East 12 St, Greenwich Village

The block between 6th and 5th really lets you know you have officially left the West Village and entered Greenwich. Where there were tree-lined quiet streets and beautiful rowhouses, there are now a few rowhouses, a university, massive apartment buildings and a burger joint. It is very mish-mosh and very Greenwich. Edna St. Vincent Millay used to live in the building directly across the street from the burger place - -she's probably rolling over in her grave. The building next door is a pretty, old building but back in the '60's (when the neighborhood was sketchy and bohemian) they used to have CIA experiments here where they had prostitutes administer LSD to unknowing subjects. I find that beyond crazy but nothing about our government should surprise me nowadays. There are a couple of townhouses next door to the New School on this block that are not only pretty but one of them is where David Byrne lives. I saw him at a bar once and about lost my mind. My childhood love for the Talking Heads will, apparently, never die. All of the apartments on this block are incredibly expensive and most of them have at least one noteworthy resident though none of them stick out as a place I would just love to live. The block is pretty but it's not to die for. Although, the church at the end of the block is to die for beautiful. . . incidentally, why is there are church every two feet in Greenwich. It's so odd to me.
There's a great old cinema and a bowling alley on the next block of 12th which I think is to let you know that you are officially in the thick of NYU turf. It's crazy because it's such an expensive and pretty neighborhood that has been completely taken over by punk kids. So, there's a crazy mix of people that have lived in the area for 40 years and a bunch of 18 year olds that just blew in from Michigan. I would not be happy if I were one of the oldies.
Across Uni is a series of apartment buildings that were all built around the turn of the 20th century. Some of them are huge and beautiful and some of them are old and beautiful. But, no matter what, they are insanely expensive. I think this area is far to busy for the price tag it has but I guess some people like to live that close to the tourist hell we call Union Square. There are just too many students and tourists in this area. It takes away from the beauty and history.