The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-05-28
SUBURBS ON THE ERIE LINE.
IN THE HILLS AND PLAINS OF
NORTHERN NEW JERSEY.
Towns and villages Marked by Rapid
Progress and Keen Spirit OF Civic
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, Passaic and
y Sunern Popular With Commuters.

main line OF the Erie Railroad. The mo-
ment stranger drops of the train at any
station, from Rutherford, the first stop
after leaving the Jersey City terminal
depot, to Snffern, the last village included
In the suburban train service, he is i'm
mediately impressed by the spirit Of in
telligent progressiveness that prevails.
Paterson's energy has been expended In
repairing itself after being thrice injured
by fire and food. The neighboring towns
have had no catastrophes to bear up under,
their energies, quickened by the spirit
Of emulation, have been expended in vii
lage betterment.
Except for this civic vigor, there is no
compa rison between Paterson and Ridge
wood Passac or Suffern. Paterson is
city of factories: and though it has inviting
residential streets and suburbs, it makes
no bid for the co mmuting New York city
worker. 1t is content to be city COM
plete in itself, housing the thousands who
are employed in it's home industries.
Passac Paterson's neighbor, four miles
to the south, is likewise city, but stranger
would never guess it as he arrives at any
one of he four depots that are within the
city's limits. As far az his eye can reach
he will see tree arched avenues and broad
st ret ches of lawn, fiecked wit h flower beds
and shrubs. Passaic is really only big
village, but a village without that somno-
lent at mosphere that shrouds the average
town and is so dispiriting to the citybred
person. Here and at Ridgewood. Suffern
and Rut herford there is none Of that lam
guild ADMINISTERS ration Of village affairs; there
are no struggling unkempt streets, hap
hazard, i'll lighted sidewalks. The broad
streets are macadamized. guttered and
curbed. There are ntinuous stone side
walks and gutter crossings. and, hanging
down from among the foliage overhead
q plentiful supply of elect ric lights. With
these 20 other urban utilities not 30 ap-
parent to the strangers eye-sanitary
sewerage syste filtered water supplies,
ample school acco mmodations and police
and fire protection. These towns represent
the comforts OF the city grated upon the
beauty and healthfulness Of the country,
together making the ideal place for subur-
ban residence.
That such advantages are appreciated
Ia shown by the unexampled growth OF
population in these towns during the last
ten years. Passaic is larger by Is, COO in
habitants, Suffern has more than doubled
In population and Ridgewood is keeping the
pace. The growth is traceable almost
wholly to the fact that the villages offer
to the committing city worker the kind Of
home he prefers,
Ridgewood. twenty-one miles out from
New York. commends itself at first sight.
There is not a factory or workshop to be
seen, not even by the railroad station,
where the local industry Of the average
village usually foregathers. 1t is SO ex-
clusively a village OF homes that it fur
nishes a welcome relief to the man who,
during his eight or ten working hours. is
immersed in the hurry and hustle of New
York. 1t has been laid out, with plenty of
elbow room between neighbors, on the
sides of gentle ridge. To the east and
to the west is rolling country of woods
and meadows. The trees and hllocks that
covered the site of the village have not
been ruthlessy sacrificed to village i'm
provement, and, as far as possible, scenic
features have been left undisturbed.
New Jersey is celebrated for its good
roads" In the old fashioned country
phrase, Ridgewood would I've The Cor
ners," for many of these macadamized
roads radiate from there. A few of the
points that may be reached by horse or !
bicycle over picturesque routes are Tuxedo, !
Franklin IG>ie, Greenwood Lake and Pomp- /
ton Lake.
In train service, Ridgewood is unsur- |
passed, 1t is not only an important stop
on the Erie main line. but it Is the terminus !
of the Bergen County short c t. Many of
the trains speed through from Ridgewood |
to Jersey City without stop.
As en- instance Of the progressive spirit
that prcvals it may be mentioned that, i
with a population Of 1000, Ridgewood has ,
one Of TIE finest public school buildings
In the State, and three primary schools
are under construct ION, at cost of sec, COO
West OF the track, property is sold only |
ton of private houses. These may Ice pur-
chased at prices running from $1,000 TO
$4,000. The land il valued at about s., GO.
Elsewhere an eight room house on plo.
80 feet front end $50 feet deep may be Sc
cured for sI0CO.
Within thirty-five minutes of leaving
New York, the Erie train carries one across
the Passaic River and stops at Passuic Park
the suburban outpost Of the city of Passaic
Itself. This is a rivergirt, residential park.
Around the stati on a liberal stretch of land
has been laid out in grass covered, tree
studded plaza. Private lawns stretch down
to the river edge, and might be taken
for part Of the plaza itself, were it not for
As the train moves on to the other stations
within the city limits Of Passaic, this i'm
preston Of the city being one big park
Is continued. Every street is tree shaded,
grass and shrubs. Even the railroad has
tried to fit itself into the landscape by Dor
dering its tracks with grass and hedge
rows.
In addition to four stations on the Erie
road, Passaic has two on the D., l.. 4 W.,
and one on the n Y, S. & w, with a total
Of ninety passenger trains daily. Electric
street railways also link it To Paterson.
Newark and New York.
PASSAGES growth has undoubtedly Eeen
stimulated by number of building and loan
associations and hnd companies These
provide all the usual facilities for the pur-
chase of ready-to occupy houses or offer
to build houses to order on the rent pay
ment" system One of the companies is
the Meyers Realty Corporation, controlling
some OF PASSAGES choicest property for
development. Harry Meyers, the presi-
dent of the corporation, is vice. president
Of the Hobart Trust Company and a mem
Der Of the County Council for the county OF
Passaic.
While there are lots that can be purchased |
as low as $780, and houses as chea p as 50 GOO,
the average price Is higher A modern,
deta ched house on q thirty-five foot LOT
can be bought for 81 500. or hired for $40
month ten or twelve room house on
fifty foot or seventy five foot lot will cost
about SIC. 00o and will rent for 500 month.
At the northern end of the suburbon
service of the Erie main line is the villa ge
of SuffeIn II ia in the hill. ~ ~ |