Brick surfacing was a good compromise, but even better was asphalt paving, which was easy to install and to cut through to get at sewers.
bɹˈɪk sˈɜːfɪsɪŋ wʌzɐ ɡˈʊd kˈɑːmpɹəmˌaɪz, bˌʌt ˈiːvən bˈɛɾɚ wʌz ˈæsfɔlt pˈeɪvɪŋ, wˌɪtʃ wʌz ˈiːzi tʊ ɪnstˈɔːl ænd tə kˈʌt θɹuː tə ɡɛt æt sˈuːɚz.