Mac Dougal Aly, Greenwich Village

Macdougal Alley is one of those lovely little alleys that are so charming and private that you can't help but be jealous of the people that live there. It's a tiny little alley and I'm not sure of its specific history but I imagine it was, like of the most of the alleys in the Village, meant to be servants' living quarters. And now, like the other Village alleys, those living quarters are some of the most coveted in the city. This particular alley is a little different from the rest in that most of the residences are taken up for NYU professors (NYU taking over historical landmarks? What a shocker). But, there are a few private residences left and they are magnificent. One sold somewhat recently for about $8 million and it came with a wine cellar, backyard, roof patio, etc. That house had basically everything that you can't find anywhere in Manhattan and all of the good stuff as well (i.e. massive fireplaces and grand stairs). $8 million is ridiculously expensive, of course, but it actually didn't seem all that high of a price considering how fantastic the house is. Most of the other alleys have apartment homes so MacDougal is a rare find. It's a tiny whisp of a block so there isn't much in the way of entertainment on the actual street but it's right next to Washington Square Park in a pretty stellar, central location -- aside from all the NYU business. It must be nice to live on MacDougal Alley