New-York tribune., 1908-04-12
A PLACE FOR T0ILERS
IN UPPER WEST SIDE.
The Development of Washington
Heights and the Dyckman Section.
By Charles Griffith Moses.

When Rip Van Wrinkle avoke from his twenty
year nap and wandered back to his old haunts he
many changes in the appearance or MS
one time familiar home that he thought he had
missed his way and in a strange place Old
landmarks had disappeared. and in their places
were buildings and environs. Should any one
who had lived Washington Heights return there
to-day after five wears absence their amazement
81 the changes there would he greater than that
Of poor old Rip Van WinkIe his return 10 his
home town SITTER lapse Of twenty years.
Those who have the development Of this
section and have had some part i'm its accomplish
hardly realize that about three years
the entire territory north Of Harlem to the end or
the island has changed from an outlying. separate
and distinct settlement. or, more accurately. a
series Of communities. 10 integral part Of this
great city. This evolution is. Of course most nat
ura and right IN line with the history Of Manhat-
tsn's growth Just old Chelsea village
Yorkvilie. BloomiHgdalo and Harlem had
an individuality and were finally absorbed into an
indivisible part Of the whole city 50 has it been
with Csrmansville. Fort Washington and Inwood.
first combined Washington Heights and now
merged into the city proper and included in the
upper West Side. the only difference being that the
merging process in the upper West Side was much
more rapid than in the other sections.
In Broadway from lSSd 10 1881 street a stretch
Just mile and q half in length. containing 40
lots each p feet front eliminating the blocks on
both sides OF the from 153d 70 l55th street
occupied by Trinity Cemetery, there were in 1906
not including old frame buildings most Of which
have since been razed-only forty-eigh- lots built
upon, and in the following manner:
Lots with private houses .....................1 4.
Lots with ''vaIk-up" fsthouses. .......... 1
Lots with elevator apartment houses........ &
Lots with institutions and church........... -
IS
To-day. three wears later. the following condition
exists.
Lots occllpied bv private houses 1,
Lots occupied by wa slk-Jp" hathouses. ...... %
Lots occupied by elevator apa rtulent houses 15s
Lots occupied by institutions and 4 cllurch... IS
Lots occupied by business. Observation-Disclosures. Is
Lots occupied by a park Observation-Disclosures 10
$50
Thus 2o2 lots have received their permanent i'm
provemeut within three years out Of = total of 400
lots available 51le Per cent Of this entire dis
tance from 1881 10 1881 street on both sides Of
Broadway. equaling three miles Of frontage in e1-
tent, has been built by modern buildings in this
short period Of time. in other words. in 1908 out
Of $40 lots 4S We're built on or 70 90 Der cent NJ
The whole; while IN 1905 25G lots were built on in
this same area. equalling 55.S2 per cent Of the
whole From these figures il viii be seen that the
predominant feature of the Improvement in This ser
ton has been along the lines Of elevator apartment
house building. which is characteristic Of a moro
extended The north and west of The limited
territory here taken as an example.
IN 1905 in the district bounded by 175th street
1S5th street and Amsterdam and st. Nicholas ave
nues. comprising some SO lots, permanent i'm
provements eliminating all frame buildingsl COW
erred 4Sia lots. divided follows.
Lots occupied by private houses ......... ~
Lots occupied by ''walk-up" fathouses......... Il
Lots occupied by NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. IL.
Lot occupied by business. ...............
4Sla
in 1905 study of the district shows 2oa'g lots
improved follows
Lots occupied by private houses ............... %