The New York herald., 1922-07-09
SUCCESSFUL BLOCK RECLAMATION DEMANDS COOPERATION
Mass Movement Absolutely Essential
to Accomplish Best Results in Any
Plan to Rejuvenate Rundown
Residential Neighborhoods, Says
Oswald C. Herring

classes, have been reclaimed for people
of greater wealth.
THE onward march OF business into
the residence districts Of the city has
driven many families from their homes
and together with the recent high cost
of building and soaring rents has pro-
duced situation that actually menaces
the health Of its citizens.
THE history of the development OF
New York real estate includes a chron-
icle of the correct vision Of far sighted
men. The citys growth always has
been related to the establishment or
certain centers of activity. One has
only to look back a few years to recall
the appearance of Fourth avenue be-
tween Union square and Thirty-fourth
street, its rows of umble down houses
used mainly by antique dealers. A con-
certed uptown movement on the part OF
the wholesale silk and woolen merchants
from the region OF Broadway and Worth
street has transformed Fourth avenue
into one of our most dignified thorough
fares.
THE building of the new Grand Gen.
trail Station started the marvellous I'M
provement of Park avenue, which now
extends for a mile north Of the station.
Only ten years ago that avenue was
occupied chiefly by breweries. factories
and food marts. On Seventh and Eighth
avenues, in the neighborhood of Thirty
first, Thirty-second and Thirty third
streets, the Pennsylvania Station, the
Hotel Pennsylvania and the Post Office
have begun the beautifying of that long
neglected section of the city. Handsome
commercial buildings already erected TO
the north indicate that the future arch
.itectural development Of those great
| - tro Hn OF
least as far as Fifty-ninth street, will
rival Fifth avenue, as the architects OF
to-day are generally more skilled than
those of generation ago, and the land
is cheaper and the congestion less on
the broad avenues of the West Side
than on Fifth avenue.
Suitable Housing Difficult.
.-rhe housing problem in New York is
giving its thoughtful citizens much con-
cern. The cultured middle class espe-
cially finds it increasingly difficult to
find suitable homes. A phenomenon OF
New York society is its choice of the
East rather than the West Side for Its
domiciles. Whether reasonable or not
| It is a fact that the social center OF
New York is on the East Side.
"There are too many examples of the
| remodeled isolated house to make In
dividual mention Of them here. 1t VIII
be sufficient to call attention to the
two group developments which are bes'
known and most widely talked about
The first is a. section in the middle o.
the block bounded by Forty-eighth and
Forty-ninth streets. Third and Secont
avenues, known as Turtle Bay. There q
group OF old brownstone houses wa!
remodeled outside and inside. trans
! forming the old back yards into attrac
| tive gardens. These properties wer,
seized upon eagerly by cultured ant
fairly we'll to do class of citizens. TIL,
other development Sutton place. con
sists of several remodeled and severa
new, houses between Fifty-seventh stree
and Fifty-eighth street, First avenu,
and the East River. occupied by wei
known persons.
THE houses on these blocks are struc.
turally sound and are susceptible OF
being profitably remodeled. The neigh.