Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-09
REAL ESTATE GOSSIP
New Year Opens Auspiciously
in Washington.
INCREASED ACTIVITY
REPORTED BY DEALERS IN ALL
PARTS OF THE CITYs
Mt. Pleasant Citizens Hope to Get
Park-Massachusett Avenue
Extension.

| Not in many years has there neen sueh an
suspicious opening of a new year in the
] real estate business in the District of CO.
lumbia Dealers report much activity and
are confident that 1904 will exceed in inter
est and sales the volume OF business that
| made the year just past record breaker.
Georgetown is coming to be known as a
most desirable residence section of the city.
The apartment house fad seems to have
struck that part of the national capital with
| renewed force. Several apartment houses
have been erected there within the last six
months and plans for others to be built the
coming summer are in course OF prepara-
ton by architects.
A hundred years ago Georgetown was
noted for the aristocracy that pervaded the
| town, Wealth and fashion Of those old
days held full sway in Georgetown. AS
| revival of interest in the old town, now
part Of Washington. it may be noted that
| those who have become tired of downtown
| life and are anxious to seek more restfu1
part of the city have come to find that
| Georgetown is a desirable place to live in.
| This is made particularly manifest by the
excellent street car service that is given the
| people who live there. Two street car lines
I that traverse the city In several different
| ways by their connecting lines penetrate
Georgetown as trunk lines.
The Northwest Sect1Dn.
It is surprising the interest taken by
Washingtonians in property out in the far
northwestern part of the District Of Co
lumbia Cleveland Park has once more be-
come a source of much inquiry on the part
| of persons who desire to buy homes in the
suburban part of the city.
The price of property IN Cleveland Park
has taken an upward jump of late. This IS
due to the ste ady demand for lots and
| homes in that part of the District. Cleve-
| land Park is one of the highest sections in
altitude about the national. capital. 1t Is
regarded as healthy, and most desirable
class of persons inhabit the neighborhood.
The new Massachusetts avenue extension
| which makes short cut fro1 Connecticut
| avenue to the )Tenleytown road,s more
euphoniously known now as Wisconsin ave-
| nue., means much to this part of the Dis
| trict of Columbia The road has been put
through and workmen are now engaged
| in maca damizing it. It is estimated that a
| person with an automobile Will be able to
| go from the Post Office Department build
| ing to the site of the great Cathedral of
| Saints Paul and Peter.yon the Tenleytown
road, easily in ten minutes when the Massa-
| chusetts avenue extension macadamizng is
| completed.
| 1t is understood that an effort may be
| made to run an electric street car line on
| this extension, enabling persons who live
| in that part of the city to get out there
much quicker than at present, by way OF
| Georgetown.
| One thing that has IN the past impeded
/ the growth of the Cathedral Heights sec
| ton is the inadequate street car service.
In the early hours of the day and late In
the afternoon a schedule of every twenty
| minutes Is given. The rest OF the day cars
are run at intervals of half hour.
There has been much speculation on the
part Of Washingtonans as to why the new
Potomac Hotel, which was planned to take
the place of the Richmond at Fl and 18th
streets, has not been pushed ahead The
| architects plans were accepted nearly
year ago, and there was every indication
that the syndicate interested were about to
push the project to successful completion
Columbia Heights and Mt. Pleasant
Dealers in Columbia Heights property
tell of increased activity in that part Of
the city. A number of new houses will
be erected there as soon as the weather
will permit.
The people of Mt Pleasant believe they
will be successful in having Congress pro-
vide for the condemnation of the triangle
formed by 10Th street extended, Mt Pleas
ant street and Kenesaw avenue, which will
give to them a much desired public park.
The bill provides for the expenditure OF
not to exceed $4,000 for this purpose The
Commissioners Of the District Of Columbia
favor the project and have so expressed
themselves in letters to Senator Stewart,
who introduced the bill in Congress, and
to Senator Gallinger. chairman of the Sem
ate committee on the DlStflct Oh OOiuIHuld
The people Of Mount Pleasant were awak-
ened to realizing sense OF their duty
| few weeks ago when 1t was learned that
local company had designs for building an
apartment house on a portion OF the prop
erty which Senator Stewards bill sets
aside for park purposes.
The Aggregate Sales.
While there have been few transfers of
real estate that could be considered big
individually during the past week. the
aggregate Of sales indicates that the peo-
pie of Washington are lettering themselves
constantly and that there is a growing de-
mand to own homes rather than rent.
Capitol Hill promises to have a prosper
GUS growth this year. Inquiries for prop
erty there are increasing every, day Per
sons who were inclined few years ago to
look upon Capitol Hill as sort OF out-or-
the-way place are beginning to realize that
1t Ii one Of the most desirable sections for
residing In in the entira District: the
street car service to that part Of the city
is excellent and makes 1t easy Of access to
the person whose business b down town
Rhode Island Avenue Extsnsion.
The owners Of property on the line of
Rhode Island avenue extended are circu-
lating petition asking that thu extension
from 4th street northeast to the District
line be made and the avenne graded and
macadamized. 1t is understood that the Pc
tition has been generally signed Such an
extension of this avenue would run through
| a number OF suburbs, many OF them quilt
up recently because of the rapid transit
furnished by the City ana Suburban rail-
| way. which runs along the entire distance
to Hyattsville on Rhode Island avenue. The
/ railway has only third of the width nee
essary for the extension of this street. but
1t is said that the owners of the adjacent
property will agree to donate the land nec-
essary for the iS0-feet width desired II
Congress will make provision for the build
ing of the street. Along the line of the
railway there II at present no roadway
i whatever.