New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-04
A TOUR IN A BUGGY UPTOWN
NEEDED STREET IMPROVEMENTS POINT
ED OUT BY WATER PURvEYOR NORTH.
WHY THE RIVERSIDE DRIVE EXTENSION SHOULD
&C ALL THE WAY TO sPUyTEN DuYvII~-THE
BOULEVARD LAFAYETTE IN POOR CoNDi-

BOULEVARD LAFAYETTE ~ POOR CoNDI-
-sEvENTHAvE To DE IMPROVED.
A drive in buggy through the upper part OF the
city on a bright sunshiny day, In company with
an official thoroughly familiar with the streets
and earnestly bent on their improvement-this was
tho privilege enjoyed by the writer last Sunday. MS
guide Water Purveyor Edward +. North
who, Notwithstanding his official title, has noth-
ing 10 do with the water supply, but has control
OF the pavements OF New-York Perhaps inc
main object OF the trip may he said 10 have been
tho inspection OF the territory through which the
proposed extension Of Riverside Drive Is TO run.
and OF the Boulevard Lafayette. which VIII FORM
part OF tho splendid parkway undoubtedly to he
provided later along the east bank OF
the Hudson from Seventy-sccond-st. TO and beyond
the limits of New-York City.
The start was made at 10 o'clock, Mt One-hun-
dred twenty ATHEIST turn into st. Nicholas
ave. and two other turns over roads by no
means smooth brought the exploring party to ~.
Nicholas Terrace. which commands fine view or
the Harlem and the thicky populated regions on
both sides Of the river. The roadway here. bound
ing the property OF the Convent OF the Sacred
Heart is in primitive state and anything but
good for carriages. while for bicycles IL would be
impossible. Mr.. North hopes 70 pave II the COM
ing summer, but has not completed his plans for
doing. because decision has yet been made
regarding the extension of One-hundrcd-and-thir-
ty-ffth-st to the westward.
On the maps this street runs from one river to
the other. Actually. II stops at st. Nicholasave,
where. II It went in a straight line. 1t would
hav, II climb n steep hill with grade that would
debar II from use Probably it will mount the hill
on a curve. and St Nicholas Terrace Will be car
red over 1T by arch The steep hill lying below
the terrace the east has been reserved as a
park. but has not yet been improved
From the upper side of the convent grounds 1t is
easy TO reach the Boulevard, which found in
fine condition. and over which many bicyclists
were spinning. The few streets laid out on the
left, running toward the river, have exceedingly
steep grades-"as steep the roof OF house"
is natural comparison. All Of them might well
be marked NO thoroughfare." and he who
marches down one will have to come back over
the same route AT the foot OF these streets, or,
rather some distance below H. are the tracks of
the Hudson River Railroad.
THE RIVERSIDE DRIVE EXTENSION.
Along the line OF the railroad property. for
width Of $50 TO 300 feet. 1t is proposed to build the
new parkway that will add UNNECESSARILY TO the
attractions OF the present Riverside Drive. From
no other point, probably can a better idea Of the
advantages obtainable by the proposed improve
ment be had than from the foot Of One-hundred-
and-forty- ffth-st on the side OF the hill here
few houses have been built. and they hudde close
ly together. apparently with the hope OF prevent
ing another from taking a slide rverward
II lS Mr.. N0rthS ldca tnat Nncn the new parkway
is built the grade OF most OF these streets can be
somewhat improved; but not much can be done
with those having a grade Of Is or % per cent
that is fan of eighteen twenty feet In 100 feet
A second descent TO the railroad was made at
Observation-Disclosures with Trinity Gene
terry on the south and Audubon Park on the north
Here" said Mr.. North, 'it seems to me that
the best plan is to carry the new road out over
the river n viaduct About forty five feet OF the
cemetery I understand. can be taken without in
terfering with any graves and II Is suggested that
the drive should be narrowed here to n width Of
100 feet. That would be mistake. Moreover. !
think the viaduct should he continued across An
dubon Park. for II curve Is made through the
park to meet the boulevard Lafayette at
one -hundred-an nftv-sevenlh One-hundred-
and-ffty-eighth ST. the grade would be too heavy.
on a parkway Of this kind the grade ought not
TO he more than per cent. TO provide such
grade on the plan proposed. II would he necessary
to have the road fifty or at least forty feet high
this point"
At One hundreds d-ffty-seventh-st and the
boulevard Eleventh-aveJ Is the beginning OF the
Boulevard Lafayette. or the French Boulevard"
as it is generally known in the neighborhood pre-
sumaby because Lafayette WAS Frcnchman.
One need not drive more than few rods over II
20 be convinced that IL is sorely In need OF I'm
provemcnt. II is simply a rough. rutted country
road in It's present condition. and there IS little
pleasure in traversing It what is derived from
the ma gnifcent views up and down the river which
II commands at almost every point. Bad as II Is
in winter. those familiar with the road say that
il Is worse in summer for 1t Is then barren
stretch OF sand in which horses sink above their
fetiocks A good deal OF work will be required 10
nut the boulevard in shape for many lodges OF
rock on the east side have been only partly re-
moved
NO FINER DRIVE IN THE WORLD.
Mr. North eloquently maintains that there is no
frcr drive in the world than this viii he when pro-
vided with a good surface and-he is careful to add
when II is n part OF The magnificent boulevard
which he expects to along the river. Nor is he
content with having such drive in New-York
city; he would have it carried all the way TO Al
bang and then on To Saratoga Lake George Lake
Champlain. and finally to Montreal. lie believes
that the value OF road is largely dependent on its
length: that a road mile long. matter how
good, is little used, while ono twenty miles in
lorgth becomes a thoroughfAre. More thah that.
the crest OF the Palisades for driveway, ana That
New-YOrk should carry that road many miles
ent. however he Il especially concerned In having
the Riverside extension l aiken an the way to
vii boulevard has already been laid out on the maps
o. the upper portion OF ~. cry. $500. 49, .-,,- .
length. II ends just south OF Inwood. where IT
curves away from The river and brings the trav
ST. Poth the Kingsbrdge Road and Dyckman-st
are wretched thoroughfares: where not frozen hard
they are inches deep In mud, and progress faster
than "A walk is almost impossible. Both of them
will he asphated before this year ia over. II the
Water Purveyors present plans are carried out
| The improvement Of the Kingsbrldge Road Is de-
| pendent on the progress made by Inc Third Ave
nue. Railroad Company In laying tracks there. The
company H. involved In litigation over the validity OF
its franchise and cannot 20 on until the tanglc IS
united. although il has begun the erection o! a
powerhouse near the Harlem River.
The part OF Dyokman-st. TO be provided with an
asphalt pavement is perhaps a quarter Of q mile
| long and the broad roadway Is 70 be narrowed IA
order lessen the cost OF the work. II lies In Il
| deep cut similar to that AZ Manhattanvllle. To
continue the riverside driveway north OF the point
where the French Bouieyaid leaves the river, II
| will be necessary 10 build viaduct this
| valley a distance OF several hundred feet From
| Inwood 10 Spuyten Duyvi 10 not more than three
quarters of mile but to get from one to the other
| a drive OF fully four miles IL now required
| INwoOD AND sPU7TEN DUYvIL vIADUCTS
From the foot OF Dyckman-st. n private road runs
northward along the river a little more thnn half