New-York tribune., 1897-01-25
TO EXTEND RIVERSIDE DRTvp
AN ATTRACTIVE UPTOWN SCHEME Nd
IMPROVEMENT.
NEED OF CONNECTING LINK BETWEEN cr,A,,
MONT AND THE BOULEVARD LAFAYETTE
HOW DELIGHTFUL RESIDENCE

HOW A DELIGHTFUL RESIDENCE
REGION MAY BE OPENED.
widespread interest has been aroused amone -.
people OF this city. especially among those who A..
fond Of driving horses and riding bicycles In ~.
project which involves the virtual extension os IA
Riverside Drive northward along the shore OF IA.
Hudson River for several miles. The unrvaIl.h
beauties Of the Riverside Drive call for no desrr,
tion; they are known and admired by all who h,v.
acquaintance with the upper part Of the city In.
rivalled they may well be called FOR certainly h.rs
Is no other drive In the vicinity Of New-York s.,
may be compared with this. Much Is exn.c,.1
from the Improvement Of the Shore Road oe,vss,
Bay Ridge and Fort Hamilton IN the BROOKLYN az.
ton OF Greater New-York and that Will lndoub,
edly be uncommonly fine road. commanding a.
It does splendid views OF the bays and the S.,
rows; but at point Will II lie fa- above N.
level OF the water as the Riverside Drive and wh,s
the pastoral views OF Staten Island are a,irac,y.
they lack the dignity and boldness OF the blurs A,
the further side OF the river from the unn.,
part Of Manhattan Island. However as the New
York OF the future is have both these attraction.
within its domain. there need be quarrel or sens
Of rivalry between them
To the Riverside Drive. as II now IT, there ,s m.
obvious drawback: II leads nowhere To be surs
1t takes the driver or bcycer to the Gran, Monu
ment and pleasant resting place close ct hand
but that is all. II Is safe TO say that Of the many
thousands who have paused for longer or a
shorter time and looked northward from the termi
nus OF the drive few have failed 70 wish that TIA
beautiful road extended many miles further ana
the tural thought in every mind is that this would
be easy OF accomplishment II the valley a, Man.
hattanville were spanned with a viaduct A, ores,
ent those who wish 10 proceed further north than
Claremont have 10 turn TO the right near the monu.
ment go down a steep HILL follow the Boulevard "a
Manhattan-st.. and. continuing on the same lin.
climb fairly steep hill over road that Is rons ,oo
good at its best. The descent from the tomb OF
General Grant to the foot OF the hill Is seventy or
eighty feet and by the time one going Up tho
Boulevard has reached Trinity Cemetery he has
climbed 10 a height Of les fee, above the Level a.
the river.
Between the Boulevard and the river for mora
than mile north OF Manhattanville tnere is now
no road opened although Twelfth-ave has BEEN
laid out on the maps part OF the ds,anca
Not far above Trinity Cemetery however two
roads have been established-one along the TOD o.
the hill. known as the Ridge Road the other eom.
paratively close to the river, and called the Boule
ward Lafayette. Both OF them lead to and beyond
Fort Washington Park, which has been purchassd
by the city and Is undergoing Improvement
II Is perfectly apparent TO any familiar with
the region that connecting link should be pro.
vided between the northern end OF the Rvers.ds
Drive and the beginning Of the Boulevard La.ay.
cite at Onehundred-an nd -fifty-seventh-st To SUP.
ply this is in part the purpose Of a bill introduced
at Albany few days ago by Assemblyman Austin
The bill does more II provides for the cons,ruc.
ton OF viaduct over the valley at ManhattanytIls
and road along the side OF the bluff as far q,
One-hundred-and-ffty-s and also for ii.
extension OF the Boulevard Lafayette 10 the north.
ern limit OF the city, with yaduct 10 carry ths
road around Trinity Cemetery. another across The
depression ct Inwood and third over spuyaa
Duyvil Creek
Inc scheme as whole is IN allur.ns one The pro.
posed drive would follow the river afforing cn.
staniiy changing panoramas OF beauty al the way
b some points It would De close to the waters edge
wh'e al others II would retreat distance .,5m
II: lneIe would be no nonoiOny about H. The cvs,
large. but It is impossible 10 doubt that II xii, 6s
carried out sooner later.
that htwssn section OF the work IS PLAINLY
niy-sevenih-s'. This would include an ron or s,es
Ing probably from OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
ST 10 One-nundre red-and-thir; " -fourth-st and tho
construction OF about mile and half Of road suca
ROAD Is greatly needed and would have an ln2O.
tant influence in developing desirable residence re-
are estaoLSned and streets opened. The few streets
now open In this neghborhooi are Of ;te account
oeen ao out SO as TO run down 10 the level Of ,he
tracks OF the Hudson River Railroad Instead Of
tsg oeing cut down. II is obvious that the piclGresqn
features OF this blu should be retained as they aid
appreciaoy to It's attrac;iveness Tor people who are
seeking homes. The return 10 the city from he
increase IN taxable values as this section g
maze accessible and houses built on il would "a
ali PROBABILITY so far toward meeting the OF Tia
southern part OF the proposed improvement.
An alternative pan 10 the one mentioned for passing
irin.ty cemetery IS that, instead OF yaduci coa
10 or over the river 4; might be advisable 70 the
drive through the cemetery grounds. which could
done without encroach!ng 10 any extent on any part
OF tnem IN actual use. and IL is maintained that tbs
would Tor many reasons be more desirable 20 u:
cemetery authorities than v,aiuct which woaI
stand as bar between their grounds and the river
IL Is estimated that a vladuct between Ore-hun.
dred-and-twenty-eghtha and One-hundre!-a -andthi.t''
iourth SITS. could De built FOR half million dollr:
There would be no heavy grades In the proposed road
from One-hundred-and- ;h!rty four;h-s 70 Ole-hln'
dred-and-ffty- -seventh-st.. but some rock cutting
would be required. In connection with the macadam.
izng Of the Boulevard Lafayette. already talked
as possibility OF the future. splendid drive
way would thus be opened from the upper end o.. in
Riverside Drive 10 Inwooi. and through Inwood-s.
the Harlem River Speedway would be within eay
reach. This circuit OF dozen miles more along
The projected improvement is being pushed by M
recently organized Riverside Drive Extension Assc-
citation. the officers OF which are Robert j. Hosuss
president: William Milne Grnne. secretary: FrAns'
els NJ. Jencks. Newell Martin and Charles V. g
Gallup. directors. These men and the others asse
ciated with them earnestly desrous o. having se
needed link between the Riverside Drive ard ts
Boulevard Lafayette created that suitable an9
practical be grades may be established. streets ope'ea
and a desirable region developed and also ths' !
connection may be provided between Central .as
Riverside parks and other parks 10 the norihrau
on the same plan that has been adopted for lnki.i