New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-10
FASHIONS UPWARD TREND.
HAS REACHED THE SECTION WEST
OF CENTRAL PARK.
.x-nsoME PRIVATE AND APARTMENT HOUSES
NAVE THE PREFERENCE OVER FLAT
BUILDINGS ON THE UPPER
WEST SIDE.


rs. svoution Of the New-York dwelllng-house
:. =, special interest just now in the light OF a
..,,mercial activity which seems destined to
.,nue for some time to come. What kind of
house to build and where TO build It are ques-
.,.,s which a great many people are asking
1swadays: and while individual preference and
"srsonal opinion Will always determine largely
~. answers to these questions. the experience
:, others who have made the experiment are
worth considering
The general demand for vacant lots on the
ores, Side during the last six months would ap-
.ssr to indicate an interest in that section on
-. mart not only II professional builders but
:, private buyers WE'LL Persons who have
hitherto been in no way connected with the
,saI estate market seem in fact to be the fore
,rost In the movement
The purchasers Of West Side property in this
action which for the last six months or more
have been announced include many persons
nrominent In the business social and profess
.ional circles Of the city. While it can hardly
~ asserted that society moves an absolute
unit In response to any definite order, the fact
hos always been apparent that 1t seeks in
measure TO ccntralize itself in given area.
old New Workers. love to tell Of the time when
Henry-st. and East Broadway were fashionable
nsiehborhoods. To us that section is known as
q tenement district. but few Of the old houses
that are still standing In their interior make
IN show signs Of former elegance. The ceilings
are high, the rooms large. and the trimmings
AZ hard wood are handsomely carved Exter-
psly they present much the same monotony
which is observable in some streets which later
became the fashionable centre.
To us Fifth-ave. has long been synonymous
with fashion, but the lower parts of that thor
ouchfare have already lost their original char
acter. and many Of the dwelling houses have
been RACED to make way for business structures
Upper Fifth-ave. still enjoys the distinction OF
being one Of Networks most exclusive thor
oughfares and it is doubtful II 1t Will ever lose
all OF that distinction. Some OF the mansions
which grace the avenue are palatial. but ground
,s fabulously dear In this part of the city, and
IT'S acauirement becomes less a possibility every
day. Therefore fashion has been forced to seize
upon another district also, and for its purpose 1t
has selected that lying west Of Central Park
from Fifty-ninth-st. upward. 1t Is not difficult.
10 explain why this section should have been
chosen-the only wonder is that the movement
did not begin long ago. The movement of fash
ion, which began at Bowling Green and passed
to Beekman Hill. Corlears Neck Stuyvesant
Square, Washington Square and Murray Hill,
bids fair to establish itself at last in section
where there will be room for the artist archi-
tect to show what he can do. In fact. 1t has
been the development Of this part Of the city
that has given a stimulus to American archi-
lecture as such.
MORE GENEROUS USE OF LAND.
unhampered there by the necessity of econo-
mixing every inch Of ground, the builder has had
q chance to create forms Of lasting beauty. AL
ready the work of the American architect is i'm
pressed upon the West Side to such an extent
that It possesses an individuality and claim to
artistic beauty and progress which in general
extent is not excelled.
factor in the upbuilding Of the West Side
has been the electricity supplied in sufficient
quantities to operate elevators and furnish
lighting. In the earlier periods OF construction
in this section fats and cheap apartment
houses gained rapidly over private houses in the
building operations. The introduction of a con-
venient means Of supplying electricity has
helped TO drive out the five-story fiat without
elevator, and this has proved distinct ad-
vantage. In the early experiments with cleo
tricity in the larger apartment-houses indie
pendent plants were installed for generating
light and heat. These required the service Of
skilled engineers and operators. and made nee
essary considerable extra expense. plan had
already begun to take form in the minds Of sew
eral building loan operators for the construc-
ton of a generating plant TO supply the entire
West Side, when an existing company began TO
lay conduits in the streets and avenues for the
same purpose. This was just what was needed,
and as soon as the service was completed 1t pro-
duced good results in the neighborhood
Several fine observation-disclosures of six and
seven stories or more were planned. The build
ing OF these has become factor. They take
their electricity from the street conduits. and
in addition to other advantages ofer those or
electric elevators and lighting at cost that is
comparatively low.
one hears seldom Of the planning OF five
story f1athouse for this section at present, and
never before were there so many high class and
expensive homes in construction. The high
stoop house seems to be losing In favor, and the
American basement style is rapidly suppressed
ing It, The advantages Of the latter are best
expressed, perhaps in the words or Clarence
True who has had large share in the upbuid-
ing Of this part Of the city.
The American basement house is undoubted"
" the one that Is in demand at present, he
said, land It's popularity is largely due to the
fact that II gives more privacy. with greater
opportunities for artistic effect. In the old
fashioned high-stoop house the moment the
front door was opened a stranger had an entire
view Of the household The new style precIudes
this disadvantage. 1t also enables the puiioer
TO get the full width OF his lot, and none OF the
rooms are cut off by detail that Is unimportant
THE AMERICAN BASEMENT HOUSE.
In the American basement house the rooms
are large and airy. and many Of them are arts
tic. This is noticeable not only in those buiit
10 individual order. but the professional build
ers seem TO have We'd with each other IN the
endeavor TO produce houses Of superior comfort
and splendid architectural effect The later
work Of such builders as Stewart q smith
James Livingston Joseph A. Farley j: Z. I'm
berheld. A b. Kight. Peter Wagner. james "A;
Frame Clarence True Charles Buck, and
others OF that class has resulted in improve
ments on the West Side of a superior and grail
Tying character.
In the apartnnent-houses Of the West Side the
most modern ideas have been introduced, ana
as result many OF them offer every advan-
tage Of the well-apponted private house. Every
thing that can be done in sanitary way Is III
cluded in the ARRANGEMENTS and fittings. Mar
bles and tiles are generally used In halls ana
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