New-York tribune., 1879-12-21
FILLING UPPER NEW YORK.

EFFECTS OF RAPID TRANSIT FACILITIES
RAPID BUILDING UP OF TIE IAsI sIIF-sLowER
PROGRESS WEST or CENTRAL PAnK-NEw sTRCC-
TCREs ABOVE THE HARLEM.
The extension of the West Side Elevated
Railroad 70 Onehnndred aud fl ty-iiih-s and the pro-
ec OF building an extension the Second Thf-tye.
lines through the annexed portion c: wcsichestcr
County known the Twenty third and Twenty fourth
Wards. have gwen rise 20 the quest or Why cannot
small houses be built The upper end Of the island
suitable for famlyl 1t is wei snown that in the
suburbs OF london there is vastnumber Of small
houses. occupied by The mddle aud working classes
within half au hours ride OF the heart OF the city
These have erected by capitalists aud they pay
fair the outlay. The demand for them Ia
constantly increasing. aud as consequence miles on
new houses erected every year.
When the panic o; S73 came. It found large Dlmher
Of buildings OF construction the upper part
OF the city, most OF them IN the vicinity Of Central
Park Most OF these cxpensiyely constructed and
would quiTe that rental Of from $500 to 5000 he
charged TO return fair interest on the Outiay Many
OF these houses have been unenanted good part OF
the time have been rented Tor sums very much be-
low what they expected bring. Within the last
year there has been Improvement In rentals IN that
part the city. One year building materials were
cheaper than twenty years before aud the wages OF
carpenters and mas0ns were lower than nc any time
since the outbreak OF tho OF the rebellion. The r.
suit steady increase IN buiulng Ihat portion OF
the city lying the side OF the Central
Park has been in good part but VI. But most OF the
houses in those quarters rent for sums beyond the
reach Of persons moderate The records Of The
Building Department show that there las been great
building during the present year For ISIS
there were plans ard specifications submitted for the
erection OF 1886 buildings to cost ~ t27i 4Oe,
while for 1879 plans for 1s90 bulldDgs 10
cost $50 754. .312. an increase Of $6.4s2,s31.
As illustrating tire character or the buildings which
are beng erected In the upper part OF the cy the 0
lowing records from the Building Department are OF
interest: In the Twelfth Ward comprising that portion
Of the city north Of ghty hst ana below the aT
lem River, plans specifications Gave been submit
ted from January l 10 september 80 follows; 229
frstclass dwellings. TO cost S1,7l6.COO; lJ5 sscold
class dwellings, SII6.5O0; 81 hats s27G.70O; 90 tene
ments 1895 $50; factories. $50 600; schoo iouses
$4,000; pnblic buildings Slo5VoOi d" o'her ouiie
As might be expected good part OF the building now
benR done IL in the Nineteenth Ward extending from
Forty second Eighty sixthsts. More than one-haif
OF all buildings IN course OF erection are brown
under way at cost oi 1877 700; 20 second
mems. II .i23' 100; factories $l74.9O0: . schoo
houses. $4,000 4 public BUILDINGS OioV; ana -
other buildings OF various kinds, ol32 100
In the Iwenty-second Ward there have been erected
or are under way. 80 hrsi-class dMeilings 10 cost
s575 500 2l second class dwellings S7l.950 2l fats
S4si 900; IA tenements sI4 500; factories S531O0
II other buildings. Sy9.3s7 -, ~ s,, 4, ,,
extent Of ths building done fEird-svc built up
most solidy its entire length Ihe terlloiy ylhS h p
covered with dwellings and manufactures ibc hir
lem Flats have been graded ana paved ana n rp~s S o
houses sprnging mp along The avenues ana crnss
streets which appear In the region that was Ior
Gently there was large open space lying between
entY-hrdst and Yorkville and another fetween YORK
Tie rapid growth OF the Side due almost entirely
10 the facilities for reaching IT, Ihe strrel-cais were
slow N true, but harlem was only forty minutes us
tant from Peck-sp by meaus OF the Harlem ana Morr,
and by the Fourth Avenue horse oarS % anu
Eorfy dat
Th.ra % are TWO reasons whv the West Side has been
neglected. The principal has been the diiculty OF
reaching H. Travel above Central Park has been slow
While on gSs East Side there we're effort
several years ago 70 establish me OF ooas Du. @
West side hoped 20 create a fashionable quarter
bordering the Central Park The ground Is high, the
tSe Hudson are obtained 1t was with this object in
view that handsome and expensive Douevards were
laid ont by Tweed ana the members OF the Oiu rug
But these antic pations have not been realized only
few costly residences have been erected a9ng tne c
acent amounts reimburse the owners ior the outlay
rhe assessments for The Improvements & afIowsS
their property TO DC sold without an enYrt 10
very large amount has Deen SOFA OUT unuei
OF mortgage
There are not wanting indications that the West sioe
is about 10 undergo change for the better Inc eAIen
sion OF the West Side Elevated Railroad TO Onehundrcd
andnftyhfth-st has placed the West Side on par Win
the East sde so far as OF reaching the lower
art of the city quickly and comfortably concerned
some uuIcing has done the West Side ana IL Is
expeced that the opening of SPRING there VIII De
large amount building on the more favorable loca
,tes John Jacob Astor mas recently had erected IN
For,v-afth st west Of Elghih-ave-. Eve nrst-ciass
cxeIInes 70 cost $4,000 each. ana hye more IN One
hundred thsL west OF fiita'e' ~ eos'
II 1000 each 49, ,......od ,c ,,,e ruild,,c 70
the erection Of buildings IN tue "ehtS
second ward since January show that tnete mas Dec
building the Wesf side lney eoInpriss M
rlans for so first class dwellings, 10 cost 80 SovV. -
secondelass dwellings, S7l $50; u HATS e4civ IA
tenements Sl4l 500 factories So5lOo' anu o'ne'
buildings. r99,3SI. - ,~.. r,.,,c,o ,hsro IA a vast
trsef with comparatively few bu dines OF any knu Inc
coming wear will demonstrate whether or not ns PsvL
ertv owners will await the slew growth OF the esy
which will warrant them in putlng np pro" V l-s.Vne
,ronfs or whether they Will be content 10 put up
and less expensive houses WIN hHouo'"'' ~
which Will be occupied at once. . -. 4. a.. ..,n,,rh.
Pbade phia many thousand houses IN III III Us
ned and occupied by clerks and artisans There Is no
Teasop real estate owners and Duiuefs say WY % NJ.
the completion OF the elevated railroad on e VS.
S.de nd the extension OF the East eine ncs n,o ZIG
TWenty-third aud Twenty-fonrth wards. the same op
,ortnn,fy should be Afforded these classes nere
nns IN fhs wear there been more Duding ~ the
Twenfy third aud Twentyfourth wards ssRscianS m in
~ for,nsr than at any other time since loIz flAns
nave been submitted for 10 hrs,sass q" os - son
100 81 secondolass dwellings, 70 'ost @
- frame dwellings ana = tenchonS' W soss ~A-'"~S
10 the Twenty-third Ward