He founded the Astor Market in 1915, investing $750,000 of his fortune into a 165′ by 125′ (50×38-metre) corner of 95th and Broadway, Manhattan, creating, in effect, an open-air mini-mall that sold meat, fruit, produce and flowers.

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How do you read "165′ by 125′ (50×38-metre)"?

1. one hundred sixty-five by one hundred twenty-five (fifty by thirty-eight metre

2. one hundred inches sixty-five by one hundred twenty-five inches (fifty by thirty-eight metre

3. one hundred sixty-five inches by one hundred twenty-five inches (fifty times thirty-eight metre

None of those.

one hundred sixty-five feet by one hundred twenty-five feet (or fifty by thirty-eight metres)

‘ is the symbol for foot or feet
“ is the symbol for inch or inches

To read "165′ by 125′ (50×38-meter)", you can interpret it as the dimensions of the Astor Market space. The ′ symbol represents feet, so it means that the area measures 165 feet by 125 feet. Additionally, the metric measurement in meters is provided as well, indicating that it is equivalent to 50 meters by 38 meters.