Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-22
PEOPLES ROOF PARKS
PLAN TO CONSTRUCT THEM ON
BROOKLYN HOUSE TOPS.
Gardens to Command Extensive View
of New York Harbor-Cost
Of Improvement.
From the New York Tribune.

From the New York Tribune.
To supplant a series of roof gardens with
an imposing park or terrace that shall ex-
tend along the east side Of Furman street,
Brooklyn, from Middagh street to Jorale-
mon street, overlooking the great ware
houses across the street and commanding
an unobstructed view Of New York harbor
from the Williamsburg bridge to Stapleton
and up the North river as far as the Cen
trail and Pennsylvania ferries, is the object
of a movement now going forward in this
city.
It has long been known that few If any
places in the metropolis afford as beautiful
a view of the harbor as Is to be had from
the rear windows of the houses on the west
side of Columbia Heights Brooklyn, or
from the roofs of the buildings in Furman
street along the foot of the Heights. The
relation of the buildings in the two streets
is peculiar in that the roofs Of the five
stored buildings on the east side of Fur
man street are on a level with the base
ments and lower stories of the houses on
the Heights above 1t is this relation of the
buildings in the one street to those In the
other that has served to develop some or
the most realistic roof gardens to be found
in New York or vicinity. For nearly half
mile there Is a series of private lawns and
gardens belonging to the people In Column
bia Heights laid out on the roofs of the
buildings in Furman street. Grass all
kinds Of flowers. good-sized trees and
shrubs are to be found in these gardens,
growing, not in boxes and pots. but in
good depth of soil on the roofs of the Fur
man street buildings And the funny part
of it is that they look for the most part as
sturdy and strong as If nurtured In the
bosom of mother earth herself. instead of
being five stories in air.
Roof Gardens.
The city owns and maintains six small
parks on the roofs of the Furman street
buildings, where Middagh Cranberry, Or
ange, Pineapple, Clark and Pierrepont
streets would have been continued on down
the Heights had not the Heights been too
steep for travel To be sure, these tiny
little parks go by 100 feeD cannot be used
by the public. since they are protected by
high iron fences, and even the employees
taking care of them have to use steplad-
ders to get down to them; but they are kept
beautiful, nevertheless, their grass and
flowers being watered daily and their tiny
fountains looked after carefully.
This system of private and quasi-public
roof gardens Is to be done away with II
the present plans go through. The scheme
is yet In its infancy, and just how the work
will be done has not been determined. Two
ways seem feasible-one, to use the present
embankment and fill in to the level of Co.
lumbia Heights, and the other to provide
on the Furman street side below the pro-
posed park a number of modern ware
if need be. extending it part or the whole
way over Furman street.
Money Needed.
1t is estimated that about 81 600 600
would be needed to work out the scheme.
The length of the proposed park would
be about $500 feet. OF this total length
the city now owns 800 feet In the six
little roof garden parks. The cost of
filling In $22oOOO, making total of
acquiring the needed property is placed
at $25OOOO, the cost of filling in $225. 600.
making a total of $4,000. If the
plan to place warehouses under the
park Is carried out the entire 'front.'
age of nearly $500 feet can be- made
use Of The cost of building is given as
about 100000, bringing the total cost Of
the park and the warehouse system to
81 ,O75,O0O 1t is estimated that the rental
of these warehouses, based on existing
rentals Of structures now there, would
amount to at least $4,000 year. Allowing
an annual depreciation Of per cent on
their cost. a net rental Of $50, 600 is figured.
OF this amount 1t is estimated that SIS, 600
would cover the interest on the cost of the
park. leaving $4,000 a year for a sinking
fund, by which. 1t Is asserted, the cost Of
the park would be liquidated within twenty
years.
Some of the present owners Of the prop
erty In question are not overjoyed with the
scheme.