New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-07-09
rnopERTY ON THE WEST SIDE
,.xn HAS NOT BEEN BUILT UP THERE
,r GROWTH OF THE CITY LAST rhA nr WEI
'"I ,.,ors,y-wHY THE EAST SIDE WAS Id

fi" ss1 was remarkable for the unusual
ips ;;, IN the building trade. Business was Hoou'
SCI. rantv land sold at reasonable prices'
mon --~.~-sis were moderately cheap anu INC
pGii'ins str,ctures of all kinds was aimos, un
demanu iO' rho increase Of business whlcn
pfecede"'oU. or0rv trade made necessary extra
marked AIM in the lower part of the city Inc
sccomnio -, ,ba elevated railroads for reach
facii.'i INNER portions of the island at al
fns '"' 80 dav and night attracted TO MONIES III
hour " t,ndreds of people from BROOKLYN staten
fhe Guy "a spburban places. Many came no"i
lSiSnu =. Nev-Jersey, where they ia" ~
towns - because they could reacn 'neii
years o. steam quicker than they couiu go ~
homes y rort of New-York by the STU"
the uPP'a surface roads. The demand LOT honie'
travel ." ~. and Harlem was greater than tno sup
IN lofA' 'o,+. bouses and apartments "ele us
ply anu til at prices far in advance OF Pio'
posed o. The rent of a single fiat conveniently
years nSules mol 70 that of a whole mouse III
1880 o,lr discovered that the
o"H0iS - cor them 10 build on l0tS Wnicn '"''
L. Cor wears and which had ylel"ou
haD H''N Tto character of many neighoorhoou' %
H'Oi"'' - .,o effort 10 supply the wants "a pO0p'o
aool,ing homes here. Many years as0 .io
- sottIers had erected IN SOM va for
Poets handsome and conlo That the adjoining
themselves WIN NH mn with similar houses but
Iols 3- holders on the East sue lehl 1raII as
ppo f3r one family did not pay hcaIiE - Families
mouse lVi anld accommodate four or I'VE La II
one thai W9uIu % was ca He'd fats although
- n,anv instances they differed only snsn..lS tn
W. old class Of houses known as liza -
the Or difference between these so-called Hals
pa tbe ola tenement houses IS that me lOiot r.
sin bathroom. a range and poHer' ~ tbort
nccrnauts can be provided WIN hot ,or those
~ tronbe of boiling II on the SLOW. 10l oiS
Ine o-,{eoces thew paid literally. owners OF uiu
.norent houses then began 10 see that WIN a.
evpense they could transform tneir nG'os NON Who
NJ few necessary changes were maue, IHa,,, AZ
ny ioued the ianItOr, was hired az "A tIinlhg eA
10 and the income from the bullQlng .Lll &c,
donble what il was last. Most OF t Ii hous'
J. uou a. aats have been built east OF lhfd-ave'
ma ore 10 be found IN many streets lroA ciA'S
fftb-St. 70 the Harlem River. -. ..o5o y, tho
NV NV; IL these changes were being mace on uio
W, Side the West Side was beng deVeiopou
,nore slowly. From the circle when Is I' p;e t
rance 70 Central Park at Eighth-aEe; anu lnsn
;4bs there is a long stretch OF almost NaCtht
IN r"acbinc TO the Harlem River. II Is desIraoS
s4tna+ed commanding a view OF the Huusqn ~ i
lis natural sanitary conditions are salu - ms
lent and il is DIT Tlded With boulSVaL! enS -
!Sro"rb its centre and a riverside drive tn3t IL
SAD 10 be unsurpassed by any IN INC MoI.a az -,
which attracts the admiration oI 1oIeIsH 'iS''0'
this country. 49, -
REASONS FOR GROWTH on THE EAST IiNAh'
III reosons why the land has never been oullt
- form an interesting chapter IN the history Of
o,tr In the first place, the growth of the city
-. .bo,rn that the East Side has nearly always
- Lriit nm before the West. In the early Dutch
,o+,lo,ort the Eas- Side was chosen for homes ana
bnsiness on account Of the prevaHng WINDS py
which sailing vessels could more rcauIiy. De
cot under way than on the NeSV ol !
A. the time of the English occupation
The Dutch had extended their homes TO the bouW
en az Ro1rerv as II is now known. The English,
v,
anS broadway was chosen. The Dutch nave never
released their hold on the East side and Ior years
that part of the city Outgrew the west SIDE ID the
noorer classes Of houses. The homes OF WeaIlhy
Ies,dents have changed with the growth OF the
city When the Third-ave. surface road extended
lis line 70 Harlem, il did so at loss OF money II
was supposed that the road would never pay; but
II soon invited people further uptown, where they
could get cheaper property. So II continued 10
Harlem which was a thriving nelghbOrnCou MHeH
Manhattanviue on the west size Ahu AdIUy d
When the same facilities existed on, the
West as or the East Side. property sun re-
NAMED unchanged This was due almost entirely 70
The improvements made by the Tweed King nearly
thirteen years ago. The members OF that notorious
band saw this long extent OF land occupied by gar
0eners and used IN great measure LOT farming p'h-
noses The fields were occupied by cows and horses
Tor pasture The ring thieves thought that II wouid
be a wise speculation TO buy conslderaJle amount
of the property, have the city. through an Drum
ance improve the land by constructing hne DouIe-
ward advertise that IN that part OF the Island were
10 be the future homes of mllhonalres: ana uhen
sell the property al enormous prices. Ne ooulo
ward was constructed 80 feet wide at great eA
pense 10 the municipality. 10 DO the WORK IL va
necessary 10 widen the old blooinhe4die Lg ~ -
blast away huge rocks, dig deep into the earth II
order 10 level the avenue and remove many OF the olC
bomestead- that faced on the road. III making tht
alterations gases were thrown up from w edI ~
which produced malaria, ana lor Years dlIeI " 3io
the occunants of houses afflicted with that dis
ease Patrolnen the police force and the driver
and conductors OF the cars inhaled the poison WLls
4betr6 nj compelled
Owners of property were assessed heavily. for
these improvements. Some OF them were unable to
nav the assessments and forced TO sell in con-
sequence Those who held their property until the
improvements were made advanced their prices
until a fictitious value was placed on all the lots
near the boulevard. Many persons supposed that
the valuation of property would keep gong higher,
and they paid enormous prices for single lots Old
residents who had held property In the nelghbor-
hood for many years refused TO sell at any price,
thinking that when the place was built mp with the
promised mansions they could demand almost any
SUN for their land and get it, With the downfall of
the ring came crash that has been felt by proper
ty-owners in that neighbOrhOod ever since. Prces
fell fifty per cent in some instances and those who
had bon int a wear before found themselves with
valuable property that they could neither sell nor
use TO advantage The old residents who had pad
the heavy assessments saw their property dwmdIe
IL valuation. Then came the panic which further
reduced prices Spectators became bankrupts and
MEL died OF grief caused by the disaster that stared
them in the face Some of the ring plunderers had
started build Of houses in the side Streets
few Of which remained unfinished for years alter
ward
The condition Of property adjacent TO the bOule-
ward remained in much the same state Tor years.
Lots changed hands frequently through foreclosure
sales and muct OF 1t went to corporations which had
lent money on the land Since the subject
of the elevated roads was first discussed owners
have chung to their property as firmly as did
their predecessors thirteen years ago. waiting TO see
what the future Of the neishborhOod is to be. AS
yet that question is unsettled, although few
owners have recently undertaken to erect handsome
houses on their property an iuducement for others
TO build. They argue that the East Side IS being
rapidly built up with flats and dwelling houses for
persons Of moderate means, and that the only place
on the island left for the rich is IN Ffth-aye and
The vacant property on the West Side.
Que OF the pioneers in the movement TO develop
the Nesi Side property is Edward Clark, president