New-York tribune., 1910-04-03
BY Joseph J. Hynes-

Brooklyn is known far and wide as the
Borough of Homes and Churches Its
greatness in other respects has been lost
sight of in admiring its residential char
acteristics. II has many and big financial
and business centres. many miles Of wide
thoroughfares lined with substantial store
properties, winding driveways that skirt
the shore front along the bays, and others
which traverse from west to east the thick
ly populated central sections. 1t has large
factory centres, such the Bush Ter
minal zone and the Williamsburg districts.
where thousands of skilled working men and
women find steady employment throughout
the year, and at good wages. Besides, its
docking facilities. for many years neg
lected, have recently been improved at the
expenditure of many millions, and a project
has also been discussed for dredging ia
maica Bay and building there piers and
storage houses for the use of vessels in the
ocean as well as in the seaboard trade.
A community OF only residential proper
ties, on land with charming rural and
many modern city improvements, makes,
Il is true. an ideal home district, but it
would not measure up to the standard set
for a great borough, forming part OF
the greater city.
Brooklyn lacks not one feature which
realty greatness rests. Its area is much
greater than the Borough of Manhattan,
it's transit facilities are good and being
rapidly improved. il has all the facilities
of the greater city, including well light
ed thoroughfares at night, pure drinking
water. many high schools, large numbers
OF public and private institutions OF learn
ing and many free libraries. Moreover, 1t
possesses TO a large degree a certain resi-
Dental charm throughout almost its entire
length and width-although many residents
OF Manhattan are not yet ready to per-
ceive it-that IS not TO be found In the
home sections of old New York. and that
charm is due TO the fact that its thousands
of block fronts are not congested like the
great residential zones of the older districts
Of Manhattan, but have plenty CT breath
ing spaces for the dwellers within its
houses.
Old Boundary Lines Gone
Not more than thirty years ago the Bor-
ough of Brooklyn, then a city by ITSELF
comprised a large number of residential
settlements somewhat distant from It's
thriving business centre at Fulton and
Court streets. These residential settle
ments were not vastly different in appear
ance and in many other respects from the
popular home towns far beyond the limits
Of the suburban areas of Long Island
Many of their streets were well shaded, and
the social atmosphere of the place was
truly like that of a village. Time has dealt
kindly with these home sections, and near
IL all the desirable residential features OF
those places are still intact, notwithstand-
ing that builders of brick houses and big
store properties have invaded the zones
and have firmly welded together all these
communities so that it is no longer posi-
bic, except to oldtime residents, to dis
cover the streets and lanes and other land
marks which separated one community
from another.
FIatbush years ago was a small home
section, principally noted for its small num-
ber OF houses occupying tracts of land
which to-day might be called small farm
properties. East New York was also a
small settlement thirty or more years ago.
That vast section Of land, too. extending
southeast OF the Park Slope, in which are
Parkville. Gravesend, Borough Park. Lin
den Heights, Bensonhurst. Lefferts Park.
Bath Beach, New Utrecht and many other
places, was a sparsely settled district To-