New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-06
UP IN BUSY HARLEM.
prNEFITS THAT WILL COME FROM HAVING
THE FAIR IN THE CITY.
OPINIONS OF REAL ESTATE DEALERS - ho"
THE VALUE OF LAND WOULD
RE INCREASED.


THE VALUE OF LAND WOULD
BE INCREASED.
David F. Porter OF the firm of Porter & Co., NO
" East one.hundred- and twenty ffthst, is one oil
,h most prominent real agents In Harlem. and
also a prominent member of tho Real Estate Exchange
and has made resestate values and the rapid transit
needs of New-york a special study. lie has recently
returned from visit TO the Paris Exposition, where
he had chance to study the Worlds Fair question.
Consequently his opinions as TO the effect OF the
location OF the Worlds Fair in the vicinity of Harlem
on the values of es ate IN he pc part o. the city
deserve serious consideration Talking TO the writer
yesterday Mr. Porter said: IL is hard TO tell what
real benefits will accrue 10 the city generally ana 10
Harlem in particular by reason OF the WORLDS fair
being held here. In my opinion 1t VIII cause
healthy active demand for real estate which VIII
cause a general increase in values Not many years
ago an ATTEMPT was made to convert the land north OF
Central Park. between Fifth and Eighth aves, and
nehundred and tenth and Onc-hunoFed and-twenue1n
SIS into an addition to the park.
Many people thought at that time that the land
was not favoraby situated for building purposes and
that It would greatly benefit the upper part OF the
city 10 have Central Park extended TO onehundreo-
and-tweneth-st. That project failed, however, but
many improvements were made in Mount Morris Park
There Is no why that land should not be taken
and buildings put up on it for the purposes have
named. Why should not the County of New-York
state And then there is the American Institute
FAIR This one of the greatest institutions, in It's
way, in the country and there is no reason why IL
should not have proper place for holding us exhlo-
tions. They held in an old tumble-down
rink, which is only temporary afar at pest FROM
my observations while visiting the Paris Exposition
recently, am satisfied that the benefit 10 the whole
city, and especially this end Of Manhattan Island, which
viii be derived from the Fair cannot be estimated.
The thing which can properly be considered one
Of the most important matters in connection with tho
Fair will be the establishing of rapid transit from tho
south end TO the north end of the island The ne
cessity of having rapid transit during the time Of
the Exposition will supply something which we sadly
need but which we are not likely 10 get unless there
+ something like this Fair 10 expedite matters.
Another matter Of great importance is that it VIII
introduce visitors who come TO the city and stay
at downtown hotels to the northern end of the city.
otherwise but few of them would ever come up
here, and consequently could not know what we
have Just as the site of the Fair is decided
upon for certain, improvements will be begun through
all of the upper part of the city. l Know, to my
certain knowledge, Of several men who are already
looking about for places to build large hotels, and
satisfied that a conservative estimate would be
that the real estate IN the northern part Of the
island will increase between rs and so per cent in
the event of the Worlds Fair being held here.
The elevated roads have Of course done enormous
amount 10 build up the northern part Of the city, but
in my opinion the Fair will do even more in this
direction than the elevated roads have"
Mr.. Porter asked what he thought OF the In
wood Fort George and other sites spoken Of besides
the one including Riverside and Moningsde parks.
Il Think sad he, that If any Of the sites other
than the one proposed are chosen there will
be no Fair. The other sites are too far away ana
inaccessible from the central part of the city.
Capitalists will not put their money In the scheme
If any of those sites are chosen, and II Will IN my
opinion, fall fiat, the committee makes the mlstah
oil choosing either Of those SITES. In Paris the best
part of the city is given up TO the Exposition why
j rode in carriage from the principal part or
the city TO the Exposition grounds ior
twenty cents. and the trip only occupied
fifteen minutes. Everybody knows that the preseehI
site is far enough away and every foot when Is aeu
10 the distance from the centre OF the Qp MAKES
the Fair so much less liable 10 be successful.
All of the men with whom the writer talked We're
not 80 strongly favor of using the land adjoining
the upper end of Central Park for permanent
fai- grounds. One objected on the ground
that ne city was in debt already nearly much as
The law allowed IL go and consequently IL would be
mpossble to spend the large amount IL would require
10 bIv fbe land for the purpose named Others
thought that if the property in the neiehD0r
hood wero favored by having the proposed extension
put ON 10 the Park that the men IN the vicinity OIL
The Bloominglale lands would insist that they had
as much right 10 a park those between Eighth and
Fifth aves and consequently the making OF such an
addition would cause useless discussion ana contention
which would result in more harm than eOOd 70
Harlem In general.