The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-05
FIRST STORE UNDERGROUND.
IN THE SUBWAY AT 23D STREET:
POSSIBILITIES 1T OPENS.
Talk Already OF q Subterranean Arcade
West to Fifth Avenue-If That, Why Not
Many Such?-Then You Can Shop and
Never Come 10 the Streets Surface.


Many Such?-Then You Can Shop and
Never Come TO the Streets Surface.
"The subway railroad Is but the beginning
Of a big underground New York." said
one Of the passengers on the record break
ing train run last Monday, from the City
Hall to Harlem for the benefit OF the news
papers.
1t was during the halt on the down
town trip at the handsome Twenty-third
street station, that this remark was made
f. p. Bryan, vice president OF the COM
pany, had Just mentioned the fact that
there was talk OF an arcade from that point
along and under the south side Of Twenty
third street to Broadway and Fifth avenue.
Il don't doubt that that arcade will be
built" continued the optimistic passenger.
There will be that arcade and other ar
cades. There will be a city underground,
There will be brilliantly lighted streets
under the sidewalks with gay shops OF all
kinds and restaurants and theatres, maybe.
Why not2 II it's possible here and from
here to Broadway and Fifth avenue why
Is 1t not possible elsew here?
New York has gone skyward about az
far as it can go. William Waldorf Astor
said that when he was here the other day,
He doesn't know, but he said 1t, and he
must have heard those who did know talk
about real estate while he was here. Be-
sides, it's sense. We can't climb much
higher heavenward, 80 where are we going
to go? Why, into the ground Of course.
This subway has shown us the road.
"The demand for downtown space Ia
going to 60 right along increasing. Stores
that want to be downtown will soon have
to get under ground And II you want
any demonstrations that fine stores can be
made under ground, just look at this one
here at this Twentythird street station.
The store he pointed to Is connected
with the big Mercantile Building at Twenty
third street and Fourth avenue, on the site
where not long ago stood the Young Mems
Christian Association building You go
UP short flight OF steps from the subway
station platform level to get to 1t, and 1t is
right on the way up to the sidewalk over
head.
1t is a large store, all finished In white.
and with big plate glass windows all along
its front, the same as are seen In the big
stores In the shopping district. The CELL
ing Is rather low. That Is the only con-
spicuously noticeable feature distinguish
ing 1t from the stores on the surface.
1t is understood. although the fact can
not yet be fully verified, that the big room
Ii to be occupied by a department store
and that the same store will have the floor
above. 1t is large enough and the posi-
bilities of electricity make It easily within
the cards to have 1t light enough for the
display Of any kind Of goods desirable.
With this store In operation 1t will be posi-
bic for women In bad weather to dive under
the ground near their homes away up In
Harlem somewhere, come downtown, do
their shopping and not emerge from the
subterranean realms until they have got
back close to their homes in Harlem again.
If an arcade is built along to Broadway
and Fifth avenue, this will Of course, eI-
tend by Just 30 much the area Of the Har-
lem or uptown woman's predatory range
in the subterranean shopping regions.
And II the arcade goes to Broadway and
Fifth avenue, why not on westward to Sixth
avenue? The coming West Side subway
might intervene somewhere, but that would
be only detail of going UP and down a
couple more flights of st airs at the most.
Thus far the arcade scheme from Twenty
third street and Fourth avenue to Broadway
and Fifth avenue is wholly in embryo. The
only step taken toward 1t Ia an agreement
on the part of the mercantile company
having the present underground store at
the Twenty-third street subway station to
throw open its underground sidewalk to
connect with any similar sidewalk UNDER
ground which the property owners be-
tween that point and Broadway, along the
south side of Twenty-third street, may
hereafter decide to make.
The property owners affected have not
yet reached any definite determination on
the subject, but the project ia being con-
sidered, and il il believed that ultimately
and probably at no distant day, it will GO
through.