The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-01-10
Section of Broad
way Formerly Of
Little Use Now
Teens With Ac-
tivity---Long ISL
and City Swanps
Reclaimed for Big
Motor Factories

yeruous II the century, promoter os
health ana reyolutonizer of transporta-
ton and pleasure. has also been "A real
estate rcyo.utioniZer. Sections urban
and suburban some close to the heart
n thus n.g hustiing giant bf the West
and others miles and miles away, des-
urei 20 "a state Of letharEy. have been
developed through the automobile INTO
valuable neiEhhorhoods To estimate
evn remotely the benefits derived by
rsa. esttt" in the metropolitan zone IN
the last d.cadc from the motor car both
business and pleasure, is a stupendous
task TIE more the subject is studied the
greater 10 becomes. Well known realty
men such as George Il. Huron and Al
bert H. Coote Of the Cross X Brown
Company and Stanley X. Green OF
Ne.son Ice IL Green. men familiar with
every phase Of the development of the
automobile industry in this town. would
no' even attempt a guess at the gain in
land values due TO abe automobile.
These men are close to the automobile
trade and naturally have given more
serious study Ia the subject than those
nor >u closely connected.
Millions and m llions and millions,
is the way one broker put ii when asked
via. ~ - wv sun al wv @N'fhh'l 'i'F
from tine automobile. IL tried TO figure
that once out of curiosity. When
started thought It would be simple
matter Just compute the difference
between what rentals are being paid
by automobile concerns and what was
the income from sections before the
automobile came there. | did not carry
ny curiosity far before / realized the
greatness of what | was doing. Though
! did not go far II Is surprising the
figures got At that | was only
scratching on the surface, for the auto
mobile has brought value to nearly
every nook and correr in this town. In
somr t.ous. however. depreciation
has resulted through the building Of
garages IN residential streets. Otherwise
the motor car has been a universal land
and rent boomer
Broadway between Long Acre Square
and Lincoln Square was ten years ago
the most deserted section of Broadway,
even though close to the heart of the
theatrical district. Stores and buildings
could Toe had for comparatively little
money In fact there was no demand
Tor space there. II had once been
primed for apartment houses and
several were erected, but the develop
mont was not continued and there the
section stood for many years. Its posi-
ton was against It.
On tho west were Hells Kitchen and
San Juan Hill, two Of the toughest colo
mes To- be found anywhere. On the
other side of Broadway, that is to the
east, WAS the very fine residential sec
ton ~ Fifth avenue, In other words
tbs part Of broadway laid between the
worst and best in the city. Fifth ave-
nue. folks don't support Broadway
dealers ana negroes will not pay even
the cheapest Broadway prices. So the
dozen blocks between Long Acre Square
and Lincoln Square were left deserted
and alone. Few merchants could be in
olcod TO locate there, even though
stores between Flfty-ffth and Fifty
Fights streets could be had for 500 a
month. Stores in the Albany opposite
the Winter Garden. brought about $50
month ten years ago.
AZ that time the automobile bust
ness was centred in Thirty-seventn,
Thirty -eighth and Thrty-ninth streets,
b.'Ncpu Broadway and Seventh ave-
hNe There might have been twenty
concerns IN the three streets. There
Wei" poo great display windows such as
are 90 D. found along Broadway to-day.
tn. automobile business, Il might ne
sad was then in It's infancy. The com
mn.cs were not rich enough or rather
dl nnt feel inclined to pay Broadway
rentals They had gone into Thirty
eighth and Thirty-nnth streets for the
r"fsuu that a number of buildings suit
ao.' FOB their needs were found there
ON" followed the other until it was the
grH'r. Of the automobile business IN
Magnuan Most Of these buildings
NoUu stables or lofts John q. Wendell
pur Jp 2 garage for the trade AT the
rrHr. of seventh avenue and Thirty
'su' street. which was the finest in
lnr D.utrc
Thr automobile business was consid-
cred $40 unstable at the time that a
''nd rui Wendell n" was foolish in
n.'.m- So much money into building
''' '.. grI. ~ automobiles,
I'd. may be So replied Wendell. Il
,'0 '0.tk much myself Of those horse
es' machines and had that building
.. mat il might he utilized as a
Ha when the automobile goes out
N'nro in tho old zone ranged from
40" foo $500 a year, About 1904 the
90. .l.c began 20 he a certainty II
"" n".n developed to n state which as
N'.p '.s success. Furthermore mod
90" INVENTIONS and inventive brains hdd
trough. the automobile within reach of