The San Francisco call., 1909-10-09
RETAIL DISTRICT
FINER THAN EVER
Businessmen Show Wisdom in
Grouping Establishments
in Central Area
Bx A. M. RosENsTIRN

The time has about been reached
when the general effect of the fire on
san Francisco can be seen. It is near
ly four years since the city has been
rehabilitating and in that time it has
passed through temporary state into
a permanent one. and in the compari-
son of these two conditions we will see
similar causes and effects.
Right after the fire. after our retail
district was wiped out, retailers got
together and erected temporary build
ings on Fillmore street and Van Ness
avenue. They grouped themselves to-
gether with the result that properties
in these two streets enhanced in value,
owing to their greatly increased rental
values. These being only temporary
quarters, these increased values were
not permanent and the retailers in
their movement down town have done
the same thing and have brought about
the same increase in realty values,
have again grouped themselves to-
gether. and have so built their stores,
with their wonderful show windows.
so that we now have one of the best
retail districts in the world.
CENTER SAME As BEFORE
= So we can see in these two move
ments the similarity in cause and eff
feet. They moved in a body and in
creased values where they went. Only
one was TO tide over the present time,
while the other Will have a lasting
effect on our new retail center-a cen,
Ter practically the same as before the
fire. except that it has moved one block
west.
Next look at our wholesalers They.
too, have rehabilitated themselves
along the same lines. First, they went
as a body to the railroad yards, in the
neighborhood of South and Sixth
streets, where they. too, built tempo
rary shacks. Then when time and con-
ditions were ripe, they moved as
body back to the old location, to San
some. Battery and the cross streets
where they We're before the fire. and in
this movement, like the retailers, they
have brought about an Increase In
realty values in their territory This
district also is about the same as be-
fore the fire, except that some of the
wholesalers went TO Mission street for
lack of big holdings in the old district,
and the same results have obtained ia
Mission street by this movement as to
the other districts.
Practically every distinct district
has worked out the problem. of re-
nHDlllIdIlOn IN the same anu
in every case the temporary results
and the final results have been the
same which is a finer and better con-
dition than before the fire.
The lack of rehabilitation has been
in the great center Of population in
that district south OF Market street
and which is a great economic necess-
ity, for in every great city of the
world the congested district lies near
the center of the city. near the great
retail district, near the wholesale dis
trict near the manufacturing district
and near the places Of amusement; and
this district must be developed to get
it back to where it was before the fire.
our great center of population. This
is a task that every real estate agent
should strive for, and that accom-
plished, we shall have rbetter, finer
and more prosperous city than here
tofore.
OUTLOOK MOST FAVORABLE
A realty market is governed by con-
ditions the same as any other invest
nient market and today San Francisco
has a more favorable outlook and a
better reason for conservative rising
market. owing to the conditions within
San Francisco and the surrounding
country. than probably any city in the
United States.
San Francisco has shown the world
that it has the spirit and pluck by its
upbuilding In the last three years two
very essential characteristics in the
growth Of large cities, for today cur
retail district is better and a finer
one than before the fire. It took spirit
and pluck TO do this in the face of
'our terrible catastrophe. AS a reward
for this spirit and pluck real estate in
this district is worth more front
foot and brings a better rental than
before the fire.
The conditions surrouding San Fran