The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-08-21
NEWS OF THE DAY
IN SOCIETY WORLD
Changes In Fifth Avenue Noted
BY Summer Visitor
NOTES HERE AND THERE
Wedding of Former Birmingham Girl
in Texas-Personal Mention
and Brief Bits
of News.
BY MYRTLE MILES.

Telephones: Bell 1850, Peoples 299.
recent visitor in New York city was
commenting the other day upon the
changes in Fifth avenue. A portion of
the thoroughfare, he says. il rapidly en-
tering upon an era \of development hith-
erto unequalled by any period in the
seeming assuredness of its promises of
a greater horoughfare than was ever
before thought possible. The changing
locality is In Madison Square at Twen-
ty-fffth street, north of the Worth monu-
ment, to the city home of Miss Helen
Gould at Forty-seventh street.
The early resident jewellers In this part
of the avenue have long resisted the
strides of. business progress, and the
change In the character of the buildings
and their occupants has been an extreme
ly gradual one. However, the increase
in vehicular traffic between the old and
new retail shopping districts. and the de-
mand for a widened driveway has oc-
casioned changes for the accommoda-
ton of this traffic Originally laid out
as a thoroughfare with two 30-foot side
walks and a 40-foot roadway, the street
is being widened by taking out seven and
one-ha1f feet from each sidewalk, leav-
ing 221a-foot walk. The yearly visitors
to the city and returning residents are at
first puzzled to account for the unac-
customed appearance Of such landmarks
as the Calumet, Knickerbocker and Union
League clubs, the Holland house, Wal
dorf-Astoria and st. Marc hotels, Sher-
RVS, Martins, Delmonico's, the old Brick
church, the Church of st. Mary the
Virgin, the Vanderbilt and Wendell resi-
dences and a score of other buildings.
Some of these have lost heavy por-
tiooes and overhanging balconies, long
flights of steps and stoop stores, while
others have been compelled to entirely re-
move or reduce railed-in or elevated gar
dens and grass plots which they have
been formerly permitted to retain and to
which the eye has grown accustomed
Then, where all has been comparative
darkness and shutters were drawn after
nightfall. plans have been projected to
have this part of New York brilliantly
lighted, SO that the supremacy Of Broad
way as promenade is threatened. With
all such changes going forward 1t is no
wonder that the southern visitor Is
amazed at the appearance of the avenue.
| The changes in Fifth avenue, New
York, from an exclusive residence avenue
| to a choice business section suggests the
thought of Birmingham Fifth avenue
and its rapid change. There are still In
the metropolis. of course, the magnificent
residences of the wealthy along the ave-
| nue., and only a part has hearkened to
| the whisperings of trade and business,
the change being a gradual one that
| spans a term of years in the memory Of
old New Workers, for the early residents
have stubbornly resisted the advancing
hosts of the invaders inch by inch.
Not many years ago, and when Bir-
mingham was an infant city, but very
large for its age, Fifth avenue was
pointed out with pride as the fashionable
thoroughfare. There were built the most
pretentious homes. the avenue was wide
and straight and the residents the very
last word in the young city's smart cir
cles. However, as Birmingham began to-
grow and other localities have shown
their charms 1t has been found that
the fashionable section has become a
mutuable quantity and at different Pc
RODS the smart homes have been in q
half dozen sections Of the town. Fifth
avenue. the home of the early days of
the Jordan family, Col. w. III. Graves,
the family of the late Judge J. NJ. Arnold,
the late Mr.. B. F. Roden which, by the
way, Is still one of the palatial homes Of
Birmingham, and many others who were
concerned in the social history of the
city, Is now still a residence boulevard,
1t is true, but indications are that 1t will
rapidly become all business. The South
ern club is on the corner wherein stood
the Graves residence, and across the way
where the Jordans lived there is a clus-
ter of small shops At the other end
of the avenue the new passenger station
has occasioned the erection OF a number
of stores and the memory of the fashion
able life there of early Birmingham
promises soon to be lost in the swarm
ing hosts of trade and business.