The evening world., 1912-05-25
Building of the Home
as a Matter of EcOnOn,u
Bronx Expert Shows Kouu
Continual North u ard
Crowth Of Metropolis
Transforms Suburb ban
Residential Tracts Into
. Ropulous Sections.
~ J. CLARENCE DAVIES.

~ W oHo OF she most energetic IN
. group OF operators Uho have
spvedd immense improvements
throughout the North Side. He has
bss~ active there for thirty years.
Home building Is the great basic
fsgtor In metropolitan real estate de-
Ssiopment.
efomes spread first with the steady
growth OF the metropolis and other
land utilities appear In logical sequence.
It was not 30 many years ago when
homes largely of the suburban type
sseod upon what is to-day the highest
priced land Of our central business dis
Gsets.
Che Bronx was originally settled by
wealthy merchants Of New York. who
WED in that section and used the
nouses. as suburban homes are used to-
~ BY the wealthy classes, for spring
snd autumn occupancy. In the fifties
some OF these estates were divided and
sold to Germans. who have liking
for Ground around their houses with
h1fchen gardens and flowers. so that
" 20 the year 1870 or 1850 a large part
q tho borough was occupied by Ger
mans who had gardens around their
houses and the borough was Of The ma.
TIRE OF n suburban home district.
In 1888 or 1889 the elevated railroad
began to run through tho district. II
started modern development on the
east side and finally led to the building
nf apartment houses along the main
avenues and side streets.
eORcED THE HOME OWNERS
2. FURTHER NoRTHWARD.
This forced the people who desired
their own homes further out. so that
while south OF One Hundred and Egh-
tisth street Is ehickly populated with
apartment houses the outlying sections
have become practically the section OF
M aes. and they range from modest two
story frame buildings to the mansions
Of multl-millionaires At King sbridge and
Riverdale.
To-day the part OF the district occl-
pied mostly by dwellings Of the modest
dnd 10 in Westchester and Williams
bridge. while the moro expensive and
pretentious dwellings have been built
through Fordham. Bedford Park. along
ths Concourse and Sedgwick avenue. rum
ming to the KinSsbridge section. This 10
particularly marked along sedgwick
avenue In the neighborhood Of Univer.
siey Heights. around New York Uni
vsrs!ty and north along Sedgwick ave-
nuo to Jerome Park Reservoir and the
Van Cortlandt estate. where many
beautiful homes have been bull; for
private occupancy.
Undoubtedly this home building will
continue UP to Van Cortlandt Park
when the Van Cortlandt estate 10 cut
up. as the location between Van Cort-
Iandt Park and Jerome Park Reser-
voir IL an ideal one for private homes,
the ground being high and easy Of &C.
cess by reason OF the subway station at
Two Hundred and Thirty-eighth street
and Broadway.
On the west eide Of Broadway IL tho
Rverdale section, which has been &C.
cupied by wealthy people for several
gsaerat!ons. George W. Perkins. OAR
win p. Kingsley. the Morosin's. the
Deianelds, Dashes. Paynes. Babcocks.
Godw1ns and many others have mag
nincent residences there. In that sec
ton. about opposite the Van Cortlandt
estate, o little to the northwest. are
such beautiful developments as Field
SION, where eight or ten handsome pri-
vate dwellings are being erected. There.
also. tho Teachers College has acquired
a large amount of ground for Its own
occupancy.