The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-01-22
NEU roRK's GREiTEsr STREET.

Broadway has had various names-The
Here strrrt. Great George street. and Bloom
ingdulc road. all finally merging in the present
nume. Since an early period after the original
se,tlc.0ent Of the island hy the Dutch. and the
building Of the fort Mt the Battery the direction
Of Broadway has marked the growth Of the city
controlled the course Of trade and determined
the vnlue Of property. Tho westward tendency
on this island has had the force Of law All
Efforts to traffic and travel permanently in other
directions have been Of no avail. Broadway
trends to the wcst. carving with II the wealth.
movement. and elegant trade OF the city.
New York was laid out seventy years ago on
the parallel ruler system-panllcl avenues in
tersca ting parallel streets. without any regard
10 the shore line or the surface No comprc-
hension Of the nature or wants of the city was
exhibited; no natural thoroughfare was pro-
yided the longavcnues were Of equal width; no
broad squares at the intersection Of thorough
fares. such ms IN Europe afford such splendid
sites for public buildings. and give to each such
an extended view. The plan was as simple rs
piece Of ruled paper. equally well or i'll adapted
for any and every location and this in spite Of
Il surface and shores. submits and slopes, ad-
mirably adapted to picturesque improvements
ii the city had been no further laid out than il
was built upon until the advent Of the Central
Park Commissioners. and had then been given
over to them. the whole residence portion Of the
island above Fiftieth street might have been a
purk-a perfect pleasure garden Of delight
From the complete ruin Of such plan the old
Boomngdale road is all that saved the city, 1t
has in n few instances broken the prison bars
Of straight lines and right angles. At the site
Of Cooper Institute. where Third avenue springs
from the Bowery and Astor place opens from
Broadway to Second avenue, there is a natural
pied. Al the intersection NJ Rroo,i,ro,, ,,,,,h
Fourteenth street Upior scu.rc - 80
the finest sites on the island for monumental
edincos. lint bovond sop,a nrs, ,,a. -. T.,
Inns 50 far nothin, In tho ,r.i ,,o,,,,.,i a.. =,
boast o. II hos hovavar h,an vii 81, - ~
n fitting tloce I'm which IN o,,,,t ,,,l,s,o,, -.
the statues of Washington Lincoln .nJ T..
fay.tta The st,tnes of other ,o,ri,,s 49,,
erent mon whose nomorv do -, -
nnd revere will ma IouIs =, 49,, ~
stil further odorn t,is .o,,oro I'll, -,
section. Mt Madi.on s.,naro IL NOR, trr',,,,,-
not so broad and Grand vc, 4, h,rnish,.,,,
mandine sites such ns lint ~ tho ri,,h 49,
Anomarle nnd Huffman Uot,l.. and ,,,, 49,
next north of Wortb,s Nonur,or,
the New yor CHM This io,o,,,,. - a', IN,
Ice for the next ten voors tho c,n,r, -,
olnoont o,I ,alrali, ,,tr,.,n,., ~ ','' '1'''
.ltrax. 1.at. -.
and Nndiso, sonaros - ir,', ','.,, NV"
ness hours. II ands no nora,iI Il, a, ,nH
nart of fine citv Tn tbis n,,,,Lt,rt,,'i A.,
chief hotels thcntras ana I'LL - '''0
The view nm rom ,bo sonthoo.. .. -,
broadway and Twor,r a,s, 60, q, ~, o'
finest I'm the cit, This into.so,,i. a. ~ , Wv.
ihan that nj Union square for ,,,at,,as, Nv.
rosas becauso i,s rtgbt Iinos ., ,.,.aI -,
alon., its Store fronts and M, ocross i,s s,,aoe
The intersection above Mt Droad,rnv six,h o,,a'
nue md Tbirtv.sncord s,rno, % ,,r,a,,,, ni',
lished bv the snlendiJ now morlla ,oni.,.'.
house If the linton Dina snviros Ins,,,',,tH
ly far tle finest structnro n, ,ha liza ,n e."
civ. Tho intersection n, proot,ro,. So 80
avenue. and Forty-fourth street nreso,,s w.
square but an omen mayed snaco tho NIL
fronting ON which are admlrablv colrn,,,nJ No
sites for imnortnnt buildings Small e,.,,s',I