The record-union., 1894-03-27
ON THE BOWERY.
ALI That Was Characteristic Has
Passed Away.
The vigor and Charm of the Ancient
Place are Gone-Sapped by the
Russian. Hungarian and Polish
Jews-Second and Third Avenue
Travel.

Jews-Second and Third Avenue
Travel.
Irregular Correspondence Of REcoRD-UNIoNl
New YORK, March $50 many
changes have taken place in the metropo-
lis that anyone who pictures it mentally
from impressions derived from visits
made here less than five years ago would
have to make many corrections now.
Some of these changes are disappointing;
others are for the better. Some are the
result of slow development and could
have been foreseen ten years ago; others
are the effects of unusual and tenn
porary influences. There is one that is
disappointing and for the better, and the
result of both slow and sudden causes.
That is the development of the Bowery.
One of the first points of interest to
young men who come to New York to
see everything. good or bad. is the ola
Bowery. They are invariably dlsap-
pointed. The old Bowery is gone. All
that was characteristic and genuine has
passed away or been suppressed. The
great and wonderful museums have
folded their tents like the circus and
have vanished Ion the road" Con-
cert halls of the highly colored order
have sent their singers upon the regular
stage to lower that, or they have been
arrested and sent ITO the island" BLACK
well's). The really tough tough is no
longer lounging on the corners waiting
for election day. He is either in political
office or has been moved on" to prison
or deeper into the east side. The dives
are closed down, the last one having been
raided last month, and Billy McGlory
was sentenced to three years.
sin the evolution of the barrooms into
restaurants, described in recent letter,
so in the growth of the BOWery traces OF
the old-time institutions remain. There
are long haired and bearded women and
double-hea calves to be seen for a
dime and some of the saloons have stages
But the Vigor and charm of the ancient
frauds are gone and only the meanest tin
sci and more evident sham are left. Even
these are dependent for support on the
farmers, who come down the State" and
from New England, Ignorant that the
Mecca OF their boyhood has been raided
to death.
Agitation against the neglect of the
police has worked this revolution. But
the influx of shops, not much, but little
above the willy, old Swindling cheap deal
ers in bargains has helped TO elevate the
street. Further development will follow,
no doubt, for the Bowery is one of the
widest avenues in town. But its growth
is checked for the time by the settlement
of Russian, Hungarian and Polish Jews
in the quarter that TANKS the Bowery on
the east. These people are more clannish
than are the Hebrews from any other
countries, and they are drawing the trade
from the Bowery to Hester and Suffolk
streets, near the center of their chosen
quarter. Their wants are simple and
peculiar, OF course. and are therefore not
of much importance, but they will grow
with the rapid advancement of the GUS
toner. Much of the future OF the Bow
cry depends on whether the developed
Jewry trade comes to that avenue or be-
comes fixed around Hester street. How
ever this may be, it is evident that the
characteristic features of the Bowery are
to be obliterated completely.
In other avenues where, as in the
Bowery, an elevated road makes it's way,
trade has increased its hold. Those who
know now the building of the elevated
structures checked the development of
Second, Third, Sixth and Ninth avenues,
will be surprised to learn that the thor
ough1ares are now becoming lined with
shops or stores. Third avenue, which is
continuation of the Bowery, continues
also the altered character OF that street.
All the way to the Harlem River the
small retail dealers border the avenue
and in the shade Of the tracks most of
New York's east side traffic is carried
on.
Second avenue has gone far in the same
direction, and is rapidly undergoing
notifications which will make it paral-
lei in all ways with Third avenue. These
two avenues will be rival arteries of
petty business, and Second avenue being
deeper in the tenement district will
eventually get the larger share of the
poor trade. Third avenue, on the other
hand, will draw from the better class of
business on its western flank, and with
lower rents may cut into the business of
Fourth avenue and Broadway. Convent
ence is the evident cause of this ten
dency. People can give their orders on
their way down town, and pick up their
simpler purchases on their way home.
Each elevated station is the rendezvous
of the tradesman and the center of little
village.
Sixth avenue, between Twelfth and
Twenty-third, not only holds its shop
ping-quarter characteristics, but has built
up 81 business with women that rivals
the tirst-cass houses on Twenty-tbird
street and Fifth avenue. Furthermore,
this sort of trade is making progress
above Twenty third street on Sixth ave-
nue. and promises to reach Central Park.
The French and Italian restaurants, now
numerous above Twenty-third street, are
losing money because of DR.. Parkhurst's
pressure on one OF the classes of their
customers. And it is worth while to
note in passing that the small q Ia carte
restaurants in the tenement and fiat
house districts are getting this custom.
To New Workers the saddest of changes
are those going on in Fifth avenue All
classes OF retail business that cater TO the
eyes OF the rich are moving up the stately
avenue of residences. The sight of
beautiful home being remodeled for
store between Forly-siXth and Forty
seventh streets IS what suggested the
subject Of this letter. Ii is the highest
point reached thus far. From Forty
sixth street down the stores are more
and more numerous as one approaches
Madison Square. How serious the en-
croachment of trade is can be shown best
by naming some of the well-known
buildings already passed by the process
sion OF stores. The Brunswick, Victoria,
Waldorf Hotels and the Holland House
all are below Thirty-iourth. The Union
League Club is on the corner of Thirty
ninth, and the Manhattan Club, in the
A. t. Stewart palace, is on Thirty-fourth
street.