House & Garden 
THE children’s FOUNTAIN IN THE PARK 
the boulevard have different names) far 
surpass any avenue we have in America.” 
If one leaves the Avenue de la Toison d'Or 
and goes up to the Wood (Bois de la Cambre) 
through the Avenue Louise , lined with its 
splendid residences, a new district is dis¬ 
covered. It is called the upper town, and 
includes the two towns ot Ixelles and Saint 
Gilles. Where, ten years ago Buffalo Bill 
and his horses camped, there is to-day a new 
city, part of that greater Brussels which is 
destined to absorb, one by one, the country 
villages now actually connected with the sub¬ 
urban communes by avenues lined with 
modern houses and villas. Builders do not 
hesitate to lavish money on the fronts of their 
houses, and there is a keen rivalry between the 
architects in designing the facades. A bluish 
cut stone, granite in small blocks, white stone, 
silesian bricks (white or yellowish), red bricks 
made near by at Waterloo, canal bricks of a 
light salmon color, are the different materials 
used, and they have served tor the best and 
the worst ot those facades designed a 1 'Art 
Nouveau when the crusade for that style 
was led by Horta, Hankar, Plessener and 
Blaireau. 
23 
Belgians are very proud of their tree 
planted boulevards. The circular ones 
in Brussels which, as will be seen by the 
accompanying illustration, play a very 
important part in the city’s plan, are very 
large and are divided into five parts. 
The outer portions next to the houses 
are paved with Belgian blocks and are 
reserved for heavy traffic. Next to this 
is an alley of soft, red clay, bordered 
with trees, which is set apart for riders. 
In the middle of the boulevard is a wide 
road, paved with wood blocks, and 
reserved for light traffic and spring 
carriages only. On each side of this 
middle avenue is a spacious thoroughfare 
for passengers, lined with trees and rows 
of benches. In the spring the aspect 
of the boulevards lying in the more 
aristocratic parts of the upper town is 
indeed delightful, and their beauty is well 
appreciated by the many citizens who 
throng there to enjoy the promenade. 
Very often 1 have heard Americans say, 
“We think a great deal of our Massa¬ 
chusetts Avenue in Washington, but 
your Avenue de la Loison d'Or and Boulevard 
de Waterloo (strange to say the two sides of 
A MODERN SHOP FRONT 
In the street , Monta^ne de la Cour 
