Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-05-18
SEEKING THE COUNTRY
One of the Tendencies in the
Realty Market.
PROPERTY IN THE SUBURBS
What People Usually Want in Homes
Away From City.
MODERN CONvENIENcES NEEDED
Light and Air Expensive in the Mod
ern City, But Much Cheaper Be-
yond Urban Limits.
PROPERTY IN THE SUBURBS
MODERN CoNvENIENcES NEEDED

The spring is the time to sell property in
the country. There is no question about
the truth of that proposition. as II has be-
hind 1t experience. and a sood deal OF IL.
Places In the country seem to have no at.
traction for the average person In the mar
ket during the fail winter months but
when the spring comes then 1t seems nat.
ural for most people to have their thoughts
turn toward rural life.
This tendency 10 not brought about By
any outside influences, but appears to be
one Of those natural movements which OBJ
servers Of human nature note IN the course
Of the study Of men and women and OF
what they do and why they do 1t. Every
body does not choose to live in the country,
but there are a great many now in the
city who would like to have a place away
from paved streets At this tirpe of the
year, as stated. this feeling finds express
sion more than at any other. and may be
accounted for by the fact that when warm
weather arrives II IL natural to want to
have as much space about one as possible,
so that the quarters which were cozy and
comfortable during the balance Of the year
appear small and stuffy when the first hot
days come.
They Get It In the Country.
more room IN their houses others because
they like to have little bit OF lawn space
about them, where grass and trees ana
shrubbery will grow. and perhaps where
there will be room for a chicken run and .
bit of garden. Then. too, there Is more
chance for the chiidren-a place where they
can run without being checked by the
policemen or Of becoming q nuisance to
neighbors, and where they can develop
physically to advantage.
There Is also another reason, and that n,
people want to make their homes in houseS
where the light and air can get IN without
difficulty. and where there 10 an ABUNDANCE
OF these necessities which Ii ID said cost
nothing, but which In the evolution of mod
ern life In cities has become about the
most expensive item In household expense
Light and Air Cheap.
II 10 O great experience for the average
householder to have light on all sides Of
his house and to be able to open windows
on two. at least, sides Of bis room. 1t Is q,
space Of the rooms added to by the ample,
dimensions of q porch. and also In this,
way to have O. resort where one can be In
the open air and yet not in the public eye.
To tired mothers with restless babies the
porch IL great resource. not only for rest,
but for health.
The advantages Of living away from the
crowded centers are numerous. and the
cities in this country furnish substantial
evidence OF that fact. Development along
the same lines have gone on In the vicinity
the city is not confined to the territory Oh
the District. but long ago pessed the boun-
dairy lines and occupies the contiguous land
In the states OF Virginia and Maryland.
Not Real Suburbs.
To q large extent the suburban develop
ment Of the city has been not % much an
addition to the city as an extension. It u
true. at the beginning the various subdi-
visions started with wide spaces between
the houses and an abundance Of room.
Then as the population increased the houses
got closer ana closer, until today they are
built In rows, and when one goes beyond
the old boundary of the city It 10 difacule
to recognize that fact from the character
OF the building.
In fact, sonic doubt Ia expressed as to
whether this city has any suburbs In the
usual meaning OF that term. The practice,
Is 80 general of building on one side Of 81
wide lot SO that II the opportunity comes q
portion il sold that one seldom sees house
set in the middle Of q lot. with ample
space on both sides. It looks as IL the
builders Of these homes expected that ting
city would be at their doors in short
time, and as 1t has happened. this expecta-
ton has not been very tar wrong.
The City Facilities.
1neI0 ID auOtuet cHaTaCteElbtic 6UOuS
property seekers in this market. but 1t 10
by no means peculiar to this city. and that
il the desire and the expectation of peo.
pie who want to live In the country to take
with them all the comforts and the con-
veniences to their country homes they
have in their city houses.
With sewer. lighting and water facilities
in connection with rapid street car transit
there Is no reason why a house located
four and 1--WE and oven more miles from
the center Of the city should not be highly
eligible in this, market In fact such O
house would have all tho advantages Of q
city house, with the adGed-Caes Of plenty
of light and air and space, both inside and
out.
What Is to Be Done.
The mere consideration of distance from
the business center would not weigh very
heavily against II in the mind of the aver
age purchaser. Some day property away
from the city population Is going to be
more generally developed in that way, so
that people can find in q house everything
they have in the city. and In addition the
attractions and facilities which come from
Its location away from the rush of tho
throng.
1t may seem unreasonable on the part OF
the public to have such wants as that and
to expect out In the country to live exactly
as they do in the city. But In spite of that
view OF the reasonableness or unreason-
ableness of such expectations there is no
manner Of doubt about their being enter
tanned. There are. of course, those who are
willing to go without these modern facili-
ties of living, and they become the pioneers.
and blaze the way, to speak and after
a while the closely built-up streets como