House and Garden 
THE PROPOSED WIDENING OF 59TH STREET, NEW YORK 
By means of an arcade to be formed in the present buildings 
inexpensive solution. Doubtless it will not 
entirely obviate the necessity of laying out 
new streets, or of condemning land for street 
widenings, but even in instances where either 
of these methods is imperative, the cost may 
be reduced by providing arcades, and in 
many instances their introduction will make 
other and more radical methods unnecessary. 
Sidewalk arcades 
are much more com¬ 
mon in Europe even 
than street or store 
arcades. Probably 
the longest stretch in 
Paris runs along the 
Rue de Rivoli, one of 
the most frequented 
streets in that metrop¬ 
olis, extending from 
Rue du Louvre to the 
Place de la Concorde — 
a distance of nearly 
one mile. In Vienna, 
the best instances are 
those in the Reichs- 
rathsstrasse near the 
City Hall; in Budapest near the Franz- 
Josefs-Platz and the Redoute-Platz\ in Ham¬ 
burg along the Kleine Alster, etc. Generally 
speaking, as one approaches the Mediter¬ 
ranean, the number of arcades rapidly in¬ 
creases until in Spain and Italy, they become 
very numerous. 
In the United States, instances are yet 
rare; but that the logic of conditions is carry¬ 
ing us in the same direction is evident. The¬ 
atres, hotels and stores 
have roofed over the 
walks about their 
premises as fast as the 
city authorities would 
permit. In the case 
of the Madison Square 
Garden, New York, 
there is only needed 
the removal of the 
curb line to the build¬ 
ing line, or the build¬ 
ing line to the curb 
line, to make it a per¬ 
fect example of the 
sidewalk arcade. The 
Herald Buildingwould 
require still less modification, for an arcade 
has already been provided to shelter those 
who congregate to watch the printing of the 
daily paper. 
A committee of the Municipal Art Society 
of New York has urged upon the city author¬ 
ities the application of the arcade idea to the 
treatment of Fifty-ninth Street. A large 
bridge is being con¬ 
structed over Black¬ 
well’s Island to con¬ 
nect the Borough of 
Queens with Man¬ 
hattan. It will come 
to grade near Sixtieth 
Street and Second 
Avenue. The pres¬ 
ent street plan affords 
no suitable ap¬ 
proaches. Old 
streets must be wi¬ 
dened or new ones 
constructed; but 
either is expensive, 
for several important 
buildings stand in the 
way. The suggestion made by Mr. Charles 
R. Lamb, Chairman of the Committee, is to 
arcade the natural approach—Fifty-Ninth 
Street — throwing the walk into the street 
and practically doubling its width for truck¬ 
ing purposes. The accompanying draw¬ 
ing shows the method of treatment. No 
other plan has been suggested that will 
compare with it in reasonable expense and 
suitability. 
THE ARCADES OF THE HERALD BUILDING, 
NEW YORK 
257 
