The sun., 1901-08-04
ras BRoNx AND WEsTCHEsrsR.


provemsnts making and In prospect In Tho
Bronx none would have q greater immediate
effect on real estate than the extension Of
tho Union Railway Compsny's tracks across
the Central Bridge Tho connection Of the
trolley line In Jerome avenue with the Eighth
avenue line at Central avenue and the Man
haitian elevated at iS5th street would open
up for development a large section which
has remained isolated and unimproved be-
cause OF inadequate transportation facilities.
Tho section through which Jerome avenue
runs forms valley separated on the East
and the West from the rest Of The Bronx by
parallel ridges. The natural outlet OF the
valley is at Central Bridge. but the absence
OF transportation across the bridge has acted
as an erectual barrier to trafTic between
tho valley and Manhattan. The opening
OF the bridge to the Jerome avenue trolley
would be analogous In its influence on the
valley to the result which followed from
the opening Of Brooklyn Bridge to the trolley
lines from South Brooklyn. 1t would i'm
mediately make large tracts Of compars-
lively inexpensive land available for i'm
provement and indefinitely enlarge the area
OF building activity
Much Of the land In the Jerome avenue
section Ia In large holdings owned by the
Astors, the Ogden estate. the Morris estate,
Morris X. Jesup. John Clahin. Hugh N. Camp.
Hugh J. Grant. and others. The B alley
estate Of $50 lots on Kingsbridse Heights
was bought last May by the c. T. Barney
syndicate for 5000. 900. But this Ia practically
the only important tract that has recently
passed into the hands Of operators with q
view to development. The admission of
the Jerome avenue trolley to the Central
bridge would throw many OF these great
undeveloped properties In the Jerome Valley
and at Norris Heights. Mount Hope. Kings
bridge and Fordham into the market.
One property that would be benefited Ia
the old fleetwood Park. the last race In which
was held in the fall Of 1897. This property
Is bounded by Webster avenue. the Grand
Boulevard and Concourse. i65th street and
iosth. The first building operations on the
tract comprise a group Of twenty-eight fat
houses in process Of erection at Clay avenue
and io5th street and eleven hathouses at
Webster avenue and iosth street. The larger
part OF the old park. however. will probably
be built up with detached dwellings. The
streets laid out across the tract are being
acquired by the city. and as soon As the title
to iooth street. through which will run the
outlet sewer for the part lying east OF Morris
avenue Is vested In the city so that sewer
age can be introduced in the abutting streets,
building operations will no doubt become
general The completion Of the Melrose
avenue vaduot and - tension Of the Mel
rose avenue trolley up Webster avenue will
still further stimulate building improvements
in the neghborhood
Despite some notable operations there
Is not much Nat house construction going on
In The Bronx at the present time, chiefly
because OF overbuilding In this class OF housing
on and near the Third avnue elevated below
fremont. condition, however, which has
been gradually remedied during the past
year. Because Of the differences In the cost
OF both II Ia thought that the new Tenement
House law will encourage the erection Of
tenem-nts and the common grade OF fats
In The Bronx at the expense OF Manhattan.
and 1t Is believed that one OF the chief seats
or activity in fat house construction will be
along the 9 tension Of the elevated from
fremont TO Fordham Up TO the present
time the activity that has developed along tho
extension has not eQualled expectations
as good deal OF the property is bsing held
for Improvement with fats. On the other
hand. lots within ten minutes walk Of the
elevated can be had 81 200 TO 81 500. ena bling
builders TO erect inex pensive one and two-
family houses, and In such localities consider
able activity may be noted The deyelop-
ment OF the section between fremont and
Fordham Is expected to enhance greatly
the Investment value Of business property
at fremont. which is the local business centre.
The extraordinary real estate activity cur
rent Immediately west Of the Bronx River
was adverted to In this column two weeks
ago in an article discussing the Influence of
the Rapid Transit road on The Bronx and
lower Westcheater county The present in
tention Is merely to take up some scattering
localities in The Bronx and Westchester that
were then omitted. Passing east of the Bronx
River considerable movement in real estate
Is developing along the new trolley line in
WeStchester avenue The announcement was
made some days ago that q tract Of about
500 lots on Classon's Point road, owned by the
American Mortgage Company, will be offered
at auction in September through william
NJ. Ryan These lots In public sale will
probably 60 for t+OO and less, although lots
on the adj dining Gleason tract have been
selling at private contract for 500 to 81 900
This neighborhood is probably the most
promising from the speculator's point Of
view east Of the Bronx River Much Of the
land Is owned by interests which insure its
proper development. like the Astor and
Watson estates. while the Federal Govern
ment Is committed to an expenditure Of $780,
700 for improving the Bronx River, which Is
expected to become an important local dis
point for building materials, coal,
and other bulky freight Outside the ter
'itory tributary to the trolley In Westchester
avenue and In West Farms road
N the Gleason tract about eight houses |
have been erected this summer There
las been a satisfactory amount OF building
Park tthe Eastern Boulevard and the Pei |
lam road and is within a stones throw OF
he 5OO-feet wide Bronx and Pelham Park
way connecting Pelham Park with Crotona
and Van Cortlsndt parks The Harlem
branch railroad at i29th street and Third
avenue carries passengers In fifteen minutes
10 West Chester OF Baychester. the nearest
At tations. West Chester may also be reached
by means OF the West Farms trolley cars
from roth street and Third avenue The
Paul estate is close to the Astor Lodge which
Is being built at an estimated COST OF S3sO, 900
In Westchester county about ten tracts
are contributing large proportion OF the
current business in suburban real estate
north Of the city line One Of these tracts
Is Bonny Brook Park. small subdivision
Of the Taylor estate at Depot Square. Mamar-
IN q Sound II IA within faat