Cooper Sq, NoHo

Cooper Square is a rare piece of Manhattan Land that is always busy but never feels frenetic. Cooper Square runs around Cooper Union which is a gorgeous looking school founded by the Railroad magnate, Peter Cooper. It's an arts and science university (mostly engineers) that is 100 % free to all of its students. The catch is that to go here, you have to be a genius. It's one of the hardest schools to get into if not the hardest.
Cooper Square is essentially all Cooper Union Buildings and the add-ons are all very different, aesthetically, from the original building. Some are modern and some are kind of depressing looking but you can't take your eyes off of the original school in the middle. It's the oldest steel constructed building and it really is a sight for sore eyes. There's not much else here beyond the school. There are a couple of little businesses like a pizza joint, a Starbucks and other various student haunts. There's a Ukrainian Church marking what's left of their old neighborhood. And, there's the new Cooper Hotel. My parents always stay here when they come into town. It is very sleek and chic but like most New York hotels, the rooms are tiny and incredibly expensive. There are also a few luxury condo buildings and random odds and ends like a Karaoke joint (not even in my top 5 of karaoke places in the city, though). But Cooper Square is mainly noteworthy because of the school. There's not a lot to do here, but it's a great area because the school is so pretty and it's smack in the middle of everything there is to offer in Noho, The East Village, Greenwich and the Bowery. It's a great location.