Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-23
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
Improvements in Progress in
Various Sections.
NEW HOUSES AND FLATS
HOME BUYERS ARE PROMINENT
IN THE MARKET.
What is Going on In the Way Of Add
ing to the Number Of Build
ings in the City.
NEW HOUSES AND FLATS

The experience Of men who have sub
urban property for sale Is evidence that
that class of holdings is by no means being
neglected. The demand for property Of this
character continues to be good, even at the
present time, when it is thought the market
is not very active In the instance Of Cleve-
land Park, 1t Is stated by Mr. Hill Of the
firm of Moore & Hill that all the houses the
company controlling the property had for
sale have been disposed Of, and plans are
being considered for putting UP more
houses. Then there are subdivisions in vari-
GUS sections of the outlying region which
are on the market, and 1t Is found the de-
mand for lots is a good one. The majority
Of those who buy in the suburbs do SO be-
cause they intend to build and hence 1t Is
the purchase of lots Is followed by the cree
ton of houses.
At this season of the year. as might nat
urally be expected, the interest in what
is known as country property is more gem
eral than at any other time, and those who
do not make permanent arrangements for
living beyond the city limits find temporary
quarters where they stay until the warm
weather is over.
A Business Building.
A lot has been bought by Mr.. e. Pendle-
ton Dickinson on the south side Of U street
between 18th and 18th streets northwest,
where he intends to erect a building that
will be used for market store. The new
structure will be one story in height and
will occupy the entire frontage of the lot.
which is twenty-five feet. The purchase
was made through the real estate company
of Stone & Fairfax
1t is Mr.. Dickinsons purpose to enlarge
the building where he now carries on bust
ness, at the corner of Connecticut avenue
and r street. and make it better adapted
for the needs of his trade.
Upper Floors in Business Location.
The problem of what use to put the upper
floors of a medium-siZed building, situated
in the business section Of the city, is one
that has not yet been solved. Owing to
the expense it is found to be Improbable to
attempt to utilize the upper floors of such a
structure by putting in an elevator unless,
of course, the building is run up to a great
height, and in this city the price of prop
erty has not as yet reached the point to
make such buildings generally profitable.
In two recent instances the owners of prop
erty have found a way out rather avoid
ed definite settlement by deciding to erect
structures of two stories with walls Of suf-
fcient thickness, so that If in the future 1t
should be found desirable the height could
be increased.
Third and fourth floor office rooms. even
with elevator service, are not found to be
generally available although department
houses three and four stories in height,
without elevators, are not unusual. 1t has
been suggested that the upper floors in
down town sections could be used If they
were arranged in bachelor suites of one or
two rooms with bath. 1t is pointed out
that it is difficult for bachelors to find liv-
ing places that suit exactly and especially
where they can have the exclusive use of a
bath. 1t is pointed out that men rather
like to have their sleeping places within
reach of the center of things, and that the
main thing is to have comfortable suites
leased a
Condition of City Streets.
At this time of the year the streets of the
city undergoing the usual repairs and
are Therefore in a more or less disturbed
condition 1t would appear. however, to
the average city resident that such con-
dition is not confined to any particular
period of the year, but is pretty well dis
tributed over the entire twelve months
The fact is that 1t is never convenient to
have such work done and when the citizen
has to pick his way through piles of debris
and over and around mounds of earth, he
is apt to feel the discomfort of it all. How
ever, when the bowels of the earth so to
speak, that extend beneath the modern city
are as fully occupied as they are at the
present time with pipes of all sorts md
when the surface repairs are taken into ac-
count it is not surprising that 1t seems the
streets are kept In a disturbed condition
the year around.
closing up Of the important crossings dur
ing the progress of street improvements,
especially those which are used as
thoroughfares by the fire engines in going
to fires. However, it does not always seem
possible to accomplish that, and the result
is that the blockades are continued for days
beyond what seems reasonable period in
which to have the work done. The expense
of maintaining a crossing when pavement
is being laid is, of course, greater than if
the entire area was cleared and paved as
a whole, but it has been thought best that
at certain crossings the opportunity for
fire engines to pass at any time ought not
to be suspended for longer interval than
is absolutely necessary and hence the paw
ing of such crossings is called rush work.
1t has to be got through in a certain time
50 that the street will be free for use.
In the Eastern Section.
Hiding operations in the eastern section
of the city still continue active, notably in
the vicinity of Lincoln Park. Among
others who are building In that locality are
Messrs. Wright and French, who are now
completing four seven-rOom dwellings and
one two-story apartment house on 18th
street just south of the park. The houses
have seven rooms, with concerted cellars
and furnace heat. The parlor reception
hall and dining room on the first floor are
finished in western ash, and the second
floors in Virginia pine, hard oil finish.
Suites in the apartment house contain five
rooms each, and the building being on a
corner is well lighted 1t is the purpose
of Messrs Wright & French to begin the
erection of a block of houses similar to
the above in the near future.
Demand for Houses
During the coming fall season." said Mr.
H. r. Howenstein, the president of the
H r. Howenstein Real Estate Company
It expect to be occupied in placing on the
market some two-story apartment houses
which are now being built in Bloomingdale