The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-01-13
VIEWS ON REAL ESTATE.
What Observer Says Of the Need
of More Parks.
HOW THEY WILL HELP VALUES.
8. A. Mig htingaIe's Request Needed by the
"News"-Prof. Jones as an Advocate
of More Parks-some Astonishing Met
ropolitan Real Estate Figures.

Last week was led by considering
the growth Of such regions as Washing
ton Park and Edgewood, to speak of the
supreme importance of rapid transit in
developing those sections of a city be-
yond walking distance. / am inclined
TO attach almost as much importance to
parks-parks in abundance and OF all
sizes.
Samuel A. Nightingale, veteran in
real estate matters. said to me months
ago that he hoped the NEWS would ad-
vocate a considerable increase Of park
area, not only on the outskirts OF the
city but within its more thickly settled
portion, Mr.. Nightingale spoke with
much emphasis and decision. More re-
Gently Augustine Jones, approaching
the question from quite another point'ef
view, urged the necessity, in an address
before the Advance club, of acquiring
more land for park purposes, and OF so
securing 1t as to form logical park
system.
A complete system of parks involves a
ring of open spaces entirely about the
city connected by wide boulevards
plentifully shaded with trees. The bou-
levards are quite an important feature
of any properly developed park system.
We have in Broad street and Elmwood
avenue splendid approaches to our un-
surpassed Roger Williams Park. Streets
as fine or finer should connect the parks
which are TO be.
As a business investment, liberal APP
preparations for park purposes well re-
pay any city. Interest upon gilt edge
municipal bonds is very low while the
rapid increase in assessable values in the
vicinity of park adds appreciably to
the public resources.
OF such increase / have in mind some
striking instances. A friend many years
ago had saved little money. He was
urged to buy some lots up near Centra-
Park, just then newly surveyed, unde-
veloped and surrounded by good past
lures. Instead he unwisely invested"
his money and lost il all. The lots, If
properly improved, would have made
him comfortably wealthy, lots having
recently sold-Hamersly estate to the
Metropolitan Club-for $50, 900 each Of
twenty-five feet frontage on Sixtieth
street. Vanderbilt paid S40O, 900 years
ago for two ramshackle greenhouses on
LbO Ittb OI liiH dNCIut, anu ". Il :.
Huntington put his Italian villa on land
bought from Robert Bonner, at $1,000
per front foot. OF course all uptown
values have increased enormously, but
those remote from the park and the ave-
nues leading TO it not To anything like
the same extent. Providence furnishes
a modest parallel to this. Take a pair
of compasses and strike circle about
the map of the city, with Exchange
place as a centre, ut the distance of
Roger Williams Park. Within the cir
Gle thus drawn how much land is there
which is worth as much as that lying
along the lines of approach to the Roger
Williams neighborhood Of course
there are big sections of the city fated
to become covered with factories, which
are, however praiseworthy. rather re-
pellant TO the better class of residences.
But there are big sections undeveloped
which would be greatly helped by parks,
boulevards and rapid transit.
Sites? Why, one on the Seekonk, one
toward Pawtucket, one or two north or
northwest, one Olneyville way. 1t
would be easy enough to indicate loca-
tions. The thing to do is to provide the
money, and do it soon, before the land
rises too much in value. OBSERVER.