here for some enterprising capital
ist The lots designed for such improvements
would almost double in valne before the contracts
for building could be signed.
We feel that il is fatigung TO the mind TO travel
and about the city, and meet every where we go with
nothing but never ending bricks brown stone, iron
ratings, pavements, dust and merchandise. Well
may it be said that man makes the town, God the
country: and no wonder 80 many are anxious to get
away from so much that man has done, to see some
thing Of what higher powers can do. We have only
one word to add and that is that at this present mo-
ment it is not too late to appropriate some portions
of the town to these Rumsey cottages, and we say,
as Decatur did before Tipoli, ca,Pe diem. But we
have wandered
When we began this article it was our intention to
mention some of the principal first class improve.
ments between Forty-sccond and Thirtyfourth
streets, chiefly on Murray Hill. This district EN-
braces the distributing reservoir and Crystal Palace,
and the territory burnt with the Crystal Palace
fever; and il would not do much harm If some Of II
we're burnt over again, and with the Vulcan fever.
THIRrY-SNTu STREET.
In coming down town, VIC believe the first i'm.
proyements begun this year. this side Of Forty-se-
cond street are on Thty.nnth street. between Fifth
and Sixth avenues. On the south side the Kilpat
rick Brothers are building two three story and
high basement brown stone houses, 25x5O feet, va
ued at about sl3 900 each. Lots here valued at
about So 600 50 800 There has hitherto been little
or no demand for lots on Thiryninth street and we
doubt if prices Of lots here well settled. There
appears to be some doubt yet whether Thirty-ninth
will be as good street as Thirty-eighth and others
below il.
Near by, James Madden is just breaking ground
for two brown stone houses, 20x50, four stories,
375 feet east Of Sixth avenue.
And ON the north side of the same street, 200
feet west OF Fifth avenue the brothers Barton are
about breaking ground for two brown stone houses,
2Ox42, with II feet extension, precisely like
those they are now finishing In Forysecond street.
rHIRTY-EIoHTH STREET.
II appears TO be now settled that this IL TO he in
all respects. rstcass street. II is the crowning
street in point Of height, and might be called the
key stone or arch street for of the avenues
1--WE believe Lexington, Fourth and Filthy the water
runs both northerly and southerIy from this street.
On the north side Of this street, between Sixth
avenue and Broadway, Mr.. Robert G. VOORHEES,,
builder, has just finished the mason work OF five
brown stone houses, 20x55, -four stores and high
basement, and snbcellar. We don't know the value,
but suppose, when doIe, about sl2 900.
On the south ode, little east Of Sixth avenue,
and opposite the six brown stone houses which Ren
ben Wood has finished this gear, Mr.. Loveace,
mason, is now commencing six brown stone houses
for Mr.. Thomas J. Ireland five Of them 2l and one
20 feet 'front.' four stories and high basement