New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-02-28

I'D is
York accustomed as it is to the unusual may
bs astonished Heretofore underground SHOPS
i'm New-York have always been associated WIN
7,,,r,ress darkness and even dirt. Now there
SONS ;o be a strong tendency toward them as
taa subway system approaches completion Inc
idea that because a place of business Is De
meath the street level it must OF necessity Dc
.r,~lx and given over to a cheap class OF busl-
,.ass is disappearing. and underground stores
are being fitted up for the first lines OF trade.
4 striking illustration Of the way this under
ground" movement has affected even the arts Is
afforded in a new building at Fffth-aVe. anu
Thirty-fourth-st. where luxurious art galleries.
have been fitted up beneath the sidewalks The !
rooms are so well lighted that they have been
selected by the Society of Illustrators for Its
third annual exhibition. On the face OF things
an underground art gallery seems an impossl-
b:lity. but a step inside the pretty rooms be
meath the sidewalk at Fifth-ave and Thirty
f,urth-st- will soon convince one that the un-
foreground gallery is far from impossible
The quarters are entered from the Thirty
rourth-st. side A short flight OF steps leads
down from the level of the silewalk to smaA
areaway, from which the entrance to the main
mart Of the store opens Another short hight
of steps leads from this store down to that be-
meath the level Of the walk on the Fffth-aVe-
doorway into the room beneath the sidewalk
Oh the Thirty -fourth-st side Of the building
Contrary to what might be expected, the ar
r.lr.ci-ent is not in the least unpleasant The
ceilings are so arranged that they are fully a
FIT below the sidewalk itself, and so well has
,.... .ii,valk been supported and the ceiling ar
t.r.-aE that there is no vibration and no sound
g The constant foot travel back and forth that
is going On overhead. At convenient points
-...4t -l,yliehts run through the ceiling to the
..-.u.llk Considerable daylight is admitted
.-..a--h these and also through small windows
opening into the areaway on the Thirty-fourth-
g.. side This supplemented by electricity.
i..s.s these underground shops as light as the
q. q part of many the ground floors Of down.
-.su sllyecrapers. The use to which the rooms
... being put as art galleries is the best test
s...luh coGld be applied TO their lighting. The
only noise from the busy street to disturb the
g...t of these subterranean rooms is the occa-
s..ral rumble OF Passing crosstown car as II
bowls along through Thirty -fourth-st- Heated,
l-rted. 1,en finished and attractively furnished,
r5 one would think, to step inside them. that
just the other side Of the wall is a conglom-
Grafton Of curbstone base. sewer pipes, gas
pipes. water mains and other things long ago
buried beneath the street surface
tr architect speaking OF the underground
,.....-.-t. styled it a back to the soir' move
r-.r- Builders and architects generally are
o.. get prepared TO give the movement the i'm
ra.r,ar.e attached 10 it IN other quarters, al
t..aeh they generally agree that within the
..-. r... years much underground space viii be
utilized.
The rossi5fities OF an underground New
Y.-s doing business in open defiance Of New
N.E as nature planned it and New-YOrk as
a.. .l-ys- rupers have made it. are many. There
... tI9.e who are prepared to believe the day
l..g come when one may go into a shop on the
s.-., level and take the elevator down to
,..s c.iend with an Office the fifth floor be
i.s. 1r course, the friends Office would be con-
-rau.Iy lighted BY electricity and ventilated by
s. .ap7e.lly devised apparatus. Those troubled
...h dreams Of this nature assure one rents in
These inverted skyscrapers would always be
Ia.v.
Another class Of sub-surface adherents assure
one that within few years it will be possible
g. take "a subway car. get off at a subway sta
ton. take a subway street to subway store |
tu.n to a subway restaurant for n subway |
,heon, possibly to a subway saloon for a
suIway-but perhaps that part Of the trip is |
not essential At any rate these people assure |
ore that il viii soon be possible to spend an |
entire day thus and get back home without |
having seen the light OF day, save in passing |
from the subway station 20 ones own house |
This. the advocates OF the sub-surface city /