The evening world., 1888-08-29
FIVE NEW DOWNT0WNPA
REASONS WHY THEY SEEM 10 BIB MOST
URGENTLY NEEDED.

Central Park Toe Far Away for the Mass
of Toilers-The Great Lack of Breath
ing-PInces In the Lower Part Of the City
-DimcuIty Only in Locating the Spots TO
lie Turned Into Gases.
Mayor Hewitt's plea for five small parks in
the lower part of the town is one which must
meet the commentator Of all concerned and
is full of consideration for the people who
would BIO most benefited by such an addition
to the number Of parks already existing in
the city of New York.
Central Park fulflls every requirement Of a
public park in itself. 1t is a large stretch of
elegantly laid, out ground in which there
are winding carriage drives. beautifully laid
out walks, exquisite flowers, bushes and
miles of sweet, fresh lawn under the swaying
branches Of innumerable elms. Where the
hand of man has come to the assistance of
nature in this lovely retreat il has, as o rule,
been with the satisfactory result of helping
her and smoothing out any little imperfec-
tions in her work. 1t is only in some minor
points, such as to s~tatuary, that the cultivated
eve could find ought to regret in Central
Park, and 80 it stands there. an emerald in
1T CITY . CIONu, M u VI Neiuuio UNI
balmy air in the dusty stretches of streets
where lofty buildings shut out the light and
the breeZes.
1t is something that New York can be proud
of and which compares favorably with Fair
mount Park, Philadelphia; Druid Hill Park,
Baltimore, or with the Lond or Paris
parks.
But thousands of the city's people live five
or six or seven miles from Central Park, and
must make that journey in order to get to it
and enjoy the blessings which, once there,
they can so richly possess.
There are " " roads and surface cars and
stages. but to a tired journeyman, after the
hot toll of the day, it is something of a task
to take this long iaunt, almost at once after
his evening meal, in order to secure q little
fresh air and recreation for himself. and il
he have n wife and children, the 40 or sc
cents car fare which the trip will cost him is
no inconsiderable item out of the hardly
earned and meagre stipend which comes to
him for his weeks toll.
So here is the great trouble in regard to
Central Park, so far as a large majority OF the
poorer working people are concerned. 1t is
too far away for them to have easy access to
beyond the park that the park will be mos'
centrally located, it will be remote from
many citizens of the very class which most
need its benefits, and to whom the cool all
and fresh grass and waving trees are in marked
and soothing contrast to their wonted sur
roundings.
OF course the new parks downtown mus
lack the exquisite beauty of Central Park
There can be no question of miles or acres
A square or two cleared Of its buildings anC
leaving an open space where worklngme1
may go and sit in the cool of the evening ant
smoke their pipes, and women may rest aftel
the %scrubbing and sewing of the day, ant
the children can romp about and play Il
their hearts content-this is as much as cal
be looked for but it will be a great improve
ment on the conspicuous absence of anythin!
of the kind.
Tompkins square. and now, thanks to thu
efforts that have been made to restore it t.
its own, Stuyvesant Park are almost the only
parks in the lower part of the town, and they
are not so very far down..
The appropriation for the new parks will
doubtless be forthcoming and no obstacle tc
their being laid out promptly is looked for.
Where they shall be is q matter of nor,
difficulty in deciding, for to turn even
small section of the business portion of tn,
town from brick and mortar into green gras
and open air is something of IN undertaking