The Personality of American CitiesHungerford, Edward
History
The Personality of American Cities
Hungerford, Edward
Cities and towns -- United States; United States -- Description and travel; United States -- Social life and customs -- 1865-1918
Elaborate did we say? This is the elaboration of perfect
taste--unobtrusive rugs, hangings, lighting fixtures and
furniture--great, broad rooms and from their windows there comes to you
another of the spectacular views that lay below the man-made peaks of
Manhattan. To the south--the smooth, blue surface of the upper bay--in
the foreground a nine hundred foot ship coming to the new land, her
funnels lazily breathing smoke at the first lull in her four-day race
across the Atlantic; to the east, a mighty river and its bridges,
Brooklyn again and on very clear days, visions of Long island; to the
north the most wonderful building construction that man has ever
attempted, Babylonic in its immensity; to the west the brisk waterway of
the North river and beyond it, Jersey City, sandwiched in between the
smoky spread of railroad yards. This is the sort of thing that Mr.
Downtown Luncher may have--if he is willing to pay the price. On torrid
summer days he may ascend to the roof-garden, may glance lazily below
him at the activities of the busiest city in the world and sip up the
cool breezes from the sea, while folk down in the bottom of the Broadway
chasm are sweltering from heat and humidity. And in winter he will find
a complete gymnasium in operation on another floor of the club, with a
competent instructor in charge. The "doctor," as they call him, will lay
out a course of work. And that course of work, calling for a half-hour
of exercise each day just before lunch will make dyspeptic and paunchy
old money-grubbers alike, keen as farmhands coming into dinner.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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