The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1901-11-03

seat Of current private house constructs,
on the West Side extends from tooth TO los,h
streets, between Riverside Drive and IVES,
End avenue. This stretch forms an almost
level plateau. rising abruptly from the river
and shutting out OF view the railroad track.
below. while commanding a wide sweep
Of the Hudson with It's majestic setting Tn.
plateau has been almost wholly restricted
and on IL are In the neighborhood Of Hfty
houses finished or nearing completion from
this and last years plane These houses
are nowise inferior in construction to Oh.
bulk Of those going up In the FIFTH avenue
district. range in market value from saS, 900
TO si25 900. with possible exceptions below
and above these figures. They are the prod
ucts OF such builders as Perez VI stewart
II. Ives Smith. Joseph A. Farley, Jane,
Livingston. Peter Wagner. John G Umbsr-
field and Robert Wallace. all OF whom have
been identified with the building up OF the
West Side since 1t was made available fo-
residences by the opening Of the elevated
railroad. and who have had a share in tho
evolution OF dwelling house construction
west OF the Park from a product that sold
At $4,000 and less TO one valued well into six
figures.
This plateau. because ~ Its natural loc,.
ton. the high character Of the Improvement,
already undertaken. and It's situation with
reference to the Rapid Transit road. Is I'm.
doubtedly destined TO be one Of the mos,
exclusive residence sections on the IVES,
Side The effect Of rapid transit m thi,
locality which Is already restricted TO dwell.
ings. IL. OF course, a foregone conclusion
What effect, however. the road will have On
othe localities IL would be hazardous to AZ
tempt TO forecast. II has been thou fht that
the road will stimulate private house nm.
strI ction on Washington Heights and ela-
vator apartments on the West Side n.
however, the current tendency 81 prvats
house construction to recede 10 hish-prioed
land il q permanent fact. as II probably Is.
tho road will logically encourage prtva's
house construction on the West side at thu
expense OF flats. Indeed. there seems good
reason 20 believe that as soon az the road i.
opened a process Of replacing inferior with
c%ostlier dwellings will be begun In sons
sections ives, OF the Park. similar u that
now seen east and south OF II. which must
shortly expend itself there. The price Of lots.
in the seventies. for example, between River
side Drive and West End avenue, Ia already
at a point where builders can see a profit
in replacing the existing dwellings with new
ones Of a higher grade as soon as the neoess.
ity shall arise from exhaustion Of the few
available vacant plots remaining on the
West Side.
The district north ~ the Park. including
that part Of Washington Heights accessible
tn the elevated road. contains a larger pro.
portion Of unsold new houses than any oths'
in the borough. Many Of these houses vera
undertaken before electric current for ole.
vntors WAS introduced uptown and befors
IL was known what effect elevator apart
ments would have on private dwellings
II Washington Heights il TO n built UP with.
OUT any concerted a elton on the part OF spscu-
lstors the result will hardly he satisfactory
a. regards private house construction. on
ths other hand. most Of the land on tbs
Weights Is now IN the hands NJ a few strong
operators. who have II In their power IN re-
strict by law suitable partx Of II 70 dwell
ings. Such a policy. II properly carried
out, would create and keep distinct
from each other. dwelling and fat houss
neighborhoods. and so accomplish with gain
70 speculstor as we'll as home buyer what
IL now accomplished at great waste n capital
through the slow operation Of economic
law As IL H.. the new houses offered for
sale north OF the Park are Of superior In
trinsio value TO those that were built a tev
years ago on lots Of corresponding price on
the West Side, for buildcrs Of private houses
OF whatever grade have recognized the neoes-
sity in the past couple NJ years 10
date their products 10 an increasingly critical
and exacting temper on the part Of the sales
market.