New-York tribune., 1910-10-30

Rusiness Is moving rapidly nortlNat"
.nd as a result some of the principal Telai
business areas are growing a qulch pace
This building change which is taxing
rlsce on old Manhattan Island truly lho'-
rates the prosperity Of vast NUMBERS oA
eetafl and wholesale houses. So great are
these business innoads in districts Which
ravv wears ago were included among the
tl,icllv populated tenement house districts
,,f the greater city that some OF these Iof-
rner thriving fiathouse zones are now large
tv occuuied by big loft structures and store
buildings.
One Of these districts Is just northwest OF
Vie old 1sth street retail drygoods centre
and extends from Fifth avenue to the boT-
6er line Of the Pennsylvania tunnel sec
tion. Its principal cross thoroughfares are
ssth. 18Th. Goth. 2lst and ed streets Many
of tie old houses which fronted on these
fhoroughfares not long ago and which
have been replaced by commodious mer-
cantIle structures were not tail buildings.
The new mercantile buildings are many
Ftories high, and il seems that, owing 10
TIE height OF the new structures. il is no
easv task for the suns rays to peep over
The tops Of the buildings and show their
brightness in the streets even at midday
4, some Of the streets are still OLD dwell
Ing houses. a number Of which are used
as tepements. From early morning till late
at night the sounds Of many moving
wagons uassing 10 and fro. heavily laden
with merchandise, and the pitti-pat Of
many feet against the pavements tell
part OF the story Of the business activity Of
Che district in the daylight. But soon after
nightfau when the iron shutters on these
aau buildings are closed and locked, when
the teamsters are gone and the shoppers
are in their home districts. this Is one Of
the lonellest areas OF the greater city The
loneliness Is so overpOwering that even the
Few persons stil living along the thorough
fares find more enjoyment after nightfal
apparently indoors than in the street
These great business palaces. for such
they really are, seem 20 cast their shad-
oRs in all directions and 10 confirm the
opinion OF many real estate experts that it
Eil not be many years before asl almost
bold wall Of business houses is feature
OF the structural characteristics Of old
Manhattan Island south Of 59th street
Fine residential areas may exist, adjoin-
ting big business regions. But two such ter
titories cannot long be part and parcel OF
zach other. Business demands an entire
reasons. one Of the principal ones being
that the heavy trucking in bushes area
Is dangerous 10 the lives and limbs Of little
children playing IN the streets. as well as
to groNn-ups, and another reason is that,
with residential and business buildings in
terminglng. FIRE risks are greater, and 10
prevent such fire damages it is necessary
10 employ many watchers at night.
j. a
probably more notice in the central Fifth
avenue district especially from 42d street
northward and in the old Murray Hill sec
tioa, than anywhere else. This larger inter
est aroused by these movements is prirna-
rily due 10 the fact OF the greater inlpor-
fance that these districts bear TO other
business areas Of much drawing power,
and also Because nearly everybody living
on Manhattan Island o. within the city
limits Is more or less familiar with this
part Of the city.
Midtown TrsnsfornatIor.- .---.~
Nov the central Fifth avenue district is
beginning 10 undergo a new period or
Transformation. It's last important build
Ing period marked its transformation from
G residential zone Of the highest type and
value into a retail business district Its
present period Of transformation is the Gre
6tion within its boundaries Of business
centres. or. in other words the grouping
together OF retail business houses engaged
g. similar lines of business For instance,
At saith street and Fifth avenue there is the
principal drygoods centre of the district
Just south of this centre and also at sd
street and Fifth avenue are the two larg-
est Office and store zones Of the thorough
fare. At S5th street and Fifth avenue is
the centre Of the jeWelry trade, and at 56tf