New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-06-07
THE BROADWAY SKY LINE.
TALL BUILDINGS JUTTING OUT IN GROW
ING NUMBERS.

TALL BUILDINGS JUTTING OUT IN GROW
ING NUMBERS.
FIVE YEARS HAVE SEEN GREAT CHANGE. AND
A DECADE WILL SEE DISQUALIFICATION
THE rHoRoUGHFARE HELD BACK
AND THEN WENT IN FOR
"sKY-scRAPERs"
One Of the most amazing things even 70 old
time residents OF New-York City has been the
metantorphosis that has been wrought recently
In Broadway throughout its length from Central
Park to Bowling Green. Yet gradually has
1t all been accomplished that ever those best
posted in such matters have difficulty in de-
olaring just when such and such a landmark
removed. 1t appears to be an amazing
thing but the only actual dwelling house
naming In Broadway is the Peter Goelet man
sion. and air Of mystery pervades that hon
ored spot. The atmosphere Is trembling with the
fear Of change. for the march OF Improvement
has gone all about, behind 1t and beyond 1t
for miles. On Broadway below Fourteenth-st.
the sky limo has been 90 badly dishgured and
changed that to one for a long time stranger
to NewYork the first trip across the ferry from
Jersey City would not be like home coming at
all.
Broadway goes on getting narrower as the
profile OF Its buildings rises toward tho clouds.
Millions Of money have been invested in build
ings there In the last ten years and less and one
real estate man. in explaining the cause to the
Tribune reporter, remarked that when n business
man felt In need of n monument now TO keep
his name before posterity he just put up Sky
scraper' in Broadway.
THE FAME OF BROADWAY.
The reason for the march OF Improvement on
Broadway. according to n leading real estate
dealer. is simple. He said
II do not think the vast and rapidly increasing
number of buildings along lower Broadway Is
difficult OF explanation. In the first place Broad
way is OF the few streets OF any great munich
pahy that is known all over the civilized world.
Wherever you go you cannot escape from It.
The saIne IL true OF Wallst. for a different rea-
son: tho Is true Of Thrradnecilc-st. in
London. Being 80 we'll known. It has always been
the ambition OF merchants 70 become fixtures
there. In consequence Of this the demand has
always been very heavy for Broadway property.
There has always been enormous tide Of
travel up and down. and this tide Is Increasing
all the time
1.-THE pressure. in fact has been 50 great that
It In only In recent years that owners Of build
ings would consent TO forego their certainty Of
big revenues for a time long enough to put mp new
and more commodlous buildings They were
finally driven to do so by n purely cxtraneous
movement on tho part Of propertyhodcrs in side
streets. These took advantage OF the situation
and put UP new buildings by tho score 50 near to
Broadway that the distance was trinlng, and
broadway owners began 70 lose some II their
most desirable tenants. That is tho whole thing
In a nutshell. Broadway had 70 be improved to
catch up with procession
REAL BUILDING BOOM
1T Is n fact that after Tho work was once begun
Il has gone forward almost unintcrrup'edly. and
now. when mon from other cities. especially como
Of tho Western chaps. begin 10 talk about tho
| march Of Improvement ana tho amounts u
money invested IN high buildings In their homes
why we simply smile. 1t Is pretty hard to deter
nnfns exactly whore all tho money has como
from that has been put into buildings. suppose
q good deal Of II has coma out 81 Wall stree;
IN ono way and another Some y -. imagine.
| has been taken on tho Stree, because ~ tho
general uncertainty that has prevailed there FOR
months regarding business. Large amounts
have been drawn out - investments who's" m
dition was affected by political changes AMI put
into realty. which IS always certain. especially
| Broadway realty"
Few people now realize the size Of tho Wash
| ington Building, FOR instance stuntci as II Is
By It's position on the lower ground level - Bat
terry Park and rendered moro - by the erection
~ giant buildings above II on tho higher ground
Of lower Broadway. Why. II s"crns ~ longer
ago than yesterday that the produces fN mango
tower and tho Tribune BUILDINGS tower melted
into thin air together These two. Trinity sifr
and tho piers % the Bridge wcr" the ~" s'nt-
mel objects IN their day and hour ~" rom
| Beavor-si. 10 the city Hall PARK u iH mo t'ui
succession Of gigantic walls ana tho climax - III
| he canned I'm January next with Tho completion
81 the new -, Pau. Building the property ~
| Henry O. IIavem"y"r, when II :" De- 'i '"rhY
| FIVE stories The latest development is That con-
| taiuci in the differences between John JACOB
| Aston and the American Surety Company. am u
| is likely to add another "sky-srrhi"f - IN" IONS
list stretching it's way toward Fourtr"nth-st'
ana bevond UP past the Metropolitan Opera
! House and To- Central Park. with the Na'hrr D
| Flats. the Savoy, the N"thefl1nd ana o'hrr
| park ornaments as side features u great
| snraadlnR line reaching even T. Harlem
| The influence Of improvement In br"adw'y
has iis effect far and wide On either sid" t"r
the other scores Of tall structures In me vicinity
| ~ Wall-st I'm Broad and Nassau and william
SITS and Exchange Place other influences arc
AZ work Offices are desired 10y business men
in the downtown district and "sky-s'rhpcrs
ascend Since January plans for more than
twentv buildings Of ten stories ana more IN
height have been fled and the list is growing
| every week number OF these are 10 pc
erocted I'm Rroadwly below Fourtcenthst.. TAX
ing the place OF buildings that stil appear g"i
for many years Of service, only lacking III one,
mn rticular They are too small for the d"miml
- ,ro1o Real estate Is too valuable 10 give
thcm room Ten stories IS the least that appear $
acceptablc for Br ildway purposes. ana from
that the figures run upward al llhltum nat
The skv line Of broadway will be ten years from
today as viewed from the waters OF 'hc NJ y"
River or the Bay no man can possibly 'ulrt, ,,;
That the city will have passed thr|nsh rer',,'.
stage OF development no one can for moment
doubt
4 GTUUER SCHOOL or THEOLOGY