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Real estate record and builders' guide: [v. 89, no. 2306]: May 25, 1912

Real Estate Record page image for page ldpd_7031148_049_00001417

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MAY 25, 1912. OUR WESTCHESTER AND CONNECTICUT SUBURBS. Tendencies of Growth in the Commuting Area North of the City—Last Important Undeveloped Section Opened Up by the Westchester and Boston. WESTCHESTER County occupies an important position in the residential and industrial scheme that, in spite of their political distinctiveness, is grad¬ ually making of New Tork City and its suburban area on economic unit. In this scheme, becoming each year more ciearly defined, three determining factors have placed Westchester County in a forward iila-ce in the friendly competition that is going on between the semi-suburban dis¬ tricts within the municipal limits of New York City, and the more distinctly sub¬ urban communities included in the com¬ muting area ol Westchester County on the north. Long Island on the east and New Jersey on the west. First of these is its geographical rela¬ tion to the City of New To-rk. This, early in the days of country life development, gave it tlie beneflt of that By R. O. CHITTICK Rye, settled in lUijQ by some 40 iami- lies of Rye, England, who obtained their grant from King Charles II, had in course of time added a few well-to-do families to the remnant of its original colonizers. White Plains had been settled in 168S by the neighboring men of Rye through purcha-se of the Quarropas tract from tiie Wequaesqueek Indians. It had con¬ ducted it municipal affairs since 1725, and had since the last quarter of the eighteenth century enjoyed the distinc¬ tion of being the county seat. Eut it was slill a typical rura,! settlement. New Rochelle, colon'ized in the 17 th century by the French Huguenots, and an o'lc. city, hafl taken but little advantage of its waterfront position, though its so¬ cial life was perhaps more vigorous than that of some of its neighbors. Tonkers began early in its career to Chester County might require. Their sub¬ urban traffic was not given any special consideration. But this gateway for freight traffic in¬ to New Tork City Avas also the gateway from the metropolis out into an unusually attractive territory, capable of supply¬ ing the housing needs of a fast multi¬ plying city population. Moreover, as has been pointed out. cir¬ cumstances had comibned to establish, at strategic points for commercial and resi¬ dential expansion, four important centers, to which population was steadily being attracted even under unfavorable transit conditions, and from ivhich it should be diffused quite rapidly just as soon as this impediment should be removed. A glance at the accompanying map of West¬ chester County will make plain the im¬ portance of this point. WHERE SUMMER PORCH LIFE CAN BE ENJOYED Price, $8,000. Feature; Adajited to ali Location, Pelhamwood. N. Y. weather conditions. SECLUSION AND CHARM OF A SCARSDALE HOME. Location. Scarsdale, N. Y. Feature: Simplicity and comfort. Price, $8,000 historic tendency of New Tork City's growth to move in a northward direction, a longitudinal moA'ement forced upon it by physical harriers on east and west. Second, its natural beauty and variety of scenery, in which commanding eleva¬ tions and extensive eaist and west coast lines are important features. In this particular it has had to com¬ pete on even terms with some parts of Long Island and New Jersey, but has had the aclvantage of closer proximity and greater accessibility. Third, its railroad facilities. The development of the transit facili¬ ties of AVestchester County owes its origin to commercial rather than residential needs. Both the New Tork Central & Hudson Hi ver Railroad and the K'ew Tork, New Haven & Hartford Railroad were trunk lines, bringing the great raw and manufactured products and food sup- lies from foreign 'States to New Tork for local consumption and for export. They traversed a sparsely settled country rich in natural beauty, full of historic 'reTics and associations, btit utilizeid mainly for agricultural purposes and for extensive country estates of a few wealthy pioneer residents from New Tork. Here land there the germ of future community life on a larger scale lay dormant about settlements dating from Colonial times, but still more or less antiquated and oqt of touch, with metropolitan life, plant the seeds of sturdy coinmercial growth. Its position on the Hudson River placed it in the path of the ship¬ ping coming down from the great grain and lumber and brick making centers be¬ tween Albany and New Tork. The an¬ nexation to New Tork, in 1874, of that portion of Westchester County lying north of New Tork City and west of the Bronx Kiver brought Tonkers to the border line of the Metropolis; a fact which ultimately increased its business and residential prestige. Mount Vernon owes its origin to the desire of certain citizens of New Tork, among them Horace Greeley, to encourage on others the love for country life and incidentally to reap such pecuniary bene- fi; a'S might accrue from purchasing cheap acreage which promised to enhance a value. The New Tork Industrial Home Association No, 1, incorporated about 1850, secured its first 1,000 subscribers in six months. It was shrewd enough in 1S51 to donate to the New Tork, New Haven and Hartford Railroad land for a station. By 1S5S the settlement boasted some 300 houses. When Mount Vernon became an incorporated village in 1853 its population was about 1,400. However, until comparatively recently -—about two generations ago—the rail¬ roads directed their energies mainly toward providing such facilities as the freight traffic cominf through West- First there was the City of Tonkers on the Hudson River, touching the New Torlc City line, with growing commer¬ cial and manufacturing interests, a con¬ sequently increasing local Tvorking popu¬ lation, a substantial middle class and even well-to-do residence population aiid a tendency to develop its own suburban deiiendencies. Next there was the City of Mount Vernon, also bordering on New Tork City and occupying a position midway between Ihe Hudson River and the Long Island .^ound, growing steadily, with large prom¬ ise of business and residential increase. Next there was the City of New Rocheiie on the Sound, attracting a more or less well-to-do residence population and showing a tendency to empha'size its social rather than its business import¬ ance. Finally, there was White Plains, the county seat, deriving new importance «s the b.usintess of the cities further south brought its official position more .md more into prominence. The gradual overflowing of local popu¬ lation into localities adjacent or conveni¬ ent to tlie larger centers was steadily peo¬ pling the hitherto unsettled territory and pressing fhe claim for better transporta¬ tion. Finally, to this local demand -vi'as added the constant complaint of a body Of commuters growing yearly larger as