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MARCH 2, 1912





A TUNNEL STREET AND   ITS EFFECT ON REALTY.

The Broadway Valley Near  191st Street Will Be Made Available for
Apartments—An   Extension   Planned   Under Fort Washington   Avenue.





AJIONG other e.\tensive municipal ini-
pj-ovenients the City has recently en¬
gaged in the latest phase of underground
construction designed to furnish better
transportation facilities to a now neglect¬
ed district. Heretofore s-ubways have been
constructed entirely for the use of rail¬
way trains but the latest project is a sub¬
surface street for pedestrians only, and
is to be found at the northernmost end of
■Washington   Heights.

The Interborough subway at the lOlst
street station finds itself .under the crest
of a hill, the surface of which is some
185 feet above the level of the tracks.
In order to make the station available,
two large high-speed elevators are em¬
ployed and passengers are landed at the
surface on St. Nicholas avenue. Im'me-
diately west 'Of this avenue there is an
abrupt declivity about one Quarter of a
mile in length, terminating in a valley
through which runs Broadway. A short
distance west of Broadway the land again
rises sharply to the top of a ridge known
as  Fort  "Washington  Heights.





the elevator service is the principal obsta¬
cle now in the way, but some agreement
may be reached between the Board of
Estimate and the property owners, and
it is expected that definite action will
soon be taken. Work on the section be¬
tween Broadway and the subway station
is progressing rapidly; the contractors are
at 'present up to scheduled time and ex¬
pect to have the new street ready for use
by -September 1st of this year.

The importance of these two tunnels to
property in the Broadway Valley and on
Por.t Washington Heights can readily be
understood. From ISTth to l'.)'2d street
on either side of Broadway there exists
today but one structure of any kind, this
an elevator apartment house built some
years ago. Mucli of tlie property front¬
ing on Broadway and having a depth of
from 100 to 300 feet is available for im¬
provement and remains in a vacant state
only by reason of its present inaccessi¬
bility. The one apartment house above
mentioned is almost directly opposite the
tunnei, but has never been able to obtain





pert, the brewer, and the price paid, it
is understood, was about $35,000. The
entrance to the tunnel will be on a cor¬
ner of this property and the puix^hase
carried with it some award from the City,
which would bring the net price down to
about $10,000 a lot. The buyer intends,
it is said, to erect an apartment house
with a cafe on the ground floor.

Just north of Fairview avenue is a
considerable stretch of well-lying prop¬
erty which is for sale at about $10,000 a
lot. These prices are not at all prohibi¬
tive for apartment house construction,
and in fact when one considers how easily
the subway may be reached by the tun¬
nel, they should appeal strongly to build¬
ers. At present the avenues and side
streets between Wadsworth and Amster¬
dam avenues are almost solidly built up
with apartment houses as far north as
186th street, and the residents must use
the ISlst street station of the subway and
experience considerable delay and incon¬
venience by reason- of the crowded ele¬
vators    at    that   station.      Residents   on














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VIEW  OF  BROADWAY  AXD  FORT    WASIII.N'GTOX   RIDGE.





FAIRVIEW   AV.   AXD   THE   TUNNEL   ENTRANCE.





Fairview avenue, a winding road, leads
down from St. Nicholas avenue to Broad¬
way and affords the only means of access
to the subway for those living in the
Broadway valley. This road is too long
and too steep to be imuoh used, and in
order to obviate the necessity for this
climb the City is building a tunnel street
through the hil! from Broadway to the
191st street station. The tunnel will enter
the station at the foot of the elevator
shaft and travelers to the subway will be
able to reach the train platforms without
climbing  stairs   or   using   an   elevator.

The work comprises about 92o feet of
street, 740 feet of which is to be under
the hill and the balance a roofed-over cut
extending to Broadway, where a kiosk
similar to those used at subway stations
will be located; travellers will descend
about eight feet at Broadway. The street
is to be 12 feet in width with an arched
roof 12 feet high and will be well lighted
by electricity. The tunnel will have a
slight grade not much over 1 per cent.,
the total difference in levels being only
d¥i  feet.

It is also proposed to continue the street
on grade across Broadway and Bennett
avenue and tunnel through the western
hill to a point directly beneath Fort Wash¬
ington avenue. Elevators would be furn¬
ished here to carry travellers to the sur¬
face of,the avenue, which at this .point
is about the highest spot on JIanliattan
Island. Plans for this extension are now
being considered by the Board of Esti¬
mate and the matter is being strongly
urged- by surrounding property owners.
The   question   as   to   who   shall   maintain





many   tenants,   notwithstanding  the  fact
tiiat rents arc much lower than in almost
any   other   elevator   apartment   on   Wasli¬
ington Heiglits.

It is true that on the west side of
Broadway some of the property lies con-
sidei-ably below grade and the bottom is
soft, but the greater part of it could be
used. Bennett avenue, a street recently
cut through, lies about 200 feet west of
and parallel to Broadway and most of
the Broadway lots run through and front
on Bennett avenue. The hill rises steepl.v
from Bennett avenue and very little land
on the west side of this street could be
used for building. Being so close to tlie
hill this avenue is not nearly so desirable
as Broadway, and lots fronting on Ben¬
nett avenue are worth only from $5,000
to $7,000 each. Another disadvantage is
that very few of the cross streets are cut
through west of Broadway and the City
will not authorize the extension of any
others unless the property owners share
eciually with the City in the expense. It
is likely, therefore, that Broadway will
benefit the most by reason of the tunnel
street and it is confidently expected that
considerable apartment house building will
take place within a radius of flve or six
blocks either way from the new street.

Property on the west side of Broadway,
where the bottom is good, is held at from
.^12,000 to $15,000 a lot. but a fair esti¬
mate of present value is probably about
$10,000. On the east side, south of the
tunnel, the hill rises rather steeply, but
lots about IOO feet deep are available. The
corner of Broadway and Fairview avenue
was   recently   acquired   by   Colonel   Rup-





Bruadway near the tunnel street could
as Quickly reach the station at 191st
street as their neighbors on the hill can
get to ISlst street, and they will enjoy
Ihe double advantage of being under cover
for the entire walk and avoiding the use
of  elevators.

The extreme southerly end of the Dyck¬
man section around Broadway, is very
little improved but contains a considerable
amount of property desirable in many
wai's for residential purposes. At pres'-
ent it is accessible only from the Dyck¬
man street station of the subway, and
the length of the walk to this station has
deterred builders from attempting to con¬
struct apartment houses. The new street
will afford easy access to this territory
and it, no doubt, will influence consider¬
able building. The most logical form of
improvement for Broadway would seem
to be five story walk-up houses, with pos¬
sibly some six story elevator apartments
near  the  entrance to  the tunnel street.

The district offers many attractions to
those who desire to live practically in the
country and yet be on the line of the sub¬
wav and enjoy the conveniences of apart¬
ment house life. The air is excellent, the
surrounding hills offer attractive scenery
and there are beautiful walks to be had
in all directions. The upper portion of
the island seems to appeal strongly to
many who come from suburban towns.
In the center of the Dyckman section,
near the 207th street station, a number
of apartment houses have recently sprung
up and the owners state that a large pro¬
portion of their tenants come from north¬
ern  l^ew  Jersey  or Westchester .County.