New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-15
4 MUCH CHANGED NEIGHBORHOOD
WHAT THE CRIMINAL COURTS BUILDING EFF
FECTED-OID CENTRE-sT. JUNK SHOPS.

WHAT THE CRIMINAL COURTS BUILDING Eff
FEcTED-oLD cENTREsT. JUNK SHOPS.
One does not need to have been a resident OF New
York City more than two or three years before he
begin to talk about the changes wrought in
the city since he became OF its Inhabitants The
march of business up Fifth-ave. and the building OF
new houses Oh the West Side favorite Illus
tratlons of the unsettled character OF the metropolis
Well downtown Is another neigh borhood which has
greatly altered within the memory OF even small
newsboys. This has for its centre the new Criminal
Courts Building which fills the block bounded by
Centre. Franklin. Elm ard White SITS. That part
OF Centre-st used to be given up chiefly to machine
shops and those for the sale of tools and odds and
ends of iron and steel. When the authorities de-
cided some six or seven years ago to erect THIS
building for municipal purposes. 1t occurred to a
number of people that barrooms in the immediate
neighborhood would be paying investments
When work actually begun on the structure.
negotiations set on foot for leases Of ground
floors which seemed eligible for liquor stores. In
due time these barrooms fitted up and opened.
until now there is a perfect nest OF them In Cen
trest just opposite the Courts Building there are
five side by side. They take up most OF the
block. There others just above and just below
this cluster. also in Centre-st Behind the big build
Ing in Elm-st there are several. Here have been
erected in the last few two or three tall office
buildings. designed to meet the needs OF lawyers
practising In the criminal courts.
On the northeast corner Of Elm and White sts. a
new nrehouse 10 about finished It 10 an ambitious
stone structure with quarters for Engine Company
No. 81 Battalion Chief No. and fuel depot.
Opposite the Tombs In Em-st. remains old Gram
mar School No a. which was turned into knitting
mill Just below. on the corner OF Leonard-st., Is
the towering stone building OF the New-York Life
Insurance Company. Further up Elm-st.. at No. 81.
the door-plate bearing Harry Towards name tells
where the volunteer fireman lived for so long.
Much OF the old. however. remains In this region
Centre-st. has still number of dngy shops. In
front OF which old lathes. heaps Of rusty chains
and other weatherbeaten articles Of metal. Toward
the are the tenement houses of Muberry-st,
fronting on the dismal space OF half-filled cellars
which is the site OF what In anticipation Is already
calleI Mulberry Bend Park
1t may be added that so many men saw the ad-
vantagee OF setting up barroom In close proximity
to the Criminal Courts Building that the thing has
been overdone. The propretorS complain or lack
bring more or less business and the removal Of the
Court OF General Sessions was looked on as certain
furnish lots Of patronage TO the liquor stores 1t
did make n difference but there are fully score
OF barrooms cater to the trade expectations were
not realized.
Several tall business houses have gone up about
that part of Centre-st. lately, and the weather
endure much longer. For the man who likes to
wander about NewYork's characteristic streets.
there yet Is left much OF interest In that neighoor-
hood.