, 1884-10-02
CITY H%0USETOPS
Looking Down on the Roofs of New
York and Brooklyn
Rest and Recreation on Top of the
Upper Story-A Restaurant
on the Roof-Queer
sights.

New York Sun-l
Tbs roofs Of New York form an interesting
subjectf1rstldy There are half a dozen point
FROM which they can be seen-Trinity steepls.
the Field r%riidiny, the produce-exchange
tower tn- Eqptibls company's roof, and the
dat, hrosd rid % pole Of the Western Union
huiiin- Boz The most popular and com
furtnf ie point Of view, and the only one that
afforls a good view Of Brooklyn in the bar
gain. is the East River bridge. Prom the
highest point on the curving footpath one
fully realizes the fact that nearly 25O.0)O
roof lie below-i0O,OOO in Brooklyn and
$4,000 in the principal city. At first the
scene Is Lewildcring, and the eye refuses 20
bring instant order out Of the confusion Of
chimney pots, pipes, signs, poles, wires, and
sheets Of tin and slate, but a minute OF ftxei
attention ~straightens the tangle out, and the
spectator is able TO scan the scene intelli-
gently, especially when he takes note Of a sec
ton Of 1t at a time. Myriad threads OF smoke,
scores Of towers and steeples, a forest of rail
ings and posts, and countless Tapping flags
helped the first bewilderment, and this was
further increased by the misty indistinctness
OF those most distant roofs which seem 70 lie
close under the Palisades and beyond the
blurred foliage OF Central park.
In what is left OF old New York there are
many pitched roofs rising from low cutters
to high ridge poles, and among them are
some that nre covered with bent earthenware
tiles. A long line Of these on Fulton street
calls to mind the views artists have sketchsd
Of street scenes In Antwerp. Less precipitous
housetops, coated with shingles, are to be
seen ON every hand when the eye turns to-
ward Brooklyn. There the brightest spot in
all the broad expanse spread out on every
hand is a line OF luxuriant gardens between
the Fulton and Wal street ferries. The
saudy flowers and outrageous trees, the
garden paths, summer houses, and squares
Of green lawn mislead the senses into
the tolief that this is a row of ordinary gar
dens, yet these are merely the roofs Of the
riverside storehouses covered with earth and
planted with vegetation. The roof Of these
storage buildings reach TO the Easements OF
the mansions Of Columbia heights, and the
rich residents there would have no gardens
II these roofs were loft bare. ROUNDED green
treetops, shivering in the breezes, peep be-
tween the roofs all over Brooklyn.
Close to the bridge on the New York side
are many blocks Of tenements, and their
roofs are very interesting. Nearly all are
fenced In at the sides, and many Of them are
boarded over. Modern roofs are nearly fat,
and tenement roofs in such crowded districts
as this are equipped with clothes poles and
lines from which drying garments are always
waving. for since each family has the use
OF the lines on its own particular day
Of he week, it may be- said to be always wash
dny in these n~eighborhoods. But the tene-
ment roofs are too precious 10 be given up 10
clothes drying exclusively. They offer a de-
lightful retreat from the close and sitting
atmosphere Of the crowded buildings. Sc il
happens that those who cross the bridge at
dnybreak In the summer time often see men
and boys stretched out asleep upon the bare
boaTds or upon mattresses brought up there
for the purpose, and during tho last hour of
daylight. when all tho young people are home
from the workshops, one frequently secs
young men and women whirling over the
boards 10 the music Of an accordion in the
hands Of u youth seated out OF the way Of the
dancers on the stone coping Of tho side wall
OF the building,
On other tenement roofs, seated In tho
shAdows Of drying sheets or counteruanes
are sewing women and groups OF t~alkative
girls, while perched ON chimney tops or on
the very edges Of the lofty platforms, little
boys send their kites up into the sluggish air
currents overhead. Shrewd advertisers who
have noted the advantages of places In the
range OF near vision from the busy bridge,
have painted on other roofs the names OF
patent medicines, new sewing-mnchines and
other wares, and other roofs are otherwise
utilized for business. One Is given up to
rneles FOR drying pottery, another to long
lines OF split canes for chair seats. Hides
hang on frames on yet another roof, AMI
here and there the sun touches the s~lanting
windows OF a photographers ceiling and
turn, it into a sheet Of dazzling light
At night neIrly all the roofs are shadowy
and dark The towers and chimnsys show
indlstinctly above u dim line Of dull brown.
One roof, however, is distinguished among
all others. IL seems to DO covered with a
mas OF little yellow globes, 1t Is the top OF
an uptown theatre Uttered with tables.
chairs, and towering plants in pots and
boxes. The little globes are lamps arranged
in arches overhead to illuminate this aerial
garden. Landlords are beginning to utili.,
their roofs now that open air is so scarce A..
50 highly priced. On Cyrus w. Fields ne,
building the roof is used for u restaurun
and the roof OF the great roller-skating hal,
soon to be erected uptown, is to be one OIL
tho main attractions in the project. Trees,
plants and flowers will ornament it, and
there will be music, and eating, and drinking
amid the leaves and blossoms there.