What Long Island Offers thelHome Seeker 
by A. W. Dean 
T EN years ago Long j| 
Island was little 
known outside Brooklyn, 
even to New Yorkers. It 
was considered inaccessi¬ 
ble and regarded as a mix¬ 
ture of waste land and 
flimsy summer cottages. 
To-day the Long Island 
service is extended to the 
remotest ends of this one 
hundred and thirty mile 
strip of land. It has add¬ 
ed electrified roads, so that distances beyond thirty miles from 
the city are brought within commuting accessibility available for 
almost everyone. As a vital factor in the life of our largest city, 
Long Island is of great import. From the census of 1900 to our 
last one the population of the five boroughs of New York City has 
increased thirty-nine 
per cent, or over a 
million and a third, a 
greater percentage in¬ 
crease than ever oc¬ 
curred before. Man¬ 
hattan is greatly con¬ 
gested, and has but a 
limited opportunity 
for extension. In the 
days of Malthus, wise 
heads would be dubi¬ 
ously shaken when 
the future of the city 
was considered. But 
the rediscovery of 
Long Island has made 
it a factor in not only 
increasing the possi¬ 
bilities for better 
homes, but also add¬ 
ing to the daily sup¬ 
plies of food stuffs. 
The Island is unique 
in the number and di¬ 
versity of its oppor¬ 
tunities. Its impor¬ 
tance may be judged 
when it is considered that 
its population equals that 
of New Jersey, and is 
over double that of Con¬ 
necticut. Yet all this 
great section has been so 
closely connected by a net¬ 
work of railroads that 
practically two-thirds of 
its extent is within easy 
commuting distance of 
the city. Along the roll¬ 
ing hills of the north, 
with the beautiful harbors, home sections of all sorts are in touch 
with the city. The farms in the center of the Island are able to 
bring in their products as quickly as if they were on the immediate 
borders of the metropolis. The anomaly of a seaside home in 
connection with the city is changed here. For there are many 
dwellers at the ocean 
edge who are as close 
to the heart of New 
York City as though 
they lived in uptown 
Manhattan. 
As the Long Island 
road is about to open 
a new electrified 
branch of its service 
to Port Washington, 
it 1 seems fitting that 
some of the manifold 
opportunities of this 
section be spoken of, 
and that the great as¬ 
sistance to metropol¬ 
itan congestion might 
here be shown. No¬ 
ticing the map on this 
page, it will be seen 
that electric roads run 
from the Pennsylva¬ 
nia Terminal to Port 
Washington, to Mine- 
ola, to Long Beach, 
and to Far Rockaway. 
Later the work that 
The beach at Long Beach offers wonderful opportunities for surf bathing and a 
climate pleasing the year round 
This map of the Long Island Railroad shows how the system has been extended and its 
efficiency increased by electrification. The projected roads that will open up all this 
territory within the near future are indicated in the key 
Laurelton shows well-shaded streets and pleasing lawns that are without 
the appearance of bare newness 
At Wampage Shores near Port Washington there are interesting drive¬ 
ways and pleasing buildings of a good type 
( 159 ) 
