The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-07-10
THE STREETS OF NEW YORK.
Thirty Million Dollars for Upper
Manhattan Highways.

manhattan ksE. hVNNHN
NEW YORK, July 1u-Loufs y. Rise.
Chief Engineer Of the Board OF Public
Improvements, ana head of its topo-
graphical bureau. has prepared q map in
diCatiug an entirely new street system for
the northern end Of Manhattan Island
and involving the most elaborate impror-
meUts ever undertaken n that section Of
the city The territory in question lies
north Of I55th Street. between the Harlem
River and the Hudson. and is made up Of
what is commonly known as washington
Heights and Inwood-
The portion Of the city lying between
10Th Street and Fourteenth was laid out
by a special commission in IStS, the land
north OF this territory having been left
intact as a wilderness of rocks and hills
unlikely ever to be included in the map
Of the city proper. In the fifties, when
the region was placed under the charge
of the park department, certain portions
Of it were surveyed and laid out, but no
general plan was arranged. and it was to
furnish such 4 general plan providing for
definite. permanent. and detailed street
system that Mr. Rfsse was Instructed by
the Board OF Public improvements to prs
pare the map referred to.
The leading feature of the new map
uraI beauty Of the territory under consid-
Grafton. The locality has been spoken OF
as the most picturesque spot to be found
anywhere within the limits of a city. Il
includes Fort Washington Ridge, which
commands a fun view of the Hudson as
far north as Yonkers and Englewood and
as far south as the eye can reach, IN
folding to the observer a magnificenCe and
grandeur of natural scenery which in the
judgment of enthusiasts surpass the
charms Of the Rhine This spot, 1t is
predicted, will some day form the heart
of the residential part of New York, and
in preparing his plan Mr.. RiSse was guild
ed as much by these scenic effects as by
the general lay OF the land. The ridge IN
question has an average elevation OF not
less than &c feet above the water and
commands in some places a view at once
OF the Hudson River Valley and the Har-
lem River Valley.
The scheme contempIates the continual
ton of Boulevard Lafayette. commonly
called the French boulevard, which in it
self is a continuation of Riverside Drive
At present this boulevard ends at Broad
way and Dyckman Street. while on the
proposed plan it is extended northerly by
means of u steel viaduct. over Dyckrnan
Valley and by means Of suspension
bridge across Spuyten Duyvil Creek to the
borough Of the Bronx. where it connects
with Spuyten DuyvH Parkway, now un-
Ger construction. and through this park
way with the entire park system of that
section.
Another feature Of the plan is the in
clusion of the locality of Fort George,
now private property as public territory
Apart from its historical significance this
v..y..
esqueness. and ought. so the Board Of
Public Improvement declares, to be own
ed by the city. The proposed street sys-
tenn includes = bridge connecting Fort
George with the borough Of the Bronx at
point between East Nth Street and
Burnside Avenue. thus furnishing access
to the Speedway, which IS Otherwise cut
off from that borough BY the river The
numbered streets on the plan reach 22Ist
Street. although those from 20lst TO 1921
are omitted. owing TO the Interference Of
Fort George Park and Shermans Creek
Basin
This map was submitted to the Fort
Washington Ridge Association, which is
composed OF 50 per cent Of all the prop
erty holders in that section, but no final
action has as yet been taken II is ex-
pected, however that the representatives
OF the d5SBtlhAAD-l Will i-loiSL t4l S'tt-t
changes in the proposed plan, and that
the final map VIII be the result Of a com
promise, although in its essential features
the map submitted is said to have met
with the enthusiastic approval Of the as
sociation.
The rapid transit system now in process
! Of construction Is naturally looked for
ward to by the property owners in the
region in question as a means Of bringing
their land to the real estate market So
far. however. they have been hamPered in
making improvements on subdivisions by
| the absence Of any permanent and definite
| street system. The matter first came up
| in the Board of Public Improvements and
was sent to the local board Of the Twelfth
ward for its recommendation. The local
| board has really nc authority in this mat
| ter as It has 70 go back 70 the Board Of
Public improvements and the scheme
was submitte8 TO ii merely as a matter
| OF courtesy. The fate OF the plan. SO far
as the Board Of Public Improvements Is
| concerned VIII be decided next Septen-
/ Der
| The cost Of the improvements involved
! in the new street system for the locality
| under discussion is estimated at 5000
60 but Mr. Rise thinks that money
should be no object in a matter which in
/ his opinion. Is sure 10 make New York
The most beautiful city in the world. He
/ speaks of his plan with UnbOunded cnthu-
| siasm. Il have Travelled extensively he
| said speaking Of what he calls the resi-
/ Dental New York Of the future, 'aud
| last year I visited nearly every large city
I IN Europe Well Berlin or Paris for in
! stance are out of the question. They are
/ fiat and mouotOnous-- ] had to go outside
/ the large cities. far away to places IA
| nous for their natural beauty to come
| across anything ike the rolling rugged
/ SpiU-5iOr of landscape which is character
| istic of what we now call Washington
/ Heights, and which is bound before long
| to be dotted with the most magnificent