New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-01-31
NETWORK.
A CITY UNKNOWN TO NEW-YORKERS.

a CITY UNKNOWN TO NEW-1ORkERS.
What does the average New-Yorker know about
the city of New-Yorlk? During the last year or
two the writer has listened to some honest con-
fes TONS from old NEWCOMERS which throw an
interesting light on this question. One man who
has done business in the Metropolis for twenty
five years acknowledged that, except to pass
through to one of the Long Island ferries, he had
never set foot in that part of New-iork east OF
Third-ave. Il have seen the Brooklyn BRIDGE
he continued, but have never been on IT. ana
though have passed the City Hall an uncounted
number of times, | have never entered 1t. have
heard of Eleventh, Twelfth and Thirteenth aves
but / have never been in them, and have only
the yaguest idea of their character 1t so happens
that | have lived in the same house ever since
came TO New-York, and my personal knowledge
Of the city il confined 10 what have seen OF II
in going 10 and from my business Office, to places
of Amusement and attending to such social duties
as | have had time for, which have not Deeh
many. Yes | suppose this confession Is not cred
liable to me, but it is fact which l can only
excuse by pleading want of time
Another man Of mature years, who was born
and brought up in New-Yorl, and whose remihis
ccnces of old New-Yorl are uncommony interest
ing frankly confessed that the city has almost
entirely grown ont of his personal knowledge. 81
read about the different localities Of the city in
the papers," he said, just as read of the Strand
or Whtcchapel in London. but know little more
about them personally. If | were to visit certain
regions of the city would feel az much stranger
rs though | were in San Francisco or St Louis
| have most vivid recollection of llenry-st. as 1t
was when | lived in it az a boy, but L know
nothing about it now. Tie city has become too
vast for any one person to know all about all of it,
| 90 to my club occasionally, and to my church
rcgularly-it is as od-iashioned as | am-and visit
a few old friends in order TO talk over the old
times The Ncw-lorll of to-day is doubtless much
finer than the Ncw-lorl of my early manhood, but
il can never he so interesting to AN old fellow like
me. and am quite content to take it at second
hand through the newspapers"
Two old New Yorlicrs who We're recently chat
ting together driftel into a discussion Of civic
pride in New-YorI One of them, whose identity
may be concealed by calling him Green, main
tanned that there is such thing as civic pride
in New-York, while the other, who may be called
Brown, declared that there is. See here said
Green. after it became evident that each man was
becoming more set in his view, ave will put this
question to n practical test. You are New
Yorker and the and grandson of a New-lorker.
You have lived here all your life; no one has had
better opportunities of knowing the city than you.
And yet | will venture to say that there are
hundreds of important streets and avenues in New
York today whose names you have never heard
of and Of the location of which you know abb
solutcly nothing"
"Oh. come now" said Brown, 81 that is pretty
tall assertion TO make about man who prides
himself on his knowledge of New-lork'
1t is true all the same retorted Green. :" lou
may know the Ncw-lork OF twenty-five years ago
pretty well: but, like thousands Of other New
Workers. YOU don't know the NewYork of to-day.
What could You tell me, for instance, about the
following avenues Locust Walnut. Oak. Willow
Cypress. Concord, St Ann. Brook. Willis. Merose.
Courtand. Walton Anderson. Cromwell. Sheri-
dam Sherman. Grant. Webster. Clay, Boscobel.
Footc, Cosicr. Wcnman. Lydig,, Post, Oostdorp.
Virco. Olon, Kcpplar. Kipp. lroquois, lntervae.
Honeywell. Arthur. or Briggs? Did you ever hear
of B-st or ST. DIST. or Clover-st.. or Failest.
or Glencoe St. or Sacrahong-st, or Guttenbergst..
or Barrctto-st? What would you think if a
friend asked you to call on him in Gentian Place
or Extra Place. or Cross Place. or German Place.
or Arcularius Place? or if you read in novel
of New York life about events that happened IN
Gun Hill Road or Feather Bed Lane, or Depot
Salarc or IargoIs Crescent; wouldn't you at
once lump on the author as an lgnoramus VINO
knew nothing about Ncw-York? or course you
would
Il must say you have me-" said Brown, but
of course these are merely paper streets.
"Of course nothing of the kind retored Green. |
" They and scores of others | could name are
bonadc inhabited streets in the upper part of the
city. and most of them, before many years, will |
be among the most important streets in the city |
The fact is, YOU are amentably ignorant about |
Ncw-York: but them if you were otherwise, you |
would not he genuine New-iork Our fathers |
and our grandfathers and our great-grandfathers |
were just the way, content to know few |
streets and localities and obstinately blind TO the
wonderful expansion of the city that was going ,
on under their very eyes. See how the fathers
built st. Paul's Chapel with it's rear on Broadway |
under the impression that the heart of the city |
was going to be where Washington Market is:
and read in the records how angry they got when |
some audacious prophet declared that the city !
Jyoud ultimately extend above Cana. ST., or |
or Twenty third-st., Ffty-ninth-
ST. NewYork to most New-iorkc is simply the /
few blocks he is acquainted with The rest |
of the city has more personal interest for him
than Chicago or IimbuctOo.
Perhaps Green's indictment against Newly orkers
is too sweeping; but there is undoubtedly a
basis of truth in it. Take that part OF the
city below Fourteenth-st., for instance. What |
absurd ideas vast numbers Of intelli-
gent NEWCOMERS have Of it, They don't know
that it is the centre of population, that it is
really big part of the city, They don't even
know that the more exclusively business streets,
such Wall and Pine. or Nassau, or Broadway
below City Hail. are alSo residence streets. Sum
people? BY no means, put the Janitors of the
big office buildings, many of whom are in receipt
Of munfcent incomes, and whose families in
point Of culture and intelligence would compare
favorably with many other average New-York
families. The young men go to school and
college, and the young ladies are taught all the
modern accomplishments Jnst like their sisters
on Murray Hill You would find pianos, and the
latest magazines, and Tolstoi and Ibsen in the
homes OF these worthy people, and q social life
.IaaSaatI heca,,so