New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-04-30
METROPOLITAN TRANSFORMATION.

From time TO time as some monumental
office building in the lower part Of the city has
neared completion. the opinion has been freely
expressed by persons who would not wish to
be classed among the pessmsts and croakers
OF their generation that the business was be-
ing overdOne But the process Of vertical eX-
pansion steadily goes on. and II there is dan
ger of n surplus with a consequent Impairment
of values and disappointment of expectations
MANY of the shrewdest investors OF the me-
tropolis do not perceive It, Scarcely DAY
passes without its reasonable rumor or some
new building operation on large scale, ana
II is astonishing how many OF these reports
originally. perhaps, not very well founded, are
In no long time substantially yerihed. Inc
transformation already wrought must appear
almost miraculous to any one who has Deeh
away for few years. but ii does not seem
extremely rash to predict that the next decade
will produce changes at least as extensive ana
striking in that part Of the city which Is stlii
rather loosely called downtown
Scarcely less impressive to the eye and wor-
thy of consideration as an evidence of the rapid
increase of population and social requirements
Is the MULTIPLICATION of great hotels of type
unknown and unimagined few years ago. 1t
is not infrequently said that in this line also
progress is too rapid and that some oversan-
g1line investors are sure before long to regret
their enthusiasm. But the ambition TO create
these vast and luxurious establishments shows
no sign of waning and thus far at least 1t
seems TO have been we'll rewarded. Indeed 1t
IS n question of serious concern to many pro-
prietors of old-fashioned hotels whether they
can retain a profitable patronage of the kind
they desire in competition with hotels of mod
ern construction and equipment, on which I'M
limited money and ingenuity have been Law
ished Such preparations to supply TO antici-
nate and even to create exactlng demands con-
stitute an exceedingly interesting feature or
METROPOLITAN life. though there may be reason
TO regret the closing Of a simpler era. Even
those to whom elaboration and establishment
are dlstasteful cannot fail to be impressed by
so great metamOrphosis or altogether escape
its effects.
Furthermore this development in respect to
public or semi-publlc buildings is not the only
one of importance affecting the physical char
acter and aspect of the city An intelligent
Englishman, being asked not long ago what
no thought most remarkable about New-York,
replied that nothing else had struck him so
forcibly as the freedom-the recklessness, we
believe was his word-with which spacious and
handsome houses were torn to pieces in order
that they might be reconstructed to suit the
fancy of their owners. The prevalence of this
habit might naturally attract the special notice
of foreign visitor, but the least observing
citizen of New-York must have had his atten-
ton drawn TO operations of this sort nnumer-
able times In recent years. There Is scarcely
q block in the more desirable residence quar-
tiers of the city in which such alterations are
not continually going on, and in the aggregate
they have already largely modified the former
stereotyped appearance Of the city with which
its inhabitants found no fault for generations.
We are not sure whence the impulse was
derived or where its consequences first began
10 appear, but our impression is that the
pioneers Of the upper West Side, If not its
originators. contributed greatly to its propaga-
ton Certainly the variety Of architecture
which is now observable in all parts OF the
CITY was a nearly exclusive characteristic OF
that region not many years ago. and always
surprised If il did not always delight, the
Casual conservative who strayed thther from
his familiar haunts.
Perhaps the Englishman was right in call
ing II reckless in the owner Of commodous
and comely mansion to "shatter 1t to bits ana
then rpmoud IL nearer to the hearts desire.
but considering all that the recOnstructive pas
sion has done TO diversity and beautify the
city and is presumably destined to do here
after, we cannot regret its sway