ABSTRACT
I live in one of the most attractive suburbs of New York. It is built on rolling hills, with belts of woodland and outcropping ledges; excellent trains reach it in forty minutes from the city; the houses were mainly designed by architects, rather than contractors, with fortunate results; and there is not a tenement, a three-decker, or a factory within its limits. The house which I occupy looks out over several acres of open country, where on a June evening one may walk beside a little brook and hear wood thrushes singing in the thickets; and I can reach it from my ofce in a little over an hour. It sounds idyllic, now, but my lease will soon come to an end, and when I think of buying or building I nd myself facing the problem which sooner or later confronts every New York commuter. The city is growing too fast for us.
