The New York herald., 1869-07-07
A REVIEW OF NEW BUILDINGS.
OPENING OF NEW STREETS.

The growth OF q city expresses itself most ypcally
py It's steady advance in buildings and improve
ments. There is a marked difference, however, 10
be made in the application OF This Tuism as the
measnre for the growth OF a European or an Ameri-
can euy. The most prominent instance in Europe in
Tins regard is Paris which, under the rule OF the
present Emperor, has pretty nearly changed IFS entire
physognomy. The Paris OF today is not the Paris
OF ls4s, nor 1t may with justice be said also, OF 1s6s
The present imposing palaces, the broad avenues
and boulevards, the splendid and artistic views
presented at almost any one of the many points
spappui of modern Paris, were not the spontaneous
work OF the tastes and desires OF the people; not the
work OF the natural growth Of the city. It was by
order Of the government that narrow Streets lanes
and aIeyways were wdened, that blocks OF dingy
dwellings extending for miles and dating their origin
back 10 past centuries OF history were demolished
and that OF modern, luxurious and costly palaces
were erected in their places, virtually, though not
Demlnaly at the public expense. The work of beau
Afyng Paris and of making it the foremost city IN
point of architectural establishment was one OF the
Jdees NapoleonienteS, and was carried out with
thai resstless energy and power which have charac
terl2ed the present imperial government IN all lis
relations with the French people. That there may
have peen behind all this lurking O thought having
reference to possible military operations within the
CITY, the greater ease which the present wide and
connecting avenues and boulevards furnish for
heavy bodies OF troops TO dlsperse riotous assem-
blage, allows 10 suppose, and therefore what has
been done in the French capital in this respect is not
criterion OF the measure Of advance the city
has taken under the Napoleonic regime.
Il is far otherwise in New York. The enterprise
oi the individual citizen, his growth in wealth and
prosperity are here the chief moving causes in the
city's advance in building improvements. And if
rnE Ea rhA na a
assumed the presidency OF the French republic Tor
starulng poInL and compare the New York of 1869
with the appearance presented by our city IN the
first named year. and then have look at the i'm
mense number OF new buildings now being erected
some OF which are OF gigantic dimensions and some
surpassed nowhere IN beauty OF design and soidify
Of construction, IL Is not all out OF place TO remark
That the thrift OF republican New York has out
stripped the capital OF France, and the individual
enterprise OF citizens has done more than all the
vaunted power OF modern Cesarsm
Let the reader reflect and carry his mlnd back TO
1S4S-how New York looked then our population
was than half OF what il Is now. The census OF
1880 gave 5l5 souls TO the nineteen wards into
which the city was then divided. Deducting from
this the ascertalned annual rate OF increase OF our
population for the Two preceding years, Which was
about three per cent and We arrive al the popua-
lion OF New York city in 1S4S as being 4s4 SIS SOUS,
but a small proportion more than one-thrd OF the
present number OF inhabitants, whieh certainly Is
not much short OF million and quarter, II 1t does
not exceed that such growth Is Unparalleled None
Oi the large political and commercial centres In
Europe can equal It, and it Is barely initiated at
lated points, where, by the creation OF new manu-
facturing Industries, as Of Krupp's iron and steel
works at Essen, Tor instance extraordinary causes
accelerated IL. Neither Vienna nor Berlin has
grown at such tremendous rate, though both king
and kaiser nave done everything 10 make their cap
ials attractive and populous, Not even Florence
although only q few years ago made the centre OF
new empire, and therefore receiving new impetus
10 IT'S population by the assembly within It's walls
Of the Italian Parliament, government omclals ana
all italian aspirants TO political distinction, mas made
anything IKE SUCH rapid progress. To astonlsh tue
world 10y was, in the good wisdom of Providence,
lett TO republican America and her metropolis
WHITTIER the dissatisfied OF all nations on the three
old Continents are migrating TO ENJOY her freedom.
TO participate III her prosperity anu adopt tDe Vest
eTn republic as their new home and country.
A RETROSPECT
In the neighborhood OF twenty years ago,
already been remarked, the appearance OF New York
quite different from what II ls to-day ~ Is I'M
possible refer 10 all Tie great changes wnlch nave
taken place since then. To mention feW of the
more prominent Will suflce TO recall many more TO
the minds OF sucn as were residents OF New YORK at
that time, ana TO those who were not, but nave To-
Gated here more recently, they VIM give some ruth
fnI means by which 10 Judge oil the CROWN o1 the
Coming up the bay from the Narrows one found in
Castle Garden fashionable resort, where the most
recherche entertainments were gwen ana whither
the beauty wealth and bon ton of the city locked 10
listen to Julliens concerts, to Jenny Lind,s sweet
songs ana TO other artists Of similar re-
nown from Europe. Around the bauery,
from which narrow bridge led TO the
''Garlen," or Castle" as it was often called,
the houses many Of winch still there, were oe-
cupled a. private residences, and so were also the
row on Bowling Green by wealthy and prominent
time quite handsome building, and wth IT'S sighal
telegraph on top OF the cupoia moving us arms
continually In response 10 similar "teegiapB" sta
tioD on staten Island was often attractive spot
for idlers curious TO know what the RAPID see-saw
movement OF TINS old-fashoned teiegfaph feaiiy
meant. Tne largest mercantile buildings on the
lower Broadway we're the bonded warehouses on the
corner OF New street, stewards present wholesale
house from Chambers to Reade being then about half
its present size and embracing both ms wholesale
and retail departments. Among the hotels the Astor
House was already noted, and the Mansion
Howard
The New YORK Hotel was already built but was con-
sIdered TOO far up town 10 De success None Vi the
palatla structures as the st. Nicholas, metropolitan
and the many otner extensive caravansarles for the
accommodation OF the travelling puolc mad as YET
any existence. An unpretentlous, though large,
Gothic builaiBg Broadway, near Canal street, was
the Masonic Bal IN the basement OF which the
youth OF the city wont to assemble 'roing ten
pinsn All along Broadway. above Canal street
particularly above Houston street, were private resi-
dences up to Fourteenth street which was about ,n'
city. In this neighborhoOd, on Broadway and In TN
cross streets east and west Of IT, resided the 'uppe
tenr OF the New York OF that day. Here were I'M
houses OF the Astors; here Grace church was Duilt
here the Astor pace Opera House was Tor the time
marvel OF architectural beauty here the Old KnIck
erbockers lived and died. and mere the grandfather
OF New York saw the tide pass them ant
compel them to move northward also
North OF Union square the population was more scat
and residences were not 80 close 10 each other
and past Madison square houses were few and fa
between. The writer recolects to have stood on IN
Tamparts Of the Croton reservoir on Forteth stree
ard Fifth avenue in ls+5, exactly one year after u
had been opened IOr use, ana ali dTOuuu no
built up street could be but farms and gardens
clusters of trees ana barren waste with Blooming
dale roadn as favorite place for the excursion o
'Mosen with his "Llze," the b'noy element of th'
city IN that day.
II one, about, as was said, twenty years ago, took
stroll to the northward, on either the east Or ives
side OF the town, the same fact could be observed
in The central part of the city. A lew blocks aroun'
ST. Marks place, Stuyvesant place and Aslor pae
bullt up with handsome and, ia SOM
isolated instances even for that period
stylish houses. Further eastward the sma
traders, mechanics and the emgrant popu
laiOn took almost uncontested possession
but they advanced TO the north~ard With but sloy
PAGES fhe want OF cheap and rapid communicative
between the residence and the business place Q
the employer as well as OF the employed was the
severely felt. Not even the city railroads, thes
SLOW c0achesr now wadays, were then known. An
IT'S in great measure 10 tins very want tnat I'll
introduction of our wretched tenement house syi
TEN Bay he sscrbed In order not TO lose so muc
time IN going to work ana returning from II the
preferred TO select apartments IN large building
whch speculative capitalists erected for them ia IN
lower part OF the town, and, while the number
ont dv fup All q