The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-06-23

The Centre Of the Retail Trade.
Trade and commerce gradually invade
and seize the elegant residences of our
wealthy citizens, who have steadily
been moving toward the ncighborhood OF
the Central Park which seems destined to
be surrounded by hotels and palaces far
exceeding anything we have yet seen in
this republican country.
Tue West End, the Faubourg st. Ger
main, the aristocratio quarter OF New
York, has yet to be built. Splendid retail
stores take, one after another. the place OF
luxurious dwellings which have not shell
tered their owners more than fifteen or
twenty years. The great retail trade of this
city has become centralized In the region
between Seventeenth and TweiIty-thIrd
streets, Broadway aud the Fifth avenue.
We speak, of course, of the amount and
quality of the goods sold. and the profits
real zed. The wealthy aud aspiring weud
their way through that portion OF Broad
way or the Fifth avenue which traveises
this busy region, on their Journey up and
down town, on their daily promenades, on
their visits TO the clubs, hotels, and theatres
in a great measure, the remarkable success
OF the rich commercial houses located on
this choice part Of broadway. ARNOLD
& CONSTABLE bought the site of the
Presbyterian Church Dr. HALL's) on
the southeast corner Of Nineteenth street
and Fifth avenue, which forms the Fifth
avenue rear OF their Broadway store, and
are now covering the ground, which
fronts ~ feet on Fifth avenue by 100 feet
on Nineteenth street, with building
which will be similar I'm style aud appear
ance to their Broadway store. The first
tier of beams Is already on; II will prob
ably be completed during the present
year, and Is understood to be- intended for
wholesale purposes. We think IL highly
probable, however, that in view of the
crowds which cucumber the Broadway
entrances, the ground floor of the new
Fifth avenue store will be found abso-
lutely necessary for the continually grow
ing retail trade. 1t certainly would be
great boon to those ladies who come in
carriages TO be able to drive up to the
Fifth avenue entrance and go Immediately
from the carriage TO the store, instead Of
having, as is now most frequently the case,
TO alight In Nineteenth street, which IL
constantly crowded and damned with
earnings during the busy part Of the day.
Neither London nor Paris can boast OF
one main thor oughfare, one principal ar-
terry. like our broadway, on which all man
ner of elegant retail trade s centred. In
Paris these interests are diffused through
out the capital, the chief and most impor-
tant being on the Boulevards, the Rue de
Ia Pax, Rue de Rivoli and Palals Royal,
while the Bon Mdrch6, the very largest dry
goods establishment In Europe, probably
second TO only one in the wCrld-A. T.
STEWART X COSTS quite remote from the
great avenues OF Partisan fashion, being on
the left side of the Seine, IN the Rue De Bao
The same may be said OF London. There
has been no concentration of the elegant
retail trade, which Is scattered through
Regent street. Oxford street, the Strand,
Piccadilly, and Burlington Arcade. while
old Bond street has been for more than q
hundred years the centre of the dry goods
and kindred retail trades. II will thus be
seen that property in the limited area in
New York which apparently is destined to
enjoy for the next ten years the cream of
the general retail business of "a CITY con-
taining more than million OF inhabitants.
Is likely TO be greatly in demand us soon
as trade Tevives.
The sale OF DANIEL DREw's house, on
Tuesday, at the public exchange, by order
OF the Supreme Court, under foreclos-
ure, sweeps away another old landmark.
1t Will he converted to business purposes,
and will no doubt bring the grandchildren
| OF the speculative DREW an enormous ln-
| terest on the amount at which IL was bid
| off, $4,000. Between Seventeenth street
and Twenty-third street on Broadway,
there remain but two private dwell
| lings one on the northwest corner OF Sew
| enteenth street, owned and occupied by
Mr.. RoBERT GOBLET, the other, great, dis
NAL looking mansion surrounded by grass
| plat9, cows, peacocks, Asatio pheasants,
| storks, ana what not, on the northeast
corner of Nineteenth street, occupied aud
owned by his brother Mr.. PETER GOBLET
| These properties are not likely to come int o
| the market, since the GoELETs are archi-
millionaires, do not gamble in Wall street,
| take no chances, and never venture into the
! hons den. That they will recognize the
necessity of yielding to the imperative de-
mands of trade, by adapting their present
residences TO commercial uses before the
tide shall have swept past them never to
return, we do not doubt Let them re-
member that New York dwelling houses
are merely places OF temporary soiourn
and that all our rich men are on II pilgrim
age toward places of rest in the Ieighbor-
| hood of the Central Park.
As the business on Broadway increases,
| ii Will flow east and west toward the Fourth
and Fifth avenues. Tins hasalready taken
place to great extent, and from Four
tecnth street the south side of which from
| Broadway to the Fifth avenue is almost ex-
] clusNcly devoted TO retail trade, up TO