The Portland daily press., 1885-04-23
SUBURBAN REAL ESTATE.
Atirastions of Portland and Hts Surround
ings.

To the Editor of the Press:
Old residents of the city who have been abb
sent from the city for some years invariably
express their admiration upon returning, at
the great improvement that has been made in
building, and often declare that no city in New
England promises better for real estate in
vestments than Portland. The pastures
where they formerly played ball, or few kites,
are now half-built over with first-class resi-
deRces, and Munjoy and Bramhalps Hill are
becoming populous, while the suburbs are be-
ginning to take on an air of prosperity and
beauty. There Is no city in the Union so
beautifully situated for residence as tie For
est City, especially summer residences, and it
is destined at no remote day to be the greatest
summer resort OF any city on the Atlantic
coast. On the Cape Elizabeth shore and Fal-
mouth Foreside are beautiful hooks looking
out upon the ocean with the varying life
which seaport near at hand always gives 1t,
which bye and bye must become, in the very
nature OF things, very valuable. The islands
in the harbor are already taken out of the
market by far-seeing investors; although op-
portunities still exist for persons wishing
building sites to secure good ones at what will
ere long appear very low prices; that is, when
the islands and adjoining shores Of the main
land become summer cities, which they are
now fast becoming; faster, indeed, than the
shores along theVineyard were few years ago.
Then for permanent building sites the roads
AouoADS OUs VI tuO Ctby III 0N6Ey QlI6CllOu are
charming, especially the roads leading
towards Morrills Corner which appears to be
the tAvorite, as it should be, not only on ac-
count OF its convenience to the city, but also
Tor It's beauty. On the property OF the Deer
ing Land Company are many residences going
up and many beautiful sites, while on the
Plains which are SO high, airy and healthy,
and which Will always attract people OF re-.
lined tastes, not only many beautiful resi-
dences have been erected within few years,
ola hos h<rx
to all the surroundings by the care which the
residents have bestowed upon their grounds, a
care which always speaks more FOR the pros
perity OF place than anything else. Several
streets or avenues of magnificent proportions
have been laid out through the Forest Home
estate which afford fine opportunities for
building, which enterprising people are avail
ing themselves of. Mr.. Stevens, the archi-
tect, has designed beautiful villa for Mr..
Fogg, of HoytI Fogg & Donham, which he is
now erecting on one Of these avenues; and
nearly opposite A. r. Plummer, formerly Of
Raymond, is building one, and lower down the
avenue, two cottages. This street Is to be
laid out with esplsnades like old State street,
when sufficient number Of houses are erected
to warrant it, and Sebago water is to
be brought into It, 1t Is evident to one who
has been absent from Portland, and who Is
familiar with the growth of suburban prop
erty in the vicinity of cities in Massachusetts
and farther west, and with the signs that fore
run them, that the people OF Portland are
awakening to the importance of their own
suburbs and that soon those who have slept
will awake to the fact that they have slept too
long, and that it is "tbe early bird which
catches the worm" The ridiculously low
price of property, especially in the choicest
parts of Deering, forcibly strikes one who
knows the prices for similar places near Bos-
ton, Providence, Hartford, Worcester, Spring.
heid and other Massachusetts towns, and con-
vinces him in connection with the steady
growth of Portland which is certain to con-
tinue on account OF its great natural advan-
tages which cannot be taken away from her,
that great opportunities exist for investment
in her suburban real estate, not only to the
wealthy, but especially to the clerk, mechanic
and man OF moderate means.
AN OLD RESIDENT.