Los Angeles herald., 1907-12-22
AS SEEN BY
OTHERS EYES
REAL ESTATE IN RELATION TO
HoMEsEEKER
First impression {: Our visitors-En-
thusIasm Created at Magnificent
Showing Made by Los
Angeles
NY G. DAVIS

The Individual who writes on real estate
in Los Angeles has both difficult and an
easv task, depending on the point of view
rt ,s an easy task in so far as the vol
ume of business done is concerned, or In
so far as the interest in the subject is
concerned. for in no other city or tne
country with approximately the same
population can there be found as large
a total amount of transfers or as many
great sums involved. On the other hand
he has a difficult task because 1t Is no
easy matter to pick, out of this multlpIc-
ity OF various phases thus presented, those
which are most vital and most interest
ing.
The activity which has prevailed in the
realty world in Los Angeles during the
mast few years has astounded the Unlteo
States and has been the subject of favor
able comment in the press OF foreign
countries. To see q little community or,
say, 10000 go by leaps and bounds up TO
the proportions of great city with a
population of 100000. and the number still
increasing steadily at the rate OF zV,VOo
year. is something not witnessed by every
generation. To predict what will be the
ultimate destiny of a place which ex-
hibits such tremendous powers of growth
would be an interesting diversion. The
thorough Los Angelan will tell you that
the effort would be futile, because the
eossibilities are unlimited. Besides, he is
too busy with the rapid fulf1llment OF mis-
own dreams.
1t may help the newcomer to frame up
some conception of the city's future II he
is taken on a tour of the present bust
ness section and has pointed out to him
the progress made during the past fifteen
months in building operations. We shall
start him up at Temple court. the old
business section and show him the big
federal building now in process of con-
struction, and the sky-scraping Interna-
tional bank structure, well along toward
completion.
without stopping to wonder at the fine
new san Fernando building and the splen-
did blocks which have lined Main street
for some time, but only to notice those
now going up, the corner at Sixth and
Main will be a genuine surprise The
great Huntington depot and office struc-
ture. one OF the largest on the western
half of the continent, has lost some of
it's lonely aspect. The Kirckhoff rears
itself proudly on the northeast corner
while diagonally across the street the
Central lifts its ten stories as II 1t did
not intend to be outdone by its neighbors.
It is estimated that as many as thirty
thousand people pass this intersecting
point each week day at present. How
MANY more will be added to the number
when these new office hives are alive with
their teeming tenants and the latter's
clients only the future will reveal. Ger
tain 1t is that this long thoroughfare VIII
lose none of it's old time prestige, but on
the contrary will continue to advance at
a rate limited only by the city's growing
demands.
We shall not need take the time to walk
out to Eleventh and Main and look at
the workmen engaged on another 100000
business and apartment house to have the
impression strengthened, nor recall that
still another building is promised for the
corner at Fifth, but we shall pass over to
Spring street and take view of the six
story Lissner building, with Its Gothic
front Just a few steps away rears the
great Security pile. AS we take the
swift flight up the elevator shaft and
catch f1eeting glances of the marble lined
corridors and the cement floors which run
away in the distance we shall think this
ma ssive structure has surely been builded
for the ages.
At this point the newcomers attention
may be called to the fact that he is now
in the center of the new banking dis
trict. Not long ago it was farther down
toward Temple court six good blocks
away, but banks are as sensitive to the
movement and expansion of business as a
photographer plate to rays of light
To save time, we shall cross over now to
crowded Broadway, and as we round the
Fifth street corner we may inform the
newcomer that next April Is expected to
see the erection of ten-story addition
to the famous Alexandria hostelry, giving
It frontage on three streets.
A glance across the street, block to
the left, will reveal the new six-story
home of the Jevne company; and beyond,
on the same side of the street on which
we stand will be seen the fireproof For
rester building, with another Gothic front.
steadily climbing to It's ninth story. we
may miss the full effect of the height of
the Trustee building, No. 2, by not stop
ping a moment after crossing the thronged
thoroughfare, which will require extreme
caution if the time be midafternoon. with
its stream of shoppers, but we must hurry
over to Hill street and take brief look
at the skyscraping Wright e. Calender
structure and the home of the Young
Women's Christian association, and the
big annex to the Boston store, all in
process Of erection.
Our friend might have been saved leg
WEAKNESS If he had been driven about in
on Of the city's thousands of automo-
biles but he would not have appreciated
tho Immense growth which has made
Los Angeles the metropolis Of the south
west From the old Hamburger store out
to the new Hamburger place at Eighth
street and Hill and Broadway, palace
which will contain every appointment OF
the most down-to-date department laby-
rinth, is a long distance, and when our
friend traverses it by the devious route
our tour of observation has necessitated
and recalls that he has seen nothing tc
the north of Temple court, he will gair
an fmpression of Los Angeles increased
importance as a commercial center which
will elicit nothing but exclamations OF
surprise and wonderment.