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REAL* ESTATE
AND
NEW YORK, APRIL 18, 1914
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YONKERS A CITY OF HOMES AND INDUSTRIES
Many Real Estate Developments Are Drawing New Population From New
York—^Apartment House Work Hindered By Uncertainties of the Housing Law.
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ADJOINING the northerly line of
New York City lies Yonkers with
an area of 22^ square miles, which is
larger than Manhattan Island. The
With the population of 90,000 as com- dwellings and two-family houses is par-
pared with 79,000 for 1910 and 48,000 ticularly favored. Under the provision of
for 1900, and with a number of develop¬
ment companies offering attractive resi¬
dential properties at moderate prices to
growth of the city, industrially and home-seekers, the population is expected
otherwise, has been influenced to a
marked degree through the activities of
the Chamber of Commerce, which com¬
prises the best business elements in
Yonkers. Their slogan has been
"Yonkers—next to the largest city in
the United States."
It is the sixth largest city in the State
to reach 150,000 within a short time.
While real estate activity has not been
the new law if an owner wishes to
build a detached dwelling on a plot
40x100, the width of the house may be
30 feet and the depth 80, with a yard 5
feet wide on each side. It is obvious that
it is possible for the architect to get in
deterred, the passage of the Housing a building of that size any disposition or
Law (known as' Chapter 744), "An act arrangement of the interior that may be
for housing people in cities of the sec- desired. Should the plot be 30 teet wide
ond class," which became a law on May the house may have a width of 40 feet.
31, 1913, has had a deterrent effect on The law, however, is said to make
apartment house operations, new con- apartment hcjuse construction difficult for
struction in the last two years having builders in cities of the second class. For
and from present indications should be- been confined principally to private instance, if a five-story building Is to be
come, within a reasonatile time, the
fourth largest. As p?""! of the port of
New York, it has a wharf frontage on
the Hudson River of four and a half
miles—a deep-water channel, enabling
large sea-going vessels to dock conveni¬
ently. There are in the city nineteen
passenger depots for the various rail¬
roads which put Yonkers in touch with
the greater city and
other parts of the
State. On the east is h.iI'stiNi
the N. Y. C. & H. R, R.,
Harlem division; on the
west the main line of
the N. Y. C. & H. R. R.,
and in the very center
from north to south
runs the Putnam divi¬
sion of the same sys¬
tem. Additional transit
facilities are furnished
by 36 miles of surface
lines connecting with
nearly all sections of
Manhattan and the
Bronx.
Conveniently scattered
throughout the city are
seven parks, one a fully
equipped public play¬
ground for children, and
in addition South Yonk¬
ers receives the benefit
of Van Cortlandt Park,
just over the city line.
Other established insti¬
tutions in Yonkers in¬
clude 61 churches, of all
denominations; 100 clubs
and fraternal societies;
24 schools, including a
high school; 6 banks, in¬
cluding three discount,
one trust company and
two savings banks, with
estimated deposits of
about $23,000,000.
The city in the wav of
municipal improvements
has 130 mites or streets,
of which 88 are macada¬
mized and 7 of sheet
asphalt, besides 45 miles
of sewers and 80 miles
of street lighting. Best evidence of the
increase in real estate values of Yonkers
and its growth and development may be
obtained from an examination of the
assessed valuations for the last ten years.
In 1903 real estate in Yonkers was taxed
for $43,463,760, in 1908 for $63,977,310 and
in 1913 for $91,903,517.
dwellings. Due to concerted
efforts of a number of civic
and trade organizations in
Yonkers, an amendment has
been obtained which post¬
poned the date
of the enforce¬
ment of the act
from October 1,
CARSDALe
STWOOD
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erected on a lot 25x
100, with a total area
of 2,500 square feet, the
law requires a rear yard
25x40 or 1,000 square
feet, and a court 16x32
or an additional 512
square feet, leaving 988
square feet or 39 per
cent, of the lot as a site
for the building.
Yonkers builders con¬
tend that the allowable
area is too small for a
floor plan that will meet
modern requirements,
and considerable diffi¬
culty would be encoun¬
tered in obtaining de¬
sirable tenants at ren¬
tals which would make
a profitable investment.
If the purpose of this
law is to discourage the
building of apartments
on lots 25x100, that pur¬
pose has been achieved.
The report of J. S.
Bartley, building inspec¬
tor of Yonkers, for the
year 1913 shows that
plans were filed for 659
structures, to cost ap¬
proximately $4,262,800,
but no plans for multi-
family dwellings of any
description were filed,
indicating an unwilling¬
ness on the part of build¬
ers to erect houses of
this type until the status
of the new housing law
is settled.
Another provision of
the law does not permit
frame tenements of any
description to be erected,
and another section
makes fireproofing com¬
pulsory in every struc-
<7;>. ture more than four
stories in height, which
adds materially to the
MAP OF THE CITY OF YONKERS, SHOWING REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENTS, ^^g^ ^f construction.
Yonkers may be
1913, to February 1, 1915. The bill pro¬
vides for the Speaker of the House to
appoint two members, the President of
the Senate to appoint two members and
the Governor to appoint three to investi¬
gate the subject of housing in second
class cities and to draft a new measure.
By this law the erection of private
likened to one real estate de¬
velopment after another. The total
area of 22J^ square miles is dotted
with real estate developments of all
kinds. In South Yonkers are the Park
Hill and Lawrence properties owned by
the American Real Estate Company;
also Van Cortlandt Terrace, Ludlow