Great Jones St, NoHo

Great Jones St is, to me, one of the quintessential New York blocks. It's technically 3rd Street, but turns into Great Jones for a few blocks and then back to third. And, for some reason, the Great Jones part of the street is cooler. It's this fantastic mix of old and new, of bustle and quiet. And, some of my favorite spots in Manhattan are nestled on this little guy.
Great Jones starts at Broadway (going from West to East) and right at the corner are two old buildings with new, commercial businesses. The south side is a vitamin store that used to be the house of the Mayor of New York in the 1800's. And, directly across the street is a chain bakery that has these fantastic lion gargoyle things at the top of the building. I love that even though the area is completely gentrified, the history and integrity of the buildings wasn't compromised much on this street. And, these two buildings showcase that pretty well. Just a few steps away is the famous Schmermerhorn building. It was built in the 1800's on the site of the Schmermerhorn mansion, and while I don't think the building is particularly stunning, at least its still there and it's old world styled. The ground floor of the building used to house a music joint that saw the likes of Jeff Buckley and Fiona Apple before they got their start. I can't imagine a venue like that in this neighborhood anymore which is probably why it closed. But, that's pretty indicative of the fact that this part of town was quite gritty until pretty recently. Great Jones, in fact, still is a little creepy at night. It's kind of dingy and looks exactly as you would imagine the street to look about 200 years ago. You move a few blocks in any direction from the street, and it's completely modern which is so crazy to me.
The next, and last block is my favorite part of Great Jones. It houses the restaurant Five Points which is one of the first restaurants I ever went to when I first moved to New York. The food is fantastic any time of day but Brunch is my favorite. It's crazy packed but the service is lovely (especially Paul, the bartender) and the energy is great. There's a really popular spa directly across the street which I've never been to but most of my friends deem it the best in the city. There's a lovely, old firehouse on the block that is still operating. If you're into either architecture or fireman, a quick jaunt over there behooves you. Great Jones Cafe is a couple of buildings east of Five Points and they have great food as well -- though I'm partial to Five Points. It's a bit cheaper over here if you want a brunch without fanfare.
I wouldn't necessarily live on Great Jones because it is a little desolate at night, but I love this street as far as history and things to do. I walk down it whenever I have a chance. Plus, it's a really central street and there is so much to do surrounding it that it's hard to beat.