New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-28

water front far downtown the tulnlufc lfaue
still has its centre in Clnsl-st. east OF Broad
way; the wholesale dry goods ana fancy trade
advances uptown, but only sit increases in ex-
tent, It's central region being still in Broadway
between Chambers and Bfoome-sts.; the
grocery trade is firmly established in ana
near West Broadway. The advantages of their
old locations 70 these ard other important
branches of business are 0n'y increased by The
facilities for urban travel Afforded by the new
transit lines. The downtown hotels gain in
stead OF losing custom by reason OF the new
order of things. Indeed, if new hotel of
large dimensions were now to be built in the
city. good place to put it would probably be in
the imm. vicinity of the City Hall Park.
At the same time, the hotels far uptown
have profitcd by the ease with which they can
be reached from the business districts OF the
city. Retail trade continues its steady progress
northward, but its movement has not been
much accelerat d by the influence OF the ele-
waited roads, and with the exception OF few
unexpected side currents and eddies it flows In
its old channels. The advance of population to
The upper districts of the island, while not as
rapid "a some sanguine people anticipated, has
been steady and substantial, ana is going for
waid al such a rate that we are not Obliged 10
look very far into the future to tCresee the
time when all the territory south OF High
Bridge will be covered with blocks of dwelling
houses.
The lesson the elevated roads teach us, by the
experience we have already had of their work
ings, is that when that time comes there will
be no great changes III the general physognomy
81 n c;t n If IN f1
branches of the business of the metropolis will
still be carried on III their present localities.
There will he half million more people on the
island and retail trade will to some extent
conform itself to the convenience OF the new
population there Will be places of amusement
far uptown, and new hotels Will front the Park
or tempt travellers and soourners to the pic
turesque ridges of Washington Heights. But
the great bulk of the heavy business operations
will be transacted where they now are. Like
the countenancc of full grown man, the face of
the city has got It's shape and expression, and
will not be subject to sudden changes.
One reason for the stability of the chief
business features of the city is often over
looked by people whose daily movements are
confined to the island itself The suburban
towns have kept pace with the growth OF the
city proper, so that there has been no important
shifting of the centre of population. Brook
lyn's population increases in about Che same
ratio as New Ork's, and Jersey City, Newark
Orange, and the other dependencies Of the
metropolis west OF the Hudson River, have
made remarkable progress. The Census Office
ascertains the centre OF population of the
United States by suDposing the map OF the
country to be plane without weight, disrribut-
ing the people over il in accordance with the
census returns by counties, and finding the
point where the plane would balance. 1t |
would he interesting to know what would be !
the result If a similar rule were applied by |
Wards to New York and all the cities and
villages that are properly part of the |
metropolis. Probably the centre OF population |
would be iOund to be somewhere between the |
Post Office and CaDal-st. 1t ha- not moved !
northward very far during the Il-t ten Yeas, |
and it's future movements are not likely to de- |
range the established currents OF trade.