The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
AVENUE A TR ANsPLANTED.
A West side Bleck where Brightness Reign
Amid Unprsnising Surroundings

n NSebt sue btoct Nnef0 BfiBntneoD h1etEuD
AMID U~nprsnising suFrouadinga
The foot of a lower west side street. in sight
Of the cotton.laden wharves, freight sheds, and
just grazing tho long established, well-patro.
nized saloons where the dock hands consregate.
would seemingly be the last place in the world
for An enterprise of aesthetic bias to take root.
Nothing in the neighborhood is choice, every
thing is coarse grained and dra5 colored, from
the taupaulin covers on the piled-up cotton to
the clothes of the workmen, and the trappings
and feed bags OF the draught horses that tug by.
For this reason, the little white-painted lunch
room on the sunny side Of the street. with Or
ange trees and hyacinths in its one window and
canary birds singing in the genial.atmosphere,
Is a marked place. There isn't another restau-
rant of the kind in town with q genuine grow
Ing orange tree. with dwarf oranges on it,
and a miniature conservatory in the window.
Tarpaulin covers, denim o~veralls, and over
worked truck horses to tho contrary. you feel
yourself convinced when you look in at the
flower bulbs and lilies OF the valley that there
must be an element whereabouts to warrant this
frank display Of preference for the beautiful.
The business end Of matters Is not lost sight
Of, either. Hitched in among the clamberinK
vines and pink and purple hyacinths are sun
dry blue cards lettcred in raised gilt, certify
ing that Dreaded veal and tomatoes may be had
FOR l5 cents. that boiled ham and bread and
butter may BIO had for 10 cents, and that other
viands more or less popular may be procured
within at convenient prices. There 10 only ono
window to the little lunch room and the door
is narrow and kept circumspectly latched: but
more ha, been done with that one window, In
spite OF It's drawbacks in the way Of small
panes and blurred glass, than is sometimes &C.
galore. One thing certain, YOU think. as You
read the legends on tho blue cards, there would
=. l. ..aa Eyn.Ia NHt ~ ~ In..I
oaths or misbehavior. The presence Of the lilies
and growing things would forbid. The most be-
firoas Of lo oeEisbTattnSa rsstiSe p Spell' ON Wound oaf di:
vine from those canaries and blossomtng plants
that he had better pass 6y the door. even with
The street, that boasts the little restaurant in
down to the docks through crooked and devious
ways, Whatever may have been lie lot east Of
ness houses to its credit for full two squares be-
yond that thoroughf9re. After It gets past
West broadway it takes q decided turn for the
II wiggles IN and out OF the slums of sullivan
street and Thompson street, getting, consider.
hearted effort 10 DO respectable again further
On, and just when 1t sets In on tho downward
sgadis = iT u 1hs a riy'f do SRsn' e haa a %or and ar Semia tae
ments put upon It, and as though discouraged
in the struggle, II gets a boost Upward again.
mans have settled In this last block but one,
and any one acquainted with New york, set
down In that one block all unawares, would
take it TO be apiece OF Avenue A that he had
got into.
There are two notable restaurants In the
neiRhborhood, One, painted a tender blue, has
curves and strcamers to the white lettering on
the window pane, has fcallopod edge pink
paper on its shelves and brackets, an afr of
harmless gayety, for all Thu, world like a fancy
with The yellow'fruited orange tree In the win
dow and the sproutinR hyacinths and sing
ing birds. The prevalence OF baby caps and
baby cloAks in the sidewalk showcases and In
the windows of the three or four dry goods
sh ps is another feature transp!anted from
The baby caps and sacks and comforters are
ali Of white silk or white worsted, wadded and
lace ruflcd, and give warrant OF generous outlay
by prospective purchasers. On q bright or even
centre OF Well-to:do shops blooms out II ca giddy.
| open-air bazaar; a bazaar with the.dull and prosy
blocks that went before and the boarded.in piers
at 1.-The end of the street, whoreIthe cotton bales lie
piled. fora background. Red and blue com.
forters are looped across the pavement In front
of the shops for purposes OF advertisement. Lay
figures arrayed in fashionable suits and coats
stand out on the sidewalk; Handkerchlefs
linked sausage fashion, danRle from the door
frames, and awning posts and baskets full of
socks and knit underwear and stout flannel
petticoats OF a comfortable red are displayed on
the sidewalk stalls.
and IN strong In the matter OF fresh paint and
outwardly virtues. IT is not likely that, the
lunchroom on the sunny side OF the block where
the canaries sing so mistakenly Will have a rival
| soon, but, from the way tho street looks up just
perity for It's whole length and breadth Is al
/ rAadV an aAkuH6d thing.