JenMac

Dominick is a tiny street with pretty much nothing going on. It is mostly apartment buildings and commercial spaces. There's nowhere to eat and there aren't any bars. And, I think it's a little bit of a hike from either of those things. It's quieter than most of Soho because it's a bit removed. But, there's no charm, no cool buildings and really nothing to do.
There's a massive gallery / event space at Dominick and Hudson that seems really out of place. This isn't what I would call the most commercial area in the city and this building is just a monster. The block between Hudson and Varick is interesting looking because the buildings all look like apartment buildings or dorms but they're actually all office buildings. It's really bizarre because the block looks really residential. The tenement looking building on the corner was the Blues Bar where Dan Akroyd and John Belushi started working their Blues Brothers routine. This block is a pretty sharp contrast to the next block where the commercial properties are so obvious, you would think you were in Flatiron. The Trump Soho is right on the corner of Dominick and Varick and it is massive and really . . . glassy. It's ugly and was built on a cemetery -- human bones were dug up during the entirety of its construction. Across the street from the Trump is a parking lot and a school. And, next door to it is a theatre that I have never been to.
Dominick ends at a little sliver of a "park" which is really more of a square that's not shaped like a square. It's nice to have some green in the area, but the really small ones like this can be a bit depressing.

The corner of Charlton and Hudson is, strangely, still owned by Trinity Church. The land was given to the church by the Queen in the early 18th century and Trinity has torn down old apartment buildings and put up commercial spaces somewhat recently. Nothing like a church making a killing, eh? In fact, Trinity property takes up Charlton until east of Varick. And, what a remarkable difference Varick makes. The final block of Charlton (between Varick and 6th) is one of the most beautiful blocks in the city. Richmond Hill used to be right on the south side of the street and there's now a commercial building -- which is such a shame -- but, that's pretty much the only house that has been demolished on this block. The rest of the block is entirely Federal and Greek style row houses from the mid 19th century. They are gorgeous and ridiculously expensive. This block is really special because it looks almost exactly like it did nearly 200 years ago. Many members of Tammany Hall lived in these houses around the late 19th century. Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker used to live at 17, Edna St Vincent Millay lived at 25 and Fred Gwynne lived at 9. Apparently, one of the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire lived at 11 when she died which is odd because those women were all working class. I'm guessing there must have been loads of people living in these around the time because the neighborhood wasn't great for a period of time. This block is really worth walking down because of the history and beauty . . .let alone the celebrity residents.
Charlton ends at 6th Ave and becomes Prince street but the short stretch that is Charlton is a really desirable street. If you can afford it, this is one of the better streets to live on.

Broome doesn't really have the cache that other Soho streets like Prince and Spring have, but the good news on that one is that aren't as many people on Broome. The bad news is that there isn't much to see or do on Broome either.
There are a few townhouses on Broome between Thompson and West Broadway but townhouses are pretty hard to come by in Soho, in general. This block is pretty much just a few apartment buildings, an empandada joint and an Indian restaurant . . all of which aren't noteworthy. There are some really cool buildings across West Broadway, but they're cool in the looks like a place where destitute people used to live but now very expensive way. The building on the corner used to be a pepper factory (of all things) and a former warehouse lies on the opposite side of the block. The colors of the buildings are cool and you can tell that they are quite old. But, they're very industrial in a way that I think lacks any sort of charm or cool. Old cast iron buildings with apartments above store fronts is pretty much how Broome rolls through Soho and the next block is no different. Shopping-wise, things don't get interesting, however, until around Mercer. Kate Spade, Mango and Patina are all around Mercer as is a Gourmet Garage (which is an awesome market) and Catherine Malandrino. If you're into architecture but not shopping, as I am, the building that holds Mango is really gorgeous. Some cast iron buildings can look like slums but this one is just breath taking.
Speaking of lovely architecture. Broome at Broadway has a series of magical buildings. The Haughwout Building on the northwest corner is really special and it's a shame that a real estate brokerage is in it. You can't miss the thing, it's so mesmerizing. Across Broome from that building is another gorgeous former bank built in the 19th century that now houses Madewell.
Soho is known for shopping and Euros but Broome doesn't have quite the dosage of those to be a hardcore Soho street. The buildings are cool but the area is so busy and filled with tourists that I wouldn't want to live on Broome. And, it's a really expensive street with no real neighborhood feel.

Union Square has always been a big gathering spot, but now the gatherings are a little bit different. 250,000 people gathered here to support the Union in the Civil War, the Shirtwaist Factory Fire Funeral March was here and the vigil for the World Trade Center took place in Union Square. But, most days, it's filled with tourists, busy commuters and punk kids on skateboards. It's ridiculously crowded all the time and not in a good way. The east side is much smoother as far as crowds but it's still not great. But, there is, at least, some relief from the farmer's market patrons that come to dead stops out of nowhere on the west side.
The building on the corner of 17th and Union Square East has a pretty rich history considering that it's not that old. It was the final headquarters of the infamous Tammany Hall -- the corrupt political club that used immigrants (predominantly Irish) to essentially take over New York. It is also the site of where William Lloyd Garrison died. It now houses the New York Film academy. I feel like a more interesting establishment should be in a place like that, but I can't really think of what would be better than a film school offhand. And, considering the building is next door to less than glamorous businesses like Starbucks and a Deli, it's suiting enough. I think there's also a yogurt place on this block, but I never really utilize Union Square East so I'm not sure if it's still there.
There's a really out of place Greek looking building the next block down. There's a mishmosh of random little businesses wedged in next to this really large, Greek temple thingy and, apparently, it's a theatre but neither I nor anyone I know has been to see a show there.
The next block down houses a massive apartment structure with luxury units. I would not want to live in a luxury building in this area not to mention one as unsightly as this one. There's a sort of sad grocery store and an ambulatory care center on the same block. Can you imagine shelling out a buttload of money to live in a massively crowded area next to a bunch of ambulances and sad food shoppers? No thank you.

This is actually one of those New York "map- only streets," meaning it doesn't actually exist. Where Stable Ct is supposed to be is actually the driveway that leads from the Village Voice to the Merchant House with a bit of empty lot around it. Plans for the new Cooper Union Building include Stable Court so it's up for grabs as to whether or not there will actually be a Court here eventually. This seems unlikely, though, seeing as the empty lot next to the Merchant House is used for tunnel ventilation. So, no, you can't live here because it doesn't actually exist.

Shinbone Alley, or Jones Alley, used to be one of the many Mews in Manhattan. Or, rather, a place where the horses were kept with servants quarters built above. It wasn't deemed proper for a lady or gentleman to have a home entrance not facing the street so the servants were shoved behind with the horses so that the actual homes could be streetside. A few of these "alleys" remain but the nicer ones that are prime real estate now are predominantly in the West Village. This area was, at one point, where the term "jonesing" came from because so many heroin addicts hung out around here. Now, there aren't any heroin addicts because the surrounding area is pretty nice. But, you can't live on Shinbone Alley because it is, essentially, a locked parking drive for the abutting buildings.

As far as big streets go, Lafayette isn't bad at all. It's way too busy to want to live on -- it's more like an avenue than a street. There's a lot going on here and there are people everywhere twenty four hours a day. There are a lot of restaurants, shops and theatres on this street, though, so it has more of a community feel to it than any of the big avenues. And, there are some really cool buildings on Lafayette.
The top of Lafayette holds the massive Kmart in the Wanamaker Building and the Astor Subway Platform that holds the most crazy people I have ever seen in a concentrated area. This area is seriously the apex of all that is weird. It's not dangerous, but it's definitely always interesting around 8th - 9th and Lafayette.
The block at Astor Place and Lafayette is comprised of massive buildings that are a pretty even mix of old and new. The east side of the block has a big, glass apartment building that is ugly as sin next door to one of my favorite places in Manhattan: The Public Theatre. I love this theatre more than any of the other big players. It's just a lovely experience from start to finish every time. Although, sadly, the last thing I saw here was the new Kushner Play and that was horrific. I still don't hold it against this place. It used to be a private library for John Jacob Astor (built in 1854) and then was part of the New York Public Library before becoming the theatre. It's one of the big guns in New York Theatre as far as launching plays into Broadway. And, this is the theatre company responsible for Shakespeare in the Park. It's very prestigious and the building is massive and gorgeous. There's a bar attached to the space so you can, honestly, not leave here for hours if you don't want to. Across the street from the Public is Collonade Row. It's the remains of mansions for all of the well to do which are now apartment buildings. The roof of this building is gorgeous and I hear the apartments are exquisite. The Astors and the Vanderbilts both lived here and Edith Wharton did as well for a time after they became apartments. There's a real haunting quality to the architecture that makes the building creepy in a good way. Next door to the Collonade is the Astor Place Theatre which is where Blue Man Group has been running for some time. It's funny that such a tourist and show is directly across the street from a very New York Theatre. The shows get out and both worlds collide. There's an awful nightclub called Butter next door to the Public that used to be really trendy and was even awful when it was popular. Don't go there. The end of the block has the big Yoga center that's name I can't recall. It's the biggest in the country and has a lot of celebrity clients.
The rest of Lafayette as it runs through Noho is comprised of big, new buildings that have long since replaced the old, grand homes. This area has always been a center for the wealthy. It's just that now its a commercial center instead of a residential one.

Great Jones Alley is one of the few alleys in lower Manhattan that's not actually a desirable address. Most of the alleys (especially in the West Village) are prime real estate due to the privacy and the feeling that you're a bit removed from the city traffic. This alley looks exactly like what it sounds like: an alley. It's gated off now and just looks like a long parking area off of Great Jones Street. It was built in 1825 and used to be much longer than it is now.
There are a couple of businesses (I believe there's a tailor in here) and some apartments. But, I wouldn't want to live in them. I love Great Jones Street but the alley is really creepy and seems dangerous at night. You compare Great Jones Alley with something like Patchin Place and you can't help but wonder why anyone would choose this alley. It's gloomy and looks like a drug deal is waiting to happen at any moment.
The good news is that if you do live on Great Jones Alley, you're just off of Great Jones Street which is a great little street. The bad news is that you have to walk into Great Jones Alley at night every day.

East 9th isn't much to write home about during its tenure in Noho. There are a lot of apartment buildings and a lot of businesses but none of them really have any charm. The area is just too busy and many of the apartment buildings are just too massive for there to be any neighborhood feel. There are some beautiful buildings but there are other streets that have more. And, there is a lot of traffic and a lot of noise on this street. It's not bad. But, for the price, I would rather live somewhere else.
The northwest corner of 9th and University holds an apartment building where the novelist Dawn Powell used to live. Her lover lived on the floor below she and her husband and he had his own separate entrance. Apparently, she had wild parties and I can believe that considering she had an affair entrance to her home. Across the street is an apartment building that used to be a hotel where all of the bohemians hung out. The Knickerbocker is on the ground floor of the building and it's one of my favorite places in the city. It's kind of like a diner and kind of not. It's very old with old waiters and old regulars and I just love the place. My dad and I have lunch there every time he's in town. It's especially nice on a rainy day when you want crappy food like meatloaf and a beer. It's the epitome of unglamorous and even better for that. Across the street, at the corner is the Randall Apartments building named after the guy that owned most of Greenwich Village at one point. He's the reason that Greenwich is kind of ugly compared to the West Village. He had Alexander Hamilton write a trust that locked up his property so watertight that we still can't find a way around doing anything with a lot of the buildings. Appropriately, the apartment building across the street is called Hamilton Apartments. So, this corner is, essentially, a little homage to the two people responsible for Greenwich being dingy.
Across Broadway, 9th is taken up for a block by two massive buildings. Wanamakers was a massive, grand department store that is now a Kmart. The Kmart part is kind of depressing but the building is really beautiful. Across 9th is the Stewart Building. It was named for the man that owned another high end department store on this site. He was noted several times as "the meanest man that ever lived," The next block east is more of the same: apartment buildings and commercial space. Aside from the Cooper Union School, there's really not much to see.

East 8th, as it runs through Noho, is a really commercial street. There is a lot going on and a ton of people constantly milling through this area. It's a nice area and a desirable area, real estate-wise. But, I think it's a little to loud, crowded and dirty for the price. The apartment buildings aren't fantastic from the outside -- though some are amazing on the inside. And, the area isn't quaint by any stretch of the imagination. It's not bad at all and it's centrally located. It's just not my favorite.
There are a lot of little, funky shops on East 8th as it goes through Noho (much like 8th through the rest of the city). I've never actually shopped in any of them; but, then again, I never wanted a panda shaped hat or disco shoes. There's a building on the southwest corner of Broadway and 8th that used to be the site of a famous hotel called the Sinclair. It was a big hang for current and would-be Presidents for some reason. Now, it's a monstrous and atrocious apartment complex that is an eyesore on what would otherwise be a decent looking street.
There's a gorgeous building on the opposite side of Broadway that used to be the biggest department store in New York --try to ignore the massive Kmart that is now in there. Wanamaker's Department store opened at the turn of the 20th century and was around for about 50 years. The building is gorgeous and you can imagine just how beautiful the inside must have been when it was the old world equivalent of a Barney's. Across the street from the Wanamaker is another cool looking building, The Astor Place Hotel. I wouldn't stay here but the outside of the building is very old world and grand. The hotel is on the site of the Astor Opera House. This was one of the biggest theatres in New York and the site of the start of the Astor Place Riots. In 1849, a mob broke out in front of this theatre as they were protesting the performance of MacBeth by an English actor. Edwin Forrest, a very famous American actor at the time, was performing the same role a few blocks away, and people were not having that. Thirty people were killed in the riot right on this street. I can't even imagine people getting that juiced up over MacBeth these days; and, in some ways, I think it's kind of cool that people used to.
The next intersection is what I consider to be the port hole to hell. It is where, seriously, all of the crazies seem to congregate (especially at the Astor Place Starbucks). It's a pretty rare day when you walk through this intersection and don't encounter some yelling at himself or shaving someones back in the Starbucks -- I've seen that, no joke. There's a weird little cube sculpture that actually spins so you can give that a whirl if you're not a germaphobe. And, there's a subway platform that was reconstructed to look the old timey ones right here too. It's a cool intersection with a ton of people and a lot going on. But, you just have to be aware that part of that is the crazytown contingency.
The block across Astor Place is taken up completely by Cooper Union. Cooper Union is a free school for geniuses that was established in 1859. It is a stunning school and it really is completely free. I think this is one of the prettiest buildings downtown. And, apparently, the main building of Cooper Union is where all of the bodies were taken to be identified after the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in the early 20th century. A lot of students report feeling like they're choking when they're inside the building. The northeast corner of 8th and 3rd is the site of the first recorded Mob hit in New York City in 1888. If you're into haunted stuff, this building is a big one. If you're into haunted stuff, this block is a big one.

Aside from the area immediately surrounding Broadway, East 4th is a great street as it runs through Noho. It's pretty quiet for New York and though there aren't any bars or restaurants, it's so close to so many, that you wouldn't notice. I like East 4th. It's right in the mix without being on the mix.
There's this really ugly building on the south corner of East 4th where a lot of celebrities have lived. Rob Lowe, Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Britney Spears have all lived in this building so the units must be insanely nice. But, man, the facade of this building is heinous. The building across the street isn't so great either. But, then again, nothing around Broadway is really all that pleasing to the eye. The block is really small and these two monstrosities don't do much to make it quaint.
The block of East 4th at Lafayette makes a marked departure from the modern atrocities of the previous block, that's for sure. There's a weird, but old looking building on the north side of the street that used to be a Press building. I think it's just apartments now. Next door to that building is one of the weirdest and coolest things in the city: The Merchant House Museum. It's a house built in 1832 that stayed in one family the entire time. The homeowner was very old fashioned and when his daughter inherited the house, the family no longer had money to move to the more fashionable uptown or to make any sort of advancements. When the daughter died, the house stood as a time capsule from 1832. A distant cousin walked into the house after he inherited the property and his jaw hit the floor. He immediately turned it into a museum. This place is so interesting because everything down to the furniture and plates is from the original homeowner in the original fashion. They have a candlelight tour here on Halloween that is awesome and really creepy. I highly suggest it. The house next door was owned by the same family but is really run down. I don't know who owns it now but they really need to do something as it's one of the few townhouses left in this part of town.
Across the street from the Merchant House is this cute little wine bar with an ugly as sin bar next to it. I've never been into B Bar and I have no intention to. Anything that uses a neon sign at an attempt to be ironic most likely doesn't share my taste in anything.
East 4th doesn't run through Noho for very long. It's not a jamming street by any means, but there are some cool historical places to see and it's a great area.

There are some great places to hit on 13th but it's not a street I would want to live on. It's too close to Union Square and way too busy. There are people everywhere and it just doesn't feel like a neighborhood. The buildings are generally massive and the commercial spaces runneth over. It's loud and kind of dirty too. It's a great area for stuff to do. It's just not great if you want to avoid tourists and students.
There's a little Vietnamese joint on the corner of 13th and Uni that is pretty good but definitely caters to the student set. There's also an awful bar on the floor above that. The rest of the block is taken up with business like a gym, a day spa, a few shops and two of my most frequented places in the city: the Union Square Chase and Cosi. This Chase bank is surprisingly uncrowded considering the location and the building is lovely. Across the street is a Cosi in the Roosevelt building. The building is from 1893 and it is really gorgeous. It stands out on a block of already pleasing architecture. And, this Cosi is massive. There's always a table, they have free wifi and the foods pretty good / good for you for fast food. They even have a bar in this branch which I think is hilarious. I can never imagine going to a Cosi to get a beer, but apparently, some people do.
Across the street from Cosi is the big Union Square movie theatre. This is the one that I (along with everyone else downtown) usually go to to catch a flick. I just went there for Underworld last week (don't judge). It's massive and always packed but the location and number of movies they play is really hard to beat when you are a last minute movie goer like myself. It's built on the side of Wallach's Theatre which was an equally popular live theatre space around the Wharton era. I believe this is where they had the riots due to two MacBeth's going on. I wish people would still get that crazy over theatre.
The next block is a mix of arty and commercial spaces. Everyman Coffee is one of my favorite coffee spots in the city and the Classic Stage Company behind it is one of the best theatres in the city. Venus in Fur just played there for several weeks before going to Broadway. And, there is usually some sort of celebrity actor in all of their plays. Next door to Everyman is Peridance dance center. This is the best dance studio in the city for ballet and contemporary jazz but it is really catered to the professional dancer. There are an awful lot of gyms on this street so it's interesting to sit in Everyman (with the actors) and watch the dancers pass the meatheads. I've spent a lot of afternoons doing just that.

This part of 12th isn't bad but I'm not a huge fan. It's very commercial and the buildings are all giant (few with character). It's really oppressive and not noteworthy in any way. It has a central location but no charm.
The corner building on 4th and 12th is an apartment building called the Petersfield (named for the Stuyvesants). It doesn't look like much from the outside but the apartments are awesome -- and ridiculously expensive. There's a Crunch Gym in on the ground floor of the building which takes a little away from the old world aesthetics but if a gym is more than 3 blocks from where you live, you'll never go. There's nothing less motivating than trying to make yourself get up at 6 am to work out when there's a blizzard you have to endure for more than five minutes. Utrecht, the art store of all art stores, is across the street from the Petersfield. This place has everything (and a lot of hipsters to boot). There's also a lot of students at this store thanks to the NYU dorm that went up over what used to be an old rectory. Ok, yes, there would still be art students at the art store -- I just wanted to complain about NYU again. The entrance to this dorm is actually the only thing that remains of a crumbly, old church. It's a cool way to enter a building. It's just sad that NYU demolished the majority of what was clearly a gorgeous building.
The rest of the block is what seems to be a dorm war between NYU and the New School. They kept the majority of the old buildings, and I'm sure the insides are very cool, you just can't see them unless you're a student which is a shame.
Because so much of 12th in Noho is taken up by NYU, it's hard for me to not consider this part of town as Greenwich. It's just Greenwich without the charming, small buildings and restaurants.

11th isn't a bad street to live on in Noho by any means. But, there are an awful lot of people and trash for an area that doesn't have that much going on. I wouldn't say no to living here but it's not my first choice either.
East 11th and University is marked by the Albert Apartments and a Wholesale Antique Shop on the corners. The antiques shop building is nothing to write home about but the Albert is a really cool building. It used to be a hotel where a lot of big writers stayed. The Dean and Deluca where Felicity worked in the show Felicity is on the ground floor of this building. There's another really cool hotel turned apartment building across the street but the majority of the block is taken up by Antique shops. I wish I could say whether or not they are good shops but being that they're wholesale, you can't go in without a license. I think this is a really weird spot for this sort of district. It's such prime real estate that I would have expected that they would have been driven uptown by now. The end of the block where there is now a Eastern Antique shop used to be the most popular high end hotel in the city -- we sensing a theme with this street? It was called the St Denis: President Lincoln, Buffalo Bill, Alexander Graham Bell and Ulysess Grant all stayed here.
The next block is entirely taken up by Grace Church and I'm not complaining about that. The building is so beautiful it's impossible to ignore. It makes you imagine what this street looked like before it was so commercial. It's a Gothic Church that was designed in the 1840's by a completely unknown architect -- whose grandfather owned the land. I think he lived up to his nepotism in this case, though. The church is unreal.
The block at 4th Ave has a cool looking post office that used to be a school with a really not cool looking billiards hall across the street. Next door to the post office is my favorite concert hall in the city: Webster Hall. It was built in 1863 and was nicknamed The Devil's Playground because they used to have such wild parties. It's a really cool, old building that isn't glamorous in any way. But, the place is so small that every concert seems intimate. I saw Owen Palett here last year and it was magical. The corner of the block is marked by a place a go to all the time and wish I didn't and a place I never go to an wish I did. Village Pourhouse on the south corner is a massive sports bar that gets out of control and there are a lot of turds that hang out there. But, it's our go to spot (so, I guess we're turds too) for football season and I never have a bad time -- and, I never leave even knowing where my face is. Across 10th is a little movie theatre that I've only been to twice and always wonder why I don't see more movies there. It's little and cute and rarely crowded.
11th has a good mix of things to do, things to see and things to pass over. But, it is a little lacking in neighborhood feel, trees and restaurants. It's not a bad block and it's central to everything, but this far north in Noho lacks a little charm, in my opinion.

East 10th in this stretch has some amazing, old buildings and quite a bit of history for such a small area. There isn't a ton to do in the way of wining and dining, but it has some great things to see. Unfortunately, the charm of the street in this neighborhood is a bit besmirched by all of the commercial activity, noise and traffic. It's not the most homey street but it's not an awful street to live on or walk down either.
The corner of 10th and University has this great looking apartment building with a great flower shop on the ground floor. And, across the street from that is what used to be the Albert Hotel and is now the Albert Apartments. It was a big writer's haunt when it was the hotel. Robert Louis Stevenson and Tolstoy both stayed here. Thomas Wolfe lived there as did John Phillips and James Taylor. Both California Dreamin' and Rainy Day Man were written in this building. So, if you're a writer nerd (like I am) this is a great spot to lurk around. There are a ton of antique shops on this block, so if you're more into old things than old writers then this is also the place to be. I'm not big on antiquing seeing as most apartments in New York are way too small to hold old, big things. But, it's really fun to browse in this area. Il Cantinori is an awesome Italian restaurant in the midst of all the shops on this stretch. It's lovely and famous outside of being the place that Carrie ate alone on her birthday in Sex and the City. The corner of the block is marked by an old building with a bar called Silver Spur on the ground floor. That bar is the site of where Robert Randall lived. He owned most of Greenwich (I kind of consider this particular block to be in Greenwich, truth be told) and he set up his properties in a trust so tight that they still aren't moveable. This counts for the reason why Greenwich is pretty ugly compared to the West Village: a large part of the real estate can't be touched.
The block at Broadway and 10th is a really gorgeous block if you stop to ignore all of the traffic and look at the buildings. The south side of the street has an apartment building that used to be a department store and the north side has Grace Church. You can't miss Grace Church. It is one of the most beautiful buildings in the city. It's a massive, gothic church built in 1846 though it looks much older. There are classical concerts here on weekdays at noon and you combine the music with the beauty of this building and you're in for something else. I'm not a religious person but this church is a religious experience if you catch my drift.

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.

Though the map shows Broadway to run through Noho much further north than Great Jones, I consider anything further north to Greenwich Village. Most New Yorkers argue about where one neighborhood ends and another begins; but, I think most New Yorkers would tend to agree with me on this one. Broadway, as it runs through Noho, would be a gorgeous street with a lot of great, old buildings if you could take away all of the people, trash, cars and noise. The problem is that there is never a time when all of those aren't abundant on this street. It's an incredibly busy street.
There's a gorgeous building on the west side of Houston and Broadway that now houses one of the biggest Crate and Barrel outposts I have ever seen on the ground floor. It was built by Stanford White at the end of the 19th century and it is just breath taking. My favorite movie theatre in the city, the Angelika, is also in this building. This block leading up to Bleecker is comprised of massive buildings from the turn of the 20th century that have always been for commercial purposes. They're all really beautiful, but it's kind of weird to see something like a Crunch Fitness in an old, decadent building.
The block extending up from Bleecker is similar to the previous in that it's pretty much all commercial space. But, the buildings are, mostly, from the mid-century and do have residential units above them. The corner of Bleecker and Broadway holds a really stunning brick building that used to be a bank -- it was the site of the 19th century's biggest bank robbery wherein the crooks stole $20 million. It's now a clothing shop on the ground floor. Herman Melville lived at 675 Broadway and James Fenimore Cooper's funeral was held at 675 Broadway (it's now an NYU dorm). The site of the dorm was also once a very popular theatre where Edwin and John Wilkes Booth performed together in Julius Caesar.
The block between Great Jones and 4th is so odd looking because of one eye sore of a modern building. There are all these great, old New York buildings with owl looking gargoyles and lions around the borders of them. And, then there's a luxury building smack in the middle of them where a lot of celebrities have lived (like Britney Spears). It cheapens the block, in my opinion.
I would not want to live on Broadway in any part of town. It's just too busy and way too loud. And, there aren't any great bars or restaurants on pretty much any part of Broadway either -- especially in Noho. But, if you like architecture or you like to shop, this is your street. Plus, you can't avoid Broadway because it's such a major avenue.

Shevchenko Place is a one block street that traverses Cooper Union School. The Ukrainian population in New York fought to have this name given to what was formerly Hall Place and they won in the '70's. Well, they sort of won: both street names are up on the sign. This street is a pedestrian walkway from 6th to 7th that runs in between Cooper Union's main building and their residence hall. The place is still surrounded by Ukrainian businesses and a Ukrainian Church but Cooper Union has had plans in the works for a decade to terminate this street and it looks like the bill is about to be passed. As far as things to do, McSorley's is right at the end of the walkway on 7th, so it's spitting distance from one of the oldest and most popular bars in the city. But, you can't live on this street and there's really nothing to do on it. It's in a great area and there are infinite things to enjoy surrounding Shevchenko Place but it is really just a means of getting through the school (which is gorgeous, by the way).

This is a little whisp of a street in Alphabet City that I really don't think most New Yorkers know exists. I asked friends that live in the East Village and their response was, "what street? Never heard of it." Granted, most of the people I know don't go east of Ave C much, but it's a pretty good indication of how obscure Szold Place is. The even funnier thing about this street is that it is named after a woman that was never even a New Yorker. She did a lot to help the Jewish cause . . . but not in New York . . .ever. I think this is really funny because streets with people's names are really rare in Manhattan.
The street used to be called Dry Dock. When the Dry Dock District ceased to exist and became Alphabet City / the East Village, they chucked a name at a tiny street which eventually was also taken away. Oh, New York, you're sometimes very cool.
Anyway, the Dry Dock Park and Public Pool is here but unless you want to swim in a public pool, there's not much of a reason to come here. It's really sketchy living around Ave D unless you live in a very secure building. And, these buildings are really old. They're charming looking but it's not a great part of the neighborhood, it's far from public transportation and it's not pretty enough to warrant living here.

Stuyvesant Alley was an "s" shaped street that straddled 11th and 12th streets. Almost the entirety of the East Village and the Bowery was the Stuyvesant Farm back when New York was becoming New York. Peter Stuyvesant was the first governor of New York, and, clearly, had a lot of money and land. Sadly, what could have been another great alley to live on (like Patchen Place) has been taken over by the bully of Manhattan: NYU. The alley has been covered by their behemoth of a dorm. So, there's nothing to see here because the alley is gone and you can't live here unless you go to NYU. If you do happen to go to NYU then I'm sure it's a great dorm to live in due to its proximity to everything great.

There's not a ton to say about Lillian Wald Dr because it's a tiny street off of Ave D that serves as the entrance to Lillian Wald Houses. Lillian Wald was a nurse and activist for low income groups around the turn of the 20th century. She helped the fight to abolish child labor, start the Red Cross and organize proper health care for tenement residents in New York City. Lillian Wald Houses was established in 1949 as a housing project / tenement and remains that today. Lillian Wald Drive leads to a housing project with 16 buildings that houses around 1800 low income apartments. They're not awful looking buildings but they definitely look like tenements. To me, all tenement buildings look the same -- even the ones that have been converted into luxury buildings (like Stuy Town). There aren't any restaurants, bars or activities around and I don't expect that any are going to pop up on a housing project drive any time soon. So, unless you need low income housing assistance, there's really no reason to come here.

FDR Drive is basically the east side equivalent of the West Side Highway. But, unlike the West Side Highway, you can't live on this street because it isn't a street: it's a freeway. It's great because you can get from the bottom of Manhattan to the top very quickly, but there's really not much else to say about it. Being that it's a highway, there are no restaurants, bars, homes or things to look at. It's simply a quick way to get from downtown to uptown and beyond. An interesting fact about FDR Drive is that no commercial vehicles can drive on it. This lends itself to the speed of using the highway, but it makes a little moving a little difficult. Moving vans, trucks and buses are prohibited because there is a weight limit which I believe is due to the fact that the section between 23rd and 34th is built entirely upon rubble -- so think about that next time you're stuck in gridlock with 100 other cars in this area. Kinda scary.

The corner of 7th and 3rd houses the Cooper Union Engineering Building and a church that was built in the mid-19th century as a bank, originally. The school building is so modern and high tech looking that it's really odd to see that next to this very old world looking building. But, that's New York for ya. A few doors down from the church is one of the most famous bars in New York history, McSorleys. It's kind of shocking when someone hasn't heard of this bar. You have to go, but I'm not a huge fan because it's such a tourist attraction. It would be really cool if it weren't for that. It's the fourth oldest bar in NY (opened in 1854) and supposedly the longest continually running bar in the city. Women weren't permitted inside until 1970 and there used to be no chairs because they thought if you're too drunk to stand then you have to leave. Everyone from Boss Tweed to John Lennon has been in this bar that only serves either a dark beer or a light beer (I'm not kidding). And, they have fun historical tidbits like a pair of Houdini's handcuffs to the original wanted poster for John Wilkes Booth up on the walls. It looks like it hasn't been dusted since about a week after it opened but it's a must -see / enjoy at least once.
There's a cool looking Italian joint on the corner of 2nd and 7th that has catacombs in the basement. There are a lot of places in New York where people are eating above dead bodies, but not a lot of those places necessarily advertise it. Creepy but kind of cool. The rest of the block is a bunch of vintage stores that are basically graveyards for what used to be cool places. One in particular is 64 East 7th. It used to be a coffee house that had poetry readings graced by Ginsberg and Berge. Then it became just a poetry facility before it become the world's first macrobiotic restaurant where Yoko Ono even worked. It has basically always been a hippie establishment. But, the hippie factor becomes less interesting every time it turns over. The end of the block, however, has a really cool, little bar that has been there forever and hopefully won't find the same fate as the rest of this street's turnover.
The next block (between 1st and A) is a very East Village block to me. It houses a lot of little vintage stores that aren't exactly cheap, a church (naturally) and two of my favorite restaurants in the city that couldn't be more different. Caracas Arepas bar is tiny and very cheap. This place is always packed and very loud. And, the food is incredible. Across the street is Pylos Greek restaurant. It is wildly expensive for Greek food in this neighborhood but also fantastic. It is also always crowded but weirdly never loud. I suppose anyone that is willing to pay that kind of money for Greek in the East Village tends to be little less of the rowdy sort. They're both great, though, in completely different ways. Directly from Pylos is a place called Other Worldly Waxes. It's a witch shop that is really cool and always crowded too. They hand carve candles for different spells you want and they're all really nice for witches.
The block between A and B is very residential and very charming in an East Village kind of way on one side and has Tompkins Square Park on the other. Tompkins Square Park is a great park with a very ramshackle history. It used to be hunting grounds for the Stuyvesants and was turned into a park in 1834. There have been a lot of back and forths between the artist and homeless set and the police in this park. The park has a curfew now of midnight which is unheard of in the city. But, you would hardly want to be walking through any park after midnight anyway. They have a great outdoor movie series every summer here. There's a great bar at the corner of B and C that has been featured in a lot of movies for it's East Village aesthetic and neighborhood feel. It's the best place to go for a drink after aforementioned summer film is over.

The nicest thing I have to say about East 5th Walk is that it's not the hub of heroin dealing for New York City anymore . . . that I'm aware of. It still looks like it though. Like East 4th Walk, East 5th Walk is comprised of housing projects in its entirety. Though the East Village is starting to get a lot hipper east of 1st Avenue, once you get past Avenue C, it's still really sketchy. All you really find around Ave D are housing projects and places like Con Ed and Bellevue. There are no bars and no restaurants and really no people out -- at least not, generally, the kind of people you want to run into when you're alone at night. I'll give them credit for trying make the housing project look nice so it has quite a lot of green which is rare for this part of town. But, the building is just so obviously a project that it really takes away any tranquil feeling a pedestrian might have while walking through it. There's really no reason to be here if you don't have to, so I would suggest steering clear of this block.

There's not really much to say about this little stretch of land except for that it creeps me out. I don't often go east of Ave C and this is pretty much why. There aren't any bars and restaurants so there aren't a lot of people walking around at night. This makes me think east of C is a crime waiting to happen. And, East 4th Walk is east of D if that gives any indication of the wasteland we're talking about here. For one, the East River isn't exactly a gorgeous view. Brooklyn doesn't quite have the skyline that Manhattan does and the East River might as well be just a massive sewer.
As far as housing, this block is taken up by Lillian Wald Houses. It's a housing project that looks exactly like a housing project. Every time I see this building I can't help but think of the horror film Candyman. There's nothing to do and nothing to see unless you're a big fan of watching Meth heads chase each other. I would advise against hanging out or living here if you can at all help it.

The corner of 3rd and Bowery starts off with quite a lot of pizazz because of the Bowery Hotel. This hotel is gorgeous very old world looking. They have a fantastic courtyard where you can eat and drink. They're restaurant, Gemma, is lovely and very popular with people in bands for some reason. Liev Schrieber and Naomi Watts were eating next to me there once and I remember thinking that I would have never have guessed how attractive that guy is in real life. Next to the Bowery Hotel is a series of row houses built around the mid 19th century which seems to have been where all the news people lived. William Albert Eddy and Wilbert Tatum both lived in them. Philip Glass lived at 38 and I'm a tad obsessed with him so I always give a nerdy nod to this building when I walk by. This section of row houses are lovely, as they all are, but these ones are a bit run down. It seems kind of appropriate for the neighborhood, though.
The block between Bowery and 2nd is where the Hell's Angels headquarters are. I know they're not as crazy as they used to be, but I would not want to live in one of the buildings next to them. I guess it would be alright if you befriended them . . . but what if you didn't? It seems like a recipe for disaster. They threw a woman off the roof of their clubhouse in the '70's and actually threw up a plaque at the site to commemorate the event. Those dudes are ten shades of crazy. The block between 1st and A is a tenement project built in the '30's so if I were looking for a place to live in the city these two blocks of 3rd would not be on my look list.
The corner of 3rd and A has a Two Boots Pizza / Theatre. I can't think of many things better than a movie with Two Boots. This place is like my own personal heaven on earth. East of A, the street gets very east East Village. There are a lot of cool little vintage shops, random gardens and great divey food joints like Snack Dragon Taco Shack. It's not the most happening street in the East Village but it's not a bad street to live on. Well, transportation isn't ideal, but it has a lot of cool little spots and some great old buildings. The demographic is a really broad mix of youngsters and people that have lived in the same building for 40 years so it has a very New York kind of vibe. I would just, like I said, maybe avoid the two blocks with the Hell's Angels and projects.

East 14th (well, 14th in general) is not my favorite area. In fact, I really don't like it. It's too busy and too commercial to have any sort of neighborhood energy. And, Stuy Town is such an ugly looking complex that the street really had no hope for any aesthetics kudos when that went up. It was a notoriously bad part of town for a long time and it's one of the few East Village streets that just hasn't ever been taken over by the hipsters, students and artists, so it remains gritty and unpleasant.
The block of East 14th between 3rd and 2nd is pretty gritty looking with a ton of things going on. It's an incredibly busy block and most of the buildings have been there for many moons and look a little worse for the wear from the outside . . . and the inside in some cases. The north corner of the block houses (what a surprise) an NYU dorm that was built on the site of a prostitution house. Nothing like a bunch of night lady ghosts running around when you're trying to do a late night cram session, eh? Next door to that is a really shambled looking hotel that is actually cheap by New York standards but really questionable as far whether you may make it through the night to enjoy the rest of your stay. Across the street is a pretty decent little falafel place called Chickpea and next door to that is the building where the people that launched Bettie Paige ran their bondage photo studio. I'm not positive if they actually shot The Notorious Bettie Paige here, but they did a fantastic job in replicating it if they didn't. The rest of the block has a number of hole in the wall restaurants and bars. Some of them are great -- like King's Head Tavern and Blind Pig -- but, it's hard to work up the desire to frequent them because 14th is such a nightmare and there are a lot of tourists that mill about in them because of their proximity to Union Square. It's a shame because they could be great local hangs if it weren't for their location.
The block between 2nd and 1st is really commercial. Between the Nose and Throat hospital, the Synagogue and the Trader Joe's there is equally as much bustle as the previous block. But, it has even less of a neighborhood vibe. The thing I will note on this block to see, however, is the Crocodile Lounge. I prefer it's sister, The Alligator Lounge in Williamsburg, but this place is pretty fun too. They give you a free pizza that is actually pretty good with every beer you order so it gets mostly a hipster and student clientele, but I've never had a bad time here and you walk away with barely a dent in your pocket book when all is said and done.
The block between 1st and A houses the last stop on the L train before you get into Brooklyn on the south corner and the apartment complex called Stuy Town on the north. Stuy Town has some of the biggest apartments I have seen downtown but they're not cheap. I think they start around $3200 / month for a one bedroom at the far end of the universe. They are palace sized (for Manhattan) however, so I get the appeal despite the neighborhood being a little less than quaint. Allen Ginsberg died at 404 E 14th which is right across the street and he was pretty poor if that gives any indication about what this area used to be like. Things get pretty shaky east of 1st. It's one of the few streets that has remained really gritty in Alphabet City that has absolutely no cool factor to it even now. Approaching Avenue A is what used to be called The Gashouse District where only the poorest people would live because the fumes from the plants were so bad you would probably die from staying there long enough. There was a notorious gang that lived in the area, aptly named the Gashouse Gang, that would travel to other neighborhoods to commit there crimes because there was no one worth enough to steal from or kidnap in their own territory. I just read about them in The Alienist and they were pretty fascinating and incredibly dangerous.

East 13th is not my favorite street. It's fine around Union Square but the further east you go, the sketchier it gets. The Alphabet City area just hasn't picked up around 13th quite like it has in the more southern part of the East Village. And, there's not a ton to do. And, the buildings are pretty ugly for the most part.
The corner of 3rd and 13th boasts a massive Kiehl's store and a cool looking bar / restaurant that I've wanted to try since it has opened but still haven't. And, I can't remember its name. The rest of the block heading east is kind of bizarre because of two things: there is an abandoned brownstone on the south side of the street and an abandoned plot of land almost directly across from it. The lot used to house the Jefferson Theatre which was a famous vaudeville theatre around 1915. It was demolished in the 90's and nothing has replaced it. This is prime real estate so I find both of those vacant spaces to be very unusual. 249 1/2 East 13th is a really cute little building that looks so out of place next to the others and I'm sure is insanely expensive. One of the Momofukus is on the corner of 13th and 2nd. They're all incredibly famous and aside from the Crack Pie at Momofuku Milk bar, I don't get the hype. They're ok but I prefer Ippudo to this particular Momofuku.
2nd Ave at 13th was the site of the public hanging of John Johnson in 1824. Apparently one third of New York's population came out to watch the festivities which I think is crazy. It was around 50,000 people. The east corner of 13th and 2nd houses the Ear and Throat Infirmary which is the oldest specialized hospital in the Western hemisphere. It was founded in 1820 and the building is really cool looking but a little scary for a hospital in my opinion. The rest of the block has a lot of crime-ridden history. 324 was the address of an insurance scam murder and 354 is the address where Guiseppe Varotta was kidnapped and killed by gang members in 1921. One of the kidnappers lived across the street at what is now a bar called The Redhead. 428 E 13th is where Maria Barbella slit her boyfriends throat in 1895 and was almost the first woman to die by capital punishment. She was saved by public outcry. And, the corner of 13th and A is where the head of the Gambino crime family was gunned down in 1928. This, obviously, used to be a really bad neighborhood. But, now, it's really trendy. . . . typical New York fairy tale story.
506 E 13th (at Ave A) is the address where a coworker of my close friend lived when she was repeatedly sexually assaulted by two police officers a few years ago. They were both acquitted though the surveillance camera of the downstairs bar caught them entering her home on camera. I'm not kidding when I say that neighborhoods can turn around here really quickly. 13th is pretty safe now, but I wouldn't really go east of Ave A on this street. The rest of the blocks are tenements, the Con Ed plant and other somewhat unsafe buildings.

There's a weird convenience store called M2M right on the corner of 11th and 3rd. I always want to go in there and see what they sell, but every time I walk past it, I think, "ehhhh, next time." I still have no idea if it's a deli, a grocery store, a health food store . . . .I just don't know. There's a really pretty garden just behind the M2M and the rest of the block is taken up by St Marks in the Bowery Church which I talk about in the E 10th street writeup. It's my favorite church. It's one of the oldest buildings in the city and it is really beautiful. They often have poetry readings, dance events and classical music concerts on the weekends which I highly recommend.
The next block has some great old, sort of run down buildings that are pretty unique to the East Village and the Lower East Side. There's a garage at 310 that used to be a garage for horses which I find amusing. Across the street from that is a great little dumpling spot. If you can't make it to Chinatown, this one is the place to be for dumplings. Most of the buildings on this street have great little boutiques and consignment stores on the ground floor. But, there is an actual restaurant on the block called Veneiro's though they are most well known for their dessert. So, it's more of an after - dinner restaurant. The block between 1st and A is a bizarre mish mosh of shops, a school, a garden, apartments . .. you name it. And, all the shops are the mom and pop kind that are specialty stores. One of them only sells tiles. . . that sort of thing. The end of the block does have Westville East, however. Westville in the West Village is one of my favorite lunch spots. This one is exactly the same just with more hipsters in it.
The block between A and B has a ton of small, great bars. Bar on A, Angels and Kings and 11th street bar are all within 50 feet of each other and they're all really fun. There's a building on the other side of 11th that used to be a bath house and is now apartments. I feel like it would so weird to live in a building like that but it's probably really cool inside. It's gorgeous on the outside and it definitely looks like a bath house.
East 11th is a really hip street (weirdly, it's where all the cocaine dealers in the city used to live but definitely don't anymore). It's not great as far as transportation but it's a very walkable street and there's tons to do. I would live on 11th and a lot of my friends live quite close by.

I consider the 10th of the East Village to start at 3rd Avenue and it really does start with a bang. It's one of the most magical blocks in the East Village. This particular block is stunning. Almost the entire block is comprised of rowhouses from the mid-19th century so the street actually looks like a real neighborhood rather than a collection of apartment buildings and commercial space that a lot of other Manhattan streets claim as their makeup. Stanford White lived at 118, Diane Arbus lived at 120, Molly Ringwald lived at 122 and Parker Posey lived at 123. Of course, these are actually homes so they are incredible expensive, but the East Village row houses are slightly more affordable than their West Village counterparts. And, the East Village is a hipper, younger neighborhood so you're more in the thick of it if you live here.
The end of the block houses St Marks in the Bowery Church. This is my favorite church in the city. The Bowery, in its entirety, was the Stuyvesant's Farm -- Peter Stuyvesant was the first governor of New York in the 17th century. The church was the actual family's private chapel that was completed in 1799. Now it's a public church but it was only for the elite for many years. WH Auden, Edna St Vincent Millay and Allen Ginsberg have all read here. The Churchyard on the east side is really cool. Peter Stuyvesant and every one of his descendants are all buried here. And, the grounds are elevated from the street below. Apparently, it used to be flush with the surrounding ground but over the centuries, the street just get getting lower.
The block between 2nd and 1st is a little lackluster in comparison to the previous one. The buildings aren't as pretty but there are a ton of restaurants. They're all pretty good but none of them are my favorite. If I had to choose one on this street, it would probably be Moustache because it's so quaint. The one very noteworthy thing on this block is the Russian Bath House. Outside of going to the far end of Brooklyn, this is the spot in New York for the ultimate Russian Bath. They even beat you with leaves which sounds awful but it's really awesome.
Across Ave A is Tompkins Square Park which is the best park on the east side. They have a really fun lineup every summer for the outdoor movie festival. There are some great little restaurants across from the park, but I would recommend Gnocco above any other on this block. East of B is pretty much all apartments with a few little restaurants and bars sprinkled in until you get to the tenements at Ave D. I don't often go East of C (especially at night). But, this neighborhood is changing so quickly, that even the eastern part of the street will probably will be trendy by the end of the year. Overall, it's a great street. There are great bars, restaurants and historical landmarks. And, it's a very popular street for the young and hip while the older generation remains so it's a very New York mix of people.

East 1st starts at The Bowery so it is a true East Village street. I stayed on 1st and Bowery while I was looking for an apartment before I moved here. This part of town will always be kind of special to me for that reason. The lower part of the East Village is exactly how you would expect New York to look. And, 1st falls right into line with that.
The Avalon Bowery is right on the corner of 1st and Bowery and that is actually the building I stayed in for a few weeks. It's a really nice apartment building and it's pretty massive and crazy expensive. A one bedroom runs around $4000 / month. But the building has all modern amenities, door man, etc so, in a way, the price is justified. The Avalon went up in 2007 and two very old buildings were demolished for its construction. The preservationists fought the demolition and were really upset; and, I normally would have been too. I hate to see historical buildings bite the dust. But, in this particular case, I'm glad it happened. Before the Avalon went in, The Bowery was basically a crack den. It was really dangerous and absolutely filthy. This building is what completely turned the neighborhood around. So, good for the Avalon for making a totally uninhabitable neighborhood livable.
One of the last remaining relics of the old Bowery is right next to the Avalon, ironically. Mars Bar on the corner of 2nd and 1st is, by far and away, the scariest bar in New York City. I dare you to walk in there even in the middle of the day. I have trouble even walking past it.
Across 2nd Avenue, 1st street is a collection of apartment homes that used to be tenement homes for the most part. They've all been cleaned up but they definitely still look like tenements from the outside. About halfway down the block, there are a bunch of restaurants that are all great. The East Village, in general, is great because there are so many tiny, fantastic restaurants on every street. Prune, in particular, is one of my favorite brunch spots in the city. A few doors down is the Tasting Room which is a great little wine bar. Across the street from the Tasting Room is the Veselka kiosk. Veselka has fantastic Polish food but if you can't make it for a sit down, this kiosk isn't a shabby number 2.
The next block (at First Ave) is mostly just apartments, but there's a great dive bar called Nice Guy Eddie's right on the corner. The apartments, outside of the Avalon) on 1st kind of look like the run down numbers in the movie Rent. They're pretty slummy looking. But, they're old, have a lot of character, and some of them are enormous on the inside. Plus, it's a great, lively street that has a lot to do, so it's not an unfortunate place to live by any means.

A few apartment buildings and the theatre for the New School make up the corner of 13th and 6th. The 13th Street Repertory is just across from the theatre and it is, sadly, being threatened with demolition. I don't know if it's falling victim to NYU but my guess is that is probably the case. It's such a shame too. The theatre is great and has been around for 40 years. And, the building dates to the 18th century so I can hardly believe it's not a historical landmark. I suppose Greenwich isn't as outspoken as the West Village about protecting its buildings nowadays. There are a lot of businesses on this street as the area is dangerously close to Union Square which is very commercial. None of them are very noteworthy in my book save the Quad Cinemas which is a lovely theatre similar to the Angelica. The Parsons School of Design is on the corner a few doors down from the Quad which makes this one of the most school-heavy blocks in the city. There are students, literally, everywhere.
60 West 13th was the first public boys school in New York. It opened in 1897 and is actually still a high school. Across the street used to be a high end department store. It opened in 1904 but was closed in 1914. The building is gorgeous even if it doesn't have the cache it once did. 40 used is a beautiful gothic building that used to be where they made all of the glass for the churches. It's now a Jewish Center and I find that hilarious.
There's not really much to say about West 13th in the Village because it's so commercial. The buildings are lovelier but there are lovelier blocks and it's almost entirely school buildings so there's not really a lot going on outside of traffic trickling in from 14th street.

11th has a ton of historical residents and great old buildings but there isn't much of a neighborhood feel to the street as it traverses Greenwich. I think it's a little too close to Union Square, or maybe it's the fact that there are so many businesses and schools in the area. It's pretty but most people don't notice that because it seems like more of a pass through street than many village streets.
French Roast Cafe on the corner of 11th and 6th is one of the few 24 hour spots in the city that isn't god awful. The food is actually decent enough that I've eaten there at a decent hour. A lot of comedians hang out there and I have never understood why. I like the place as far as a quick breakfast is concerned. The smallest cemetery in New York is next door to the Roast and it is seriously small. I don't know that I would want that right outside my window but plenty of people don't seem to mind. The New School's undergraduate campus is directly across the street from the cemetery because, you know, it's not a school without an old creepy bunch of graves. I feel kind of sorry for the freshman that come in from Idaho and realize their school is practically on top of dead people. That must be a horrifying introduction to the big city. Once you get about halfway down the block from 6th, things really get cooking, history-wise. Those old and beautiful buildings have been home to a lot of prominent people. Harold Ross lived at 56, Mel Brooks and Anne Bancroft lived at 52, Oscar Wilde lived at 48, Jane Curtin lived at 35, and Dustin Hoffman lived at 16. 32 was where Vincent Pepe hung himself off the bannister in 1935. Don't get me wrong, if I had a chance to live in this house, I still would, but I would definitely sleep with a flashlight. And, I would probably replace the stairs. 18 West 11th is a monstrous house both in size and ugliness. It used to be the home of Charles Merrill and then was a radical hideout in the '60's. They were building bombs and blew up most of the house in the '60's. This thing is what was rebuilt. You can't buy taste, I suppose. Dustin Hoffman lived at 16 and the time and witnessed the explosion. What a cool life that dude has had. I mean, cool from what I have ever read.
The Judge Crater House on the corner is famous because Judge Crater was living here at the time he went missing in 1930. Five months later, cash, insurance policies and his will turned up in his bedroom out of nowhere but he never did. The building kind of looks like a building where people get murdered to be honest. It has always creeped me out. Across the street is an equally creepy but incredibly beautiful gothic revival church from the mid-19th century. There used to be so much going on here but now it's a bit slower. This is the only block of West 11th that runs through Greenwich. And, there is so much history and a lot of beautiful buildings. But, now, it's not as jamming. It's a fantastic street. It's just not a great neighborhood street.

I really consider 10th in Greenwich to start at 6th Ave but I suppose I'm splitting hairs in the name of being specific about neighborhoods. People get really funny about their neighborhood in this city though the actual borders of when one begins and another ends is generally debated. Peter's Backyard is a bar right on the corner of 6th and 10th that I always forget but when I go there I wonder why I don't go there more. It's a really fun bar with a great mix of people. There are a lot of federal style buildings on this block which is very Greenwich to me. The block would be absolutely beautiful if it weren't so crowded and loud all the time. It's essentially the same aesthetic as the 10th of the West Village, but just too loud and dirty for you to really appreciate the street unless you stop and force yourself to. There's a great set of buildings called English Terrace Row that were built in the 1850's and they are still residences. Kathleen Turner lived at 38, Dashiell Hammet lived at 28, Emma Lazarus lived at 18 and the guy that built the houses lived at 16. Mark Twain lived at 14 and apparently a little girl was murdered there in the 80's -- it's supposed to be haunted by both of them. Emily Post lived at 12 . . . you can see where I'm going with this. These are houses for the elite, clearly. They are gorgeous houses but incredibly expensive. For that kind of money, I would rather live west of 7th but different strokes for different folks.
There is a gorgeous church that was built in the 1800's across the street from the rowhouses. It looks very gothic and incredibly creepy. They have orchestras come play on weekday afternoons if you're into that (I happen to be).
West 10th only runs for a block through Greenwich if you count Greenwich starting at 6th Ave. So, there's not a lot to note. But, it really does pack a lot of punch into just one block. There's history, architecture and even a great bar. It's a lovely to live on. It's a little busy and can be a little bit loud on the weekends because it's a tourist heavy street. But, it's a great street nevertheless.

Union Square is one of those necessary but annoying places that every New Yorker and tourist has to deal with multiple times. The south part of Union Square is particularly crowded -- more so than any other part of the area. The subway entrance is right here and it's one of the biggest stops in Manhattan. Nearly every train system in the city joins up at Union Square so this area is a perpetual zoo. Add that to the fact that there's a market nearly every day of the year right here, and good luck being in a hurry and having to navigate through Union Square south.
There's nowhere to sit in the entirety of the square and Union Square South is no different. I have never once found an empty bench in the entire time I've lived in New York. And, the people that hang out on the benches here freak me out a little so I guess that's probably a good thing. Union Square South is where all of the punk kids hang out. It's not unsafe but let's just say it reeks of patchouli and there are a lot of skateboards zinging around. The area gets particularly crazy around the holidays because more booths go up on the south side. So, I try to steer clear of it.
Union Square isn't a real street, per se. You can't live on it and you can't drive on it. There are just about a million people on it every single day. It's this sort of vortex of people trying to get to other places even if that other place is just the north side of the Square.

Union Sq West is kind of a nightmare. There are a lot of shops and a lot of restaurants but none of them are particularly noteworthy. It's a tourist haven but it has more than that. Union Square is one of the busiest subway stops because of all the train connections and there's a pretty big market that goes on nearly every day of the week that draws a lot of people. It's just a madhouse but a necessary evil. There aren't many days that go by where I can honestly manage to avoid Union Square West.
There's a great old building on the corner of Union Square West and 17th where, apparently, there used to be quite a famous massage parlor around the turn of the 20th century. It's an awfully big building to have been able to keep that a secret but I guess stranger things have happened in this city. Sidenote: this Starbucks is always ridiculously packed so I would avoid it at all costs. Next door to that is a place called Republic which is a weird name for a noodle place but it's actually really good and pretty cheap -- two things I can't say about most things around Union Square. Next door to that is Heartland Brewery. They do have good beer and this is definitely the best location of all the Heartlands but I don't go here much. They have a pretty big front patio so it's great to sit here and people watch in the spring but it's very touristy and the food is catered toward that kind of crowd. The old building next to that which has the Puma store (I believe (or maybe it's American Eagle)) used to be one of Andy Warhol's factories. He was shot at this location. The next building over has Blue Water Grill which is supposed to have fantastic seafood but I've never tried it because I just don't think of Union Square as the place to go for amazing food.
The next block has Coffee Shop which is a place where all of the models go and I have no idea why. I actually can't stand this place. I feel like they need to pick a theme and go with it. Is it trendy? Is it a diner? Is a brunch place? Is it a bar? I don't get this place at all. The rest of Union Square West is shopping but none of the really good stuff is on this block. I don't even know how Miss Sixty is still in business and that's the sort of stores that take up the rest of the street. It's a very touristy area and Union Sq West reflects that.

Thompson starts at Washington Square Park and the block kicks off with two massive churches. The Judson is from 1888 and is beautiful and the Holy Trinity was built in the '60's and is atrocious looking. The ugly church is built on the site of the former home of the city executioner. The executioner always lived at this spot because public executions were held at Washington Square Park. I guess the only thing you can put on the site of something like that is a church, right?
The block between 3rd and Bleecker has a great mish mosh of businesses and the buildings are all old and lovely. I quite like this block because it's how I would imagine the Village to look if there were no University there. There are two chess shops on this block and I find that to be so bizarre and kind of wonderful at the same time. There is a vintage clothing store and an actual record store that is still in business right next door to each other on this block. And, one of the few bars in the neighborhood, The Dove, that doesn't ever have a student crowd is also on this block. The Dove is in the former spot of an Italian restaurant that was open for almost 100 years. Thankfully, The Dove didn't change much of the aesthetic. This place is great and very pretty inside.
The next block down before Thompson gets into Soho territory is at Bleecker. Two very famous italian restaurants are across Thompson from each other on this block and they are both small and great. Rocco is almost 100 years old and is a very old school, mafia kind of hangout. And, Lupa is a trendy but great, new and hard to get into kind of joint. I like them both and at least one of them is a must during anyone's New York tenure.
Thompson is a great street because it's small, relatively quiet and relatively unfettered by the school. There are some great mom and pop places and the buildings are all lovely. For a street that's not predominantly residential, Thompson is very homey . . . in a Manhattan sort of way.

Mercer is almost entirely eaten by NYU in the Village. And, the buildings are so monstrous and ugly that it was the universities construction on this street that sparked the Preservation movement of Greenwich Village. They have managed to save a lot of buildings, but unfortunately, not many on Mercer.
The corner of Mercer and 8th houses two very incongruous buildings. The west side of the street has an old building that is now Pizza Mercato on the ground floor. Pizza Mercato is pretty good for fancy pizza if you're into that sort of thing. And, Italian people are always in the place which I think is a pretty good sign. Directly across the street is an apartment complex that is so huge and ugly it looks like a hospital. Apparently, there are around 400 units in the building which makes it even more massive and less private than a dorm. It's just too big to not be ugly and I wouldn't want 399 neighbors. The block south of Waverly is entirely NYU. The Tisch School which is one of the most famous arts schools in the country takes up the north part of the block. And, the philosophy school rears up the rest. The nice thing about the philosophy building is that it is actually the original building from 1890. NYU usually buys old and beautiful buildings and demolishes them to put up atrocious ones. So, good for them on this one count. Nearly the entirety of Mercer has been demolished and replaced by NYU so there's not a lot of noteworthy things on the remainder of the street as it extends through the village.
Case and point: an NYU dorm built on the corner of Mercer and 3rd. The dorm replaced The Winter Garden Theatre where the Booth brothers performed -- Edwin became a famous actor and John Wilkes became famous for killing the President. The Winter Garden Theatre replaced the Metropolitan Hall, a famous performance hall where James Fenimore Cooper's funeral was conducted. The site was always for the arts and now it will forever be for punk kids studying nothing for no reason. Directly across the street from the dorm is where Billy the Kid was born. The building still stands which is shocking for this street.

Macdougal used to be a very artsy street. And, a lot of that vibe is maintained but not quite to the degree that I wish it were. I know NYU is to blame for a lot of that. But, it's unfortunate that the area that was designated for the arts set is now much to expensive for any of the artists to actually live in.
The block between 8th and Waverly was really happening during the beat generation. The north corner of Macdougal and 8th was a popular bookstore where Bob Dylan and Allen Ginsberg hung out. It's now a clothing store. 179 Macdougal used to be a cabaret where Barbra Streisand and Woody Allen performed. Now it's a dry cleaner. 176 used to be a salon / tea room for the literary set. Now, it's a laundromat. You get the idea. This used to be the prime area for the artist and bohemian set and now it's very commercial. The buildings are the same but the energy is different. Don't get me wrong, Macdougal is still a very village street -- it has just lost a little bit of it's bohemian ties. I'm assuming this is because it's now a desirable neighborhood and NYU kids are always around.
Macdougal takes a brief reprieve as it turns into Washington Square West but it turns back into Macdougs after the park. Most of the block is taken over by NYU as its law school is on the west side of the street. Provincetown Playhouse used to be a really renowned theatre and now it's a really renowned Children's theatre -- so, if you have kids, this is the place to go. The building is really cool but I've never seen a play here as I'm not 8 years old. The only building on the block that hasn't been replaced by NYU is 129 Macdougal. It's a cool tea spot now that would be cooler if there weren't so many students. It used to be a speakeasy that forbid men entry. That must have been a sight in the 1920's: a women's only speakeasy!
South of 3rd is where Macdougal really starts to jam and still has a little bit of the vibe I imagine it had fifty years ago. Cafe Reggio is a great little Italian place that has been open since the '20's and has been featured in a ton of movies. Mamoun's Falafel (the most famous falafel joint in the city) is directly next door. And, next door to that is the Olive Tree Cafe and the Comedy Cellar. The Olive Tree is nothing to talk about, food-wise, but it's where all of the comics from the Cellar hang out in between sets so it's always pretty lively. Directly across the street from the Olive Tree is a fantastic old building that Louisa May Alcott lived in when she wrote Little Women. It looks exactly the same as it did almost 200 years ago. Next door to the Olive Tree is Cafe Wha -- it's a very famous performance venue where Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Richard Pryor and Bill Cosby all performed. A few of my friends' bands have played here and I have always had a great time.
Across Minetta Lane is a building that has always had a noteworthy business in it. It used to be an Italian Restaurant (1937) that served as the meeting place for Ezra Pound, ee Cummings and Ernest Hemingway. Then, it was a speakeasy. Now, it's Minetta Tavern. It's a very trendy restaurant that still looks very old school which is rare for trendy restaurants. I don't think the food is out of this world but I still really like the place. It's always crowded, dark and cozy. Next door to Minetta is the polar opposite sort of venue: Off the Wagon. It's the frattiest bar of all time but you can have quite a lot of fun playing beer pong there on a weekday night when it's not too crowded.
Essentially every building on this street that hasn't been torn down by NYU has a great arts-tied history. Some of that energy is still prevalent in the bars and performance venues which is great. It's a very lively street and it is, aesthetically, exactly how you would want a village street to look.

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

Greene, as far as it runs through Greenwich, is highly uneventful. There aren't really any restaurants and bars and the buildings are all pretty ugly. The area is overrun by students and the buildings are all quite lackluster thanks to NYU. I'm not keen on this street, but fortunately, it has a pretty short run through the village.
The corner of Greene and 8th is where Jackson Pollack used to live. I guess he knocked to a wall to make a mural for the Guggenheims. There's a great cosmetics chain called Ricky's on the bottom of the building now. You need anything girly, this is the place. The corner of Waverly and Greene holds the Asche Building which is the site of the Shirtwaist Factory of 1911. About 150 people died (mostly young girls) because they were locked into their workroom on the 8th floor and the fire ladder only went up seven stories. It was an abominable tragedy and started the workers' rights movement. The building is supposed to be incredibly haunted. . . i.e. it's a stop on pretty much every ghost tour in the city. Edward Koch lived just across Washington Place on 14 from 1965 through his tenure as Mayor. It was rent controlled and I think it's pretty cool that he stayed even when he could have lived in Gracie Mansion.
The rest of the street is entirely NYU buildings. Once you cross NYU, you're officially in Soho, so the entirety of the street in this neighborhood is school. And, like the rest of NYU, nothing on the street is interesting that is involved with the university.

9th has a lot of history through its trek in Greenwich. It is quite lovely considering the fact that it is predominantly apartment buildings and businesses as well. It isn't too busy but it does have a lot of activity. The apartments are all old and grand and it's . . . well, it's kind of a perfect New York street.
There are two old and beautiful buildings on the corner of 6th and 9th that house two pretty new establishments on the ground floor. Lenny's is a really popular sandwich shop that is quite big for a place that only makes sandwiches in my opinion. And, across the street is the market, Citarella. Citarella is great, but the space used to hold Balducci's which was, apparently, incredible and quite famous in New York as far as markets go. All of the apartment buildings on this block are lovely. They maintain a neighborhood kind of vibe in aesthetic even though some of the buildings are quite large. And, they have a bit of history to them as well. 46 West 9th is where Dawn Powell lived when she wrote her first novel. The creator of the Public Theatre lived in the Portsmouth Theatre for almost twenty years. Anais Nin and Marianne Moore both lived at 35 -- though at separate times, obviously. And, Elinor Wylie lived at 36. I guess you call this the Writer's Block because so many noteworthy writers lived within just a few steps from each other (had they all been alive at the same time). The Hotel Griffou is midway down the block on the north side of 9th. It used to be a bohemian hotel and now it's a restaurant that I hate to say I love, but man, I love this place. The interior is dark and gothic and the food is exquisite. It was so trendy when it first opened that I never wanted to go there. But, I finally did and fell a little bit in love with the place. It's just too gorgeous to not like. The end of the block houses Cru, a wine bar with a 200 page wine list. If you're really into wine, this is the place to go. If you're kind of into wine (like myself) the selection is extremely overwhelming.
The corner of 9th and 5th has an apartment building called the Brevoort which used to be a hotel for artists and radicals. Isadora Duncan, Eugene O'Neill, Edna St Vincent Millay and Nathanael West all lived here. Mabel Dodge's literary salon used to be directly across the street at 23. I guess it was an easy walk for a lot of the people invited, eh? The corner of 9th and Uni has a really beautiful apartment structure called the Beauclaire where Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins lived as well as Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford.
Across University holds one of my favorite places in the city: The Knickerbocker. It has an old diner feel but I just think it's so cool. The waitresses are snippy and the clientele is older but the food is greasy in a good way and it looks so old school that it doesn't have that depressing diner energy. I go here with my dad every time he comes to visit. At the end of the block is a place called Randall apartments which is named for the sea captain that owned much of central Greenwich. His house was where the apartment building now stands. I always wondered why the West Village was so much prettier than Greenwich, and apparently, it's because this guy left most of his land in an unbreakable trust for retired sailors. Much of Greenwich's real estate is still tied up in this trust and the buildings are never repaired. Some of New York's laws are crazy. And, this is one of them.
The end of 9th's tenure in Greenwich is at Wanamaker Place. 9th actually is renamed Wanamaker for just one block before it turns back into 9th due to the building on the south side of the street. It's now a commercial business building, but the grand looking thing that takes up an entire block used to be the place to be in department shopping at the turn of the 20th century. Apparently, it was so famous, the entire street was named after it just for these few steps. It really is a beautiful building but I can't imagine what kind of marathon shopping that must have been. The place is huge.

14th in Greenwich begins right at the site of the commencement of the Draft Riots of 1863 and I dare say the intersection doesn't seem much more peaceful today. This area is an absolute zoo between students, commuters, tourists, etc. 14th street, in general, is always ridiculously crowded but the part of the street that runs through Greenwich is the worst.
The corner building that is now some nearly unknown dance studio used to be the Living Theatre. Eliot and Auden debuted plays at this theatre and Martin Sheen had his first acting job here. It's such a shame that places like that are gone but Walmart is alive and thriving. Across the street is a gorgeous building that used to be a high end department store and is now Urban Outfitters. I'm not gonna lie, I go here all the time when I've got time to kill. That Urban is massive. 56 W 14th is the only remaining part of the original Macy's and the architecture is stunning. It was built at the end of the 19th century and it's too bad that the rest of the building no longer remains. The entire street leading up to 5th Avenue is full of grand old buildings with disappointing businesses in them. I often wonder how on earth most of these stay in business but I suppose it's because the street is always so packed.
The block between 5th and Uni is also pretty blah aside from the architecture. Although this block does have Garden of Eden which is a great alternative to nearby Whole Foods. It's like Whole Foods but not corporate and not packed. And, 7 E 14th is not only a lovely building but it has an interesting history.
Unit 11 was Biograph Studios where the likes of Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore got their start. And, 17 is where Florence Maybeck lived after being released from prison in England. She was accused of poisoning her husband and she had two Presidents intercede on her behalf. They came to find he was addicted to arsenic so they released her. He is, to date, still one of the main suspects thought to have been Jack the Ripper.
The next block is the dreaded Union Square. It's fantastic as far as public transportation and the outdoor market but it is so unbelievably crowded it's almost insufferable at times. There are just way too many people and it ruins the street. Things like a 24 hour Best Buy don't help either.

I'm not a huge fan of East 13th in Greenwich. Like the rest of 13th, it's insanely crowded and the bars and restaurant scene is for the young, rowdy and touristy. Some of the buildings are lovely but they're just not kept up quite like those on other streets.
The block between 5th and Uni is predominantly school buildings, apartments and little restaurants on the ground floor that cater to the student set. There's a cute little tea shop with a lovely courtyard on the north side of the street, but other than that, I try to stay out of the places around here. There are just too many kids and not enough charm. One noteworthy bit of history is at 17 E 13th. Anais Nin set up her publishing shop here in 1944.
The corner of 13th and Broadway is always a madhouse because of Union Square. But, I'm here quite a lot for a few reasons. One is the Chase Bank which goes without saying. One is the Greenwich outpost of Joe Coffee which is my favorite coffee shop in the city. And, the other is the Cosi on the northeast corner. It's on the ground floor of the Roosevelt Building which is gorgeous. And, the food in Cosi is great for fast food, there are always seats and they have free wifi. That place is like another office for me.
Across Broadway is one of the most popular movie theatres in the City. It is always packed but it's a pretty good theatre and it's central to just about every downtown neighborhood so it's a no brainer for meeting people. It used to be a famous real theatre called the Wallack so I guess it's nice that they kept the building somewhat in the family.
13th, to me, is such a commercial street that I wouldn't want to live on it. It's always ridiculously crowded and there are too many students and tourists. The street is safe because of that but it's also dirty and loud. And, because the businesses cater to that set there aren't a lot of noteworthy ones.

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.

Like my review title notes, there is so much history on this street but really no neighborhood feel. It's mostly large buildings and there aren't really any bars or restaurants so there just isn't a vibe to this part of 11th. I guess there used to be, however, because a lot of famous people have lived here.
The corner of 5th and 11th houses a collection of really beautiful apartment buildings that were all built around the turn of the 20th century. They are incredibly grand but definitely take the charm away from the street that the rowhouses provided just a block west. It definitely feels like a city once you cross 5th. The building on the northwest corner has been in a ton of movies so a lot of people recognize it. It was supposedly the grandest apartment building downtown and it really is beautiful. Marlon Brando lived here at one point. I believe it's call the Beauart or something like that. And, directly across the street is the building where Eleanor Roosevelt kept an apartment from the 1930's -1940's. Just down the block at 21 is where Edith Wharton's sister used to have artist salons. John Singer Sargent, Theodore Roosevelt and Henry James were among some of the guests. I wish people still did that; or, if they do, I wish I were invited. That must have been incredible to be in a room with that many prominent figures in the arts discussing your work.
Across University, 11th looks really similar to the previous block but it houses a pretty noteworthy building. The Albert (now apartments) was a hotel when it was built where both Robert Louis Stevenson and Thomas Wolfe lived. Frank Zappa and John Phillips also both lived here -- this is where California Dreamin' was written. At the opposite end of the block (at Broadway) another former famous hotel sits. It's now some storefront with apartments but it used to be the luxury hotel of New York City. Abraham Lincoln, PT Barnum, Alexander Graham Bell and Buffalo Bill were all guests at the St. Denis. The building is quite extraordinary so it's a shame that people barely even look at it now while passing through the street. In between the two former hotels there are about a hundred antique stores. I don't quite know how this became antique row, but apparently, this is the place to be if you like old things. Across the street from the antique bonanza is a Bahai center. You gotta love New York and its geographic placement, right? I once saw a classmate of mine walking into this center pretty late at night. He is an Australian guy that drank a lot so I never understood his connection here, but it was definitely him. I think about that every time I walk down this street.

The entire two blocks of East 10th as they run through Greenwich has been completely taken over by NYU and it is ugly as sin. Then again, so is pretty much everything that NYU gets it's hands on. The corner of 10th and 5th is Rubin Hall. It is now a NYU dorm but it used to be the Grosvenor Hotel. It was the most expensive hotel downtown in the 1920's. Ella Cather and Mark Twain both live there for a bit. The Bronfman Center next door has one beautiful piece of architecture on it in a sea of ugly: the windows. They are part of the original building that was the house of the artist that built them and they are stunning. Across the street is the Pen and Brush club. It's a women's art organization that has been around since the '20's and included members such as Eleanor Roosevelt, Marianne Moore and Pearl S Buck. The building is from the mid-19th century and I hope the school doesn't get its grubby mits on this as well. The corner of 10th and Uni houses a building called the Beauclaire. Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon and Richard Gere and Cindy Crawford all used to live here at, I believe, the same time.
Across Uni is an apartment building called The Albert Apartments which used to be the Albert Hotel. It was, apparently, quite the writer's haunt. Robert Louis Stevenson, Leo Tolstoy, Thomas Wolfe, John Phillips and James Taylor all stayed there. Across the street is a great Italian Restaurant called Il Cantinori. It is incredibly charming and the food is great. Most people know it as the restaurant where Carrie was left alone on her 35th birthday in Sex and the City.
The end of the block has a building with the Silver Spur on the ground floor that was built by a guy called Randall. He used to own most of Greenwich and is the reason why the Village is so much shabbier than the West Village. His will stated that much of his money go to a retirement home for sailors and the property is all tied up in trusts that state they must be used for public works. Oh, bizarre old New York laws. Some of them are so crazy. The NYU residence hall across the street used to be another famous hotel for the artsy set. The top floor was a speakeasy.
Grace Church is at the end of the block and it is one of my favorite churches in the city. It is incredibly old and just stunning. They have a quartet playing various classical music sets every weekday around lunch and it is magical. I highly recommend everyone go to that. The building is from the mid-19th century but because of the Gothic architecture it looks much older. You legitimately feel like you have been transported back in time.

Hudson is a real hustle and bustle kind of street. There's a ton of traffic and a lot of noise. I would not ever want to live on this street but living off of it (which I do) is pretty fantastic. There's a great restaurant or bar on pretty much every block. And, the crowd on the streets is very eclectic. There's a great energy on Hudson. It's essentially an Avenue as 8th turns into Hudson but it manages to have the charm of a street. I don't know how this neighborhood manages to do that but Hudson is pretty representative of the uniqueness of the West Village.
The corner of Hudson and 14th is the building that was Glenn Close's apartment in Fatal Attraction. I love the building and I love that movie. You get a real sense of how gritty the Meatpacking was in the 80's. But, it was pretty cool looking too. One of my favorite restaurants in the neighborhood, Fatty Crab is just up the block at Hudson and Gansevoort. The music is always great, the food is great and I love the energy. The recession special (whiskey shot, pickle back and PBR don't hurt my affection for the place either). The corner of Hudson and Horatio marks where the gang Hudson Dusters were headquartered until police shut them down in 1916. That doesn't sound like a particularly nefarious gang -- the word "duster" doesn't exactly invoke fear into the hearts of men -- but, apparently, they were pretty awful. Directly across the street from that is Hudson Bar and Books. It's a really cool dive kind of bar which was one of the last places you could actually smoke inside. I think you still can, actually, you just can't tell everyone about it. . . .which I just did.
Two really popular Village restaurants are right on the corner of Hudson and Jane and they're both great. Piccolo Angelo is a tiny, somewhat stuffy Italian restaurant that is impossible to get a reservation at. But, when you do, the attitude problems of half the people in there won't bother you in the slightest because the food is fantastic. Directly across the street is Mole which is very low key and pretty much the complete opposite of Piccolo but it's fun, inexpensive and decent for Mexican in New York. There's a Mediterranean restaurant on the corner of Bank and Hudson that I walk past every day and swear I'm going to try and I still haven't. It's always crowded, though, so it must be good. It's worth a shot if Piccolo is full -- and, they usually are.
Across 11th is the famous, old bar, The White Horse Tavern. It is a great bar, or at least it would be if there weren't so many tourists and scallywags in it. But, I guess that's part of the charm of the place. Dylan Thomas drank himself to death at White Horse and Jack Kerouac was banned for disruptive behavior. it still has that kind of drunkard energy but there aren't a whole lot of famous writers that hang out there any more.
There are a couple of little fun restaurants at Charles that aren't a must but if you have to eat on this block, both Cowgirl and Mexicana Mama are pretty good and are quite fun. There are some really cool rowhouses across the street that house little restaurants but the architecture is beautifully preserved. They still look like grand old houses. The next block down has an interesting mix of an old church, a public garden and a bunch of gay bars across the street from them. The church went up in the 1840's, the garden is the most beautiful one in the city (in my opinion) and the bars are quite festive on the weekends to say the least.
Across Barrow is the craziest old dive in the neighborhood: Barrow's Pub. The bartenders are old and grumpy and the regulars are the most bizarre mix of misfits and weirdos I have ever seen. This place is awesome and awful at the same time. And, clearly, I have spent way too much time there because I actually know all of the regulars now. Right down the block is the polar opposite of the bar -- which is one of the things I love about New York. There's a new restaurant right on the corner called Hudson Clearwater. It looks like it's boarded up but there's a secret entrance and the place is just stunning inside. There's a darling back patio as well. The food is great and locally grown and the owners are the dreamiest looking group of men I have seen in one restaurant. You really can't lose here -- especially if you're a girl.

The corner of Waverly and Bank is where Patricia Highsmith (author of The Talented Mr. Ripley) lived in the 1930's. It's a gorgeous building on a gorgeous street. But, it's pretty dark so I can see why she liked it. The other side of Bank boasts the Waverly Inn. It is one of the more noteworthy restaurants in the West Village and the reputation is completely deserved. It's incredibly expensive but the food is great, the ambience is lovely and the building has been around forever. It was built in the 1840's and has been a restaurant since the 1920's. The aesthetic (from what I understand) hasn't changed much and it definitely looks that way. It's very old world money. I love this place right down to the curmudgeonly old people that frequent it.
The block between 11th and Perry boasts all kinds of history and it's a really stunning block. St John's in the Village Church is right on the corner and though it is a newer building, they did their best to rebuild a replica of the building that stood there before that was destroyed in a fire. It's lovely. Next door to the church is the Rattlestick Theatre. It's one of the best off Broadway theatres in the city and I love that it's right down the street from my place sort of tucked away. Their plays are, in general, most of what I have seen on Broadway and they are only a five minute walk from me. The opposite corner of Waverly houses a building that has had Rebecca Miller, Mira Nair and WS Merwin all as residents. There must be something awfully inviting in that place to the successful creatives because that is one hell of a lineup for one address. Next door to that is the Village Vanguard. It has been around for almost 100 years and is pretty well known as the best jazz club in the city. Miles Davis and John Coltrane both recorded live albums at this spot.
There's a really great, quite famous bookshop on the corner of 10th called Three Lives that I highly recommend everyone seeing. It's the quintessential village shop to me and what's not to love about a little, old book store? The next block (at Grove) houses my favorite building in the city: The Northern Dispensary. It's an abandoned, creepy, rectangular building with a great history. Apparently, the deed states that the building may only be used for public service so it used to be a free clinic where Edgar Allan Poe used to go when he was sick. It later became a dental clinic that was sued in the '80's for refusing to service people with AIDS. It closed after losing the lawsuit and the building has been vacant ever since. It is the scariest building ever but really beautiful. You can still see dental chairs in the top window and it's crazy to think that a building on such prime real estate has sat empty for thirty years!
The next block (around Gay) is one of my favorite blocks in the Village. The corner houses my favorite coffee shop in the city: Joe's. It is fantastic and much cooler than I will ever be. Next door to Joe is the building where Edna St Vincent Millay lived in the early 20th century. It wasn't a fantastic area at the time but the building is gorgeous and the neighborhood was very arty. Directly across the street is where Judy Holliday lived in the 1940's. One of my good friends actually lives in her apartment now and it is absolutely stunning. It's the kind of place that most New Yorkers dream about having one day. I'm obsessed with that apartment. The corner of 6th and Waverly ends the street bizarrely with the Waverly Diner, but I do kind of like this place. It is every bit as depressing as any other diner and the food is marginal at best. But, it has been around forever and though it does nothing for the aesthetic of the street, it somehow belongs there.

Leroy is a little street that is almost entirely residential. It's beautiful and old and extremely quiet. But, it's centrally located so access to things to do isn't a problem at all. And, because it's residential, there isn't nearly as much foot traffic as other streets in the neighborhood which, in my opinion, is a plus.
The intersection of Leroy and Washington is the site of a pretty awful historical crime. During the draft riots in 1863, a black man was beaten to death with a rock and died in a nearby hospital. His last word was only his last name when asked by doctors who he was. I can't even imagine how horrific that was and it's a pretty prolific reminder of how much this city changes and how much history there is for a city that hasn't even been around for 500 years. Speaking of death, the next block up (at Hudson) is a park that used to be a cemetery where Edgar Allan Poe would wander for inspiration. Seeing as most of the cemeteries in New York that become parks still have the actual bodies buried there, I can only guess that this one does as well. It's so bizarre to be enjoying a lovely day at a park with hundreds of dead people buried below you but that's New York for you.
For a brief block, Leroy changes into St. Luke's Place and then back into Leroy. I have no idea why that is, but the coolest thing about that block is 10 St. Lukes Place. The house was used as the exterior of the Huxtables house in The Cosby Show. They were supposed to live in Brooklyn Heights, but their house was, in fact, in the West Village. There's a library across the street from the Huxtables house and the block is really beautiful and relatively old (like most of the Village). Leroy is a pretty short street even for the neighborhood so it ends right after 7th Avenue. Will Smith used to live on the corner of Leroy and 7th so I think that's a pretty good indication of how pricey this little Leroy is. But, it's tree-lined, quiet and beautiful.

Grove Ct is a an actually gated court off of Grove Street. It's a private, gated court with six identical rowhouses that were built in 1854. Their construction is interesting because they were built by a grocery store owner with the intended use of providing back houses for tradesmen to increase his profits. During this time, alleys and courts were not ideal places to live. They were always for the lower class and the help. Now, living in an alley or court in the West Village is considered the optimal situation. Living in an actual house in a gated courtyard in Manhattan is pretty unheard of so these homes are wildly expensive. The last time a house in Grove Court was on the market, it fetched just under $5 million for just over 1,000 square feet. This is some prime real estate. But, it is gorgeous. And, it is secluded, safe and quiet which is like the trinity of things that are impossible to find in New York City. Obviously, most people can't afford to live on Grove Ct, but I would highly recommend walking by and taking a peek at the homes.

Downing is very quaint and in the hustle and bustle of the West Village. Granted, the West Village doesn't a lot of hustle and bustle to speak of; but, any that it does boast is right around Downing. The buildings are pretty much entirely from the 19th century so there's a old time New York feel to the street. There are a fair amount of trees and flowers and it's very picturesque. The real estate is incredibly expensive but one walk through the area and you can understand why. I, personally, wouldn't want to live on Downing because if you live in the West Village you do so to avoid traffic. And, there is quite a lot in this area. It's mostly foot traffic, but it's traffic nevertheless. And, it can be quite loud and crowded on the weekends relative to the rest of the neighborhood. It's much quieter than nearly every neighborhood downtown but it's also much more expensive.
Downing is noticeably clean and green considering how many popular restaurants are on it and I think that's a testament to the neighborhood in general. There are some places on the street that are musts for a New York dining experience. It's pretty rare to find more than one restaurant to recommend to someone on a particular street and Downing has three. Blue Ribbon on the corner of Downing and Bedford is the first restaurant I ever ate at in New York City -- I didn't even live here yet. And, I still love it. The food isn't to die over, but everything else is and the food is good enough. It is tiny and lively and cozy and that is hard to pull off. My first Halloween in New York found me at Blue Ribbon having oysters and champagne at 2 am and it that is one of my favorite New York memories. The place was packed, everyone was in a good mood, and there's really nothing like having a late night meal in a real restaurant sitting next to people dressed as a nun and a panda bear.
10 Downing is right on the corner of 6th and it doesn't have the ambience and snuggly feeling of Blue Ribbon, but the food is outstanding. There are a lot of great lobster rolls in New York, and this one is one of my favorites. And, there's something really lovely about sitting outside on 6th Avenue watching the street traffic in the spring with a glass of wine. It's just a lovely place.
Ditch Plains is right across the street from Blue Ribbon and it's a fantastic place too. They have a great menu and I quite like the aesthetic. If you can only pick one, I say Blue Ribbon, but if you've got time, you have to try all three.
Downing is really well rounded street in my favorite neighborhood in the city. It's centrally located, beautiful and there's something to do or eat within fifty steps. The street is really a no brainer for tourists and locals alike.

Weehawken Street is the shortest street in Manhattan and it is, in its entirety, a historical landmark. It was the last remaining street to be sold off from what was once New York's first prison; and, it was initially designated as a market. When the market closed in the mid-19th century, plots of land were purchased by private buyers and set up as homes, stables, and maritime related businesses. It is a really interesting mix of buildings (fourteen of them) ranging from brick row houses to wood front shops all constructed around 1830. It got a little bawdy around the early 19th century when a lot of the buildings housed bars for the "dark" crowd (i.e. gays and misfits). But, it is now right in fashion with the rest of the village: beautiful, tiny and incredibly expensive real estate.
It's an ideal street to live on because it is off of a major West Village street (Christopher) so proximity and access to restaurants, bars and transportation is great. But, it's also very quiet and tree-lined due to the fact that it's very far west and largely unknown to tourists and even residents. Most of the buildings on Weehawken are not for rent. Even the apartments are condos or coops. And, because they are all historical landmarks, the buildings can't be altered at all. So, the 19th century aesthetic will forever remain intact. I think this street is really cool. It's almost like living in a suburb. . . .but, a really old one. You walk down this tiny wisp of a street and actually feel like you got into a time machine. As far things to do, there aren't any. It is strictly residential and it's about the size of an alley. But the buildings are gorgeous and the energy is very calm.

Charles Lane is an interesting little slip of an alley between Washington and West. Alleys like this are very coveted property in the West Village because they're so removed from traffic and most tourists and even Manhattan residents don't know they exist. This alley used to be the Northern entrance of New York's first prison. When it was torn down, the alley was paved with stones that are not found anywhere else in the city which I think is pretty cool. The little old homes are really unique as well, and I wish this lane was as cool as it could be.
It's insanely expensive (as the West Village is want to be) but back around the 80's when the West Village was just starting to get popular again, Charles Lane had an interesting dynamic. The lane was mostly longtime residents that all cultivated private "ftont yards," every one knew each other and they had mini block parties on the weekends. It had a very bohemian spirit in the vein of the old West Village. But, there were also prostitutes and drug dealers lingering around West and, apparently, they would trickle into this alley at night. I don't live that far from Charles Lane now, and I can attest to the fact that there are still some suspect people lurking around the Westside Highway so I can only imagine what things these poor people saw back in the '80's. Sadly, a couple of massive building complexes went up on the west side of the alley in the '90's (I think) and it completely changed the street. It's still really quaint and very expensive. And, I don't think there is a lot of illegal activity on it any longer. But, the charm was lost a little bit. The gardens are all unkept and the aesthetic just isn't up to par. Check out other West Village alleys like Patchin Place and Washington Mews and you'll see what I mean. It's still lovely and I wouldn't say no to living on Charles Lane. But, it's not the most attractive alley in the neighborhood. And, it should be.

Sheridan Square is about a block of turf that turns into Washington Place just before Washington Square Park. The actually square of Sheridan Square is more of a garden but New Yorkers take green anywhere they can get it. And, I think it's pretty cool that the area residents are what keep the garden going. It's not much to look at when you compare it to the nearby park, but it used to be an ugly traffic island, so I don't think anyone is complaining. Directly across the street used to be a popular bar called The Pirate's Den. It had been around forever and was torn down by the devil otherwise known as NYU. I swear, that school is going to be the death of New York. Where there used to be cool places that Keats hung out, there are now and will continue to be ugly, tenement looking buildings as long as NYU keeps getting permits. It's a really good school, and I think I still wouldn't let my kid go there just out of spite. But, I digress . . . .
This is a high traffic area because of the conjunction of 7th, West 4th and Christopher just west of the garden, so it's not the most peaceful setting. But, the neighborhood is so pretty on it's own that you just kind of deal with the traffic. And, on a nice day, it's a great place to sit and people watch. You can't live on Sheridan Square, obviously, but as far as a stop by kind of block on your way to the park, it's lovely.

West Washington Place was the place to be in the Edith Wharton era, and the block or so of street is still quite lovely. Most of this area is completely overtaken by NYU but it is still beautiful and the majority of the old buildings on this stretch haven't yet been destroyed by the university. The corner of Washington Place and Barrow houses a building that has had quite a liberal history. It was an off Broadway theatre company known for being on the cutting edge at the turn of the 20th century, a Liberal Society where the likes of Lena Horne and Billie Holiday performed and then another boundary pushing theatre company. It closed in the 50's and now it's, you guessed it, NYU territory. But, the building is still there, at least. Directly across the street used to be a "tea room" that was quite famous for a woman that read palms and tea leaves for the rich, bohemain set. It's a shame that that kind of thing isn't around in the neighborhood any longer; but, unfortunately, the area is so expensive that there's no room for the boho set.
Across 6th Avenue is a condo building that used to be the home of a speakeasy where people like Edna St. Vincent Millay hung out. The owners opened 21 Club uptown which is one of the coolest old timey places in the city and I imagine this place was quite similar in aesthetic. Next door, at 82 Washington Place, was the home to both Willa Cather and Richard Wright -- at separate times, naturally. Across the street from that was a speakeasy that ee Cummings used to have dinner with his cheater wife all the time. And, next door to that is the Stoned Crow -- a great little bar where other writers probably go with their cheater wives. . . . kidding . . . maybe.
There's not a ton to do on West Washington Place outside of enjoy the architecture, avoid NYU punks and stroll to the park, but it's a beautiful street that is definitely worth visiting.

Greenwich Mews is a one block street off of Greenwich St and it can be summed up in one word: expensive. It's a tiny street that is made up entirely of row houses and they are magnificent but ridiculously expensive. . . and, rarely ever on the market. There was one for sale last year that ended up getting about 7 million dollars for 3,000 square feet. 3,000 square feet is massive for Manhattan but that's a lot of pesos for not a lot of house. And, the entirety of this street is in the 4 million dollar and up range. The homes are beautiful but they are definitely for the elite / old money kind of people. The plus side of forking over that much dough is that you live on a ridiculously quiet and green street in a historical landmark. And, they're all actual houses rather than apartments -- a scarcity in New York as a whole. If you can live on Greenwich Mews, you can live just about anywhere you want. If I could live anywhere I wanted, I would probably shoot for this street . . . the West Village is the best neighborhood in the city, after all.

Greenwich Street -- not to be confused with Greenwich Ave is actually 9th Avenue while Greenwich Ave is more like a street. It's weird, I know, but most of the West Village is wonky like that. 9th turns into Greenwich street right at the start of the West Village, so it's pretty unique to just that neighborhood and Tribeca. It really starts off with a bang because it turns into Greenwich right at a Christian Louboutin store. I don't get those shoes because they hurt like hell, but the women in New York seem to have an obsession. The street right outside the store is cobblestone, so I find it funny that you drop a grand on a pair of shoes and can't even wear them right outside the store.
I think that store is there just to let you know you're getting into some really expensive territory because outside of the Loub shop, the street is mostly residential. This is pretty bizarre for an Ave (of sorts) in Manhattan. Some really beautiful and crazy expensive homes are on Greenwich and the street is pretty quiet and tree-lined. There are a few shops and restaurants, like The Spotted Pig, but the area is predominantly a mix of high end apartments and very old, incredibly expensive townhouses.
Two of the most well known apartment complexes in the Village are on Greenwich: The Archives and the Printing House. They are both former commercial buildings -- The Federal Archives and a Printing House -- cum massive residential complexes. And, the apartments are magnificent. They are all huge and incredibly nice. I guess if I had that kind of money, I would rather live in a townhouse, but if you like conveniences like a doorman, elevator and a gym with a pool (which is rare in NY) then either one of these buildings is the place to be. I'm partial to the Archives, myself, but they're both great.
There's really not much to Greenwich other than money and quiet. But, Greenwich is within walking distance to pretty much eveything the West Village has to offer and it's lovely year-round. I wouldn't, personally, live on it if I could live anywhere. But, I wouldn't say no to it either.

8th Ave of the West Village starts, in my opinion, at Village Pizza. I don't know why I have made this arbitrary distinction but I think it's due to the fact that I consider 14th to be Chelsea and south of that is just a gas station until it hits Village Pizza. It's not my favorite pizza in the world, but it's open late and I have patronized it more times than I care to admit. It's decent, fast and the guys that work there are really nice.
Once you get down to 8th and Jane (the next block south) you run into two of my favorite places in the West Village. Tavern on Jane is this great, crusty old bar that serves food. There are a lot of old regulars and the place is rarely crowded. It's dark and there's a fireplace. What more do you want in the seven month winter that New York has? Directly across the street is my favorite restaurant in the city: Dell 'Anima. It's tiny, always crowded and the food is impeccable. I can't say better things about this place except for that going there is a must. I make every single member of my friends and family eat there when they come into town. It's just a flawless New York restaurant.
There are a couple of little boutiques right next to Tavern on Jane that are pretty fun but the shopping on 8th isn't ideal as far as the Village goes unless you love Steve Allan. There is a park, Art Bar which is dark and disgusting but I love it, and a few grocery stores within the vicinity. That doesn't sound like anything to write home about but having to walk fifteen blocks in the snow with ten bags of food makes you really appreciate a close market. I wouldn't want to live on 8th Ave because it's busy and the traffic is pretty loud. But, it's close to transportation, easy to navigate and not crazy busy as far as the big Avenues go. And, I guess because I live right off of 8th, I'm a little partial to it . . . well, because of that and Dell 'Anima.

11th turns into West, or the Westside Highway, at Horatio so I really consider it to be a West Village Street even though it remains West the rest of the way down. There's not a lot of noteworthy things about West but if you live on the street you have a great view of the Hudson. Cars fly down this street, though, so you have to be careful. And, I think it's pretty creepy at night because there isn't a lot of foot traffic after dark.
The entirety of West on the west side of the street is a park. It's a great place to run or catch some sun in the spring. There are always a lot of people in the park pretty much year round, though.
The Jane Hotel is at the corner of Jane and West and it is gorgeous. It has been around forever -- it was where all of the Titanic survivors were taken. But, now, it's known mostly for it's bar and Cafe Gitane rather than being known as a place to actually stay when visiting. The Jane is very trendy and very old world beautiful. And, Gitane has an awful lot of popularity for reasons I can't understand. I don't think the food is anything to write home about.
The corner of Bank and West holds the Westbeth building where Diane Arbus committed suicide (it used to be an artists colony but things like that don't exist in the West Village anymore). Right next door to the Westbeth is a fantastic tiny bar called Automatic Slims. I go there all the time.
Speaking of great bars, the Rusty Knot is at 11th and West and this is just about one of the best dive bars in the city. It is a dive bar for sure. I think they serve Dinty Moore canned stew here but I find it hard to believe that anyone orders it. It has pool tables and a lot of crusty old people mixed with young bucks. I have never not had a fantastic time at this place.
The rest of West heading into Tribeca is park on one side and mostly high rise condos on the other. It's a beautiful view and a great neighborhood. I just think the street is a little scary to actually live on.

West 12th lacks a little of the charm of the rest of the West Village as it is slowly creeping toward becoming Meatpacking District territory. But, there are a lot of great restaurants on West 12th and a lot of conveniences as well. It's a great street and there are things worth patronizing frequently on West 12th. But, it's not the street you want to live on if you have your choice of living anywhere in the neighborhood.
There are some ridiculous condos on the corner of 12th and the Westside Highway. I have a friend that lives in one and they are massive, very modern and very expensive. They have an incredible view of the Hudson and I would not say no to living in any of these buildings. Directly across Washington are two great but very different places. Barbuto is a lovely Italian restaurant that has decent food but an awesome set up. All of the windows open up so in the summer, it's as if the entire restaurant is outdoors. I have spent many Sunday afternoons "outside" at this place. Across the street is a place called Tortilla Flats. It has terrible food but what lacks in that it makes up for in nightly games, karaoke or bingo. It's always rowdy and always fun. The next block east houses some amazing old homes. They're from the 18th and 19th centuries and they are beautiful and very true to the West Village aesthetic. It's a pretty dramatic turn from the block at 12th and Washington.
West 12th between Hudson and 8th holds Abingdon Square. It's a mini-park that would be lovely to sit in during the spring except for the fact that I have never once been able to find an empty bench when the weather is nice. But, I guess good outdoor spots are hard to come by in this city. The Beatrice Inn is just up at West 4th and this place is in a perpetual state of opening and closing. It's a really cool building so it's a shame that when it's open, it is completely overrun by annoying, trendy people that pretend to be hipsters. It's not bad on an off night, though . . . when it's open. Directly across the street is one of my favorite brunch spots: Cafe Cluny. It has impeccable food and I never not seen this place busy. I have walked home from the gym at 8 am on a Tuesday and seen people in there already. It has a great energy, it's cute, and again, the food is great.
Speaking of the gym, the nicest Equinox in the city is right at the corner of Greenwich and 12th. It's my gym and it is fantastic. All gyms in New York are outrageously expensive and this one is worth every extra peso you have to cough up. I don't even like the gym, and I love this place.
There's a lot packed into 12th in the West Village but it's not the prettiest street in the neighborhood by a long shot. I suppose because there's so much going on, it's just not as quaint as the other streets. But, it's still very cool and I wouldn't say no to living on it.

West 11th is a great street. There is so much history on this street, so much energy and so much to do. It's beautiful and old and there are trees everywhere. A lot of writers lived and hung out on West 11th and you can see why. It's one of the calmer, while still being cool, streets in the city.
There's this old building at the corner of 11th and Washington (you can't miss it) that Julian Schnabel bought and added a massive tower to which made most of the neighborhood throw up in their mouth a little bit. I think it's kinda cool but I can see how people were a little more than upset about messing with the old aesthetic of the street. Speaking of the old way, right next door to the Schnabel tower is a housing complex that was supposed to be rent regulated as the neighborhood used to be for artists. Apparently, it's only for rich artists now because, like most of the West Village, it is no longer rent stabilized and no longer cheap. It's kind of sad because so many famous artists lived here before they were famous. And, now this is where artists live after they've become so.
Two of my favorite / least favorite spots are right on the corner of 11th and Greenwich: The Spotted Pig and The White Horse Tavern. The Spotted Pig is a great place with great food and I always love going there in the winter. I could stay all day except for one minor problem . . .the staff. The most atrocious people work at this place. I don't know one person that has ever said, "man, the people at the Spotted Pig are great." Everyone I know complains about them. But, the place is always packed so I guess they don't care. It's worth a try because it's great but it'll never be a staple in my book because of that. White Horse Tavern, however, has a great staff and great history but the patrons are usually awful. You just can't win sometimes but I'll still go there on a weekday when it's not too crowded. It's really old and dingey and great. It's where Dylan Thomas drank himself to death, literally, and Jack Kerouac was thrown out of every time he went there. Basically, it's a great place to get sauced then and now. Directly across 11th at 307 W 11th is where Kerouac's girlfriend lived and where he did most of his writing. He finished On the Road here and Annie Liebowitz owns the place now. It must have a very artsy energy to it.
Right at Bleecker is a somewhat depressing excuse for a playground and garden, but, there it is. It's nice to have them, don't get me wrong, but this one, is just pretty bad. 285 and 263 W 11th (right at the park) were the addresses of Lee Strasberg and Thomas Wolfe. They lived next door to each other at the same time. That must have been an interesting block . . .
The next block, at West 4th, houses the Rattlestick Theatre and Tartine which are both fantastic. The Rattlestick always has great plays with great casts and Tartine has great food that's not expensive so it makes for an easy night if you put the two together. Right at 7th is one of my favorite places on earth: Two Boots Pizza!! People argue about what pizza is the best pizza, but they're all wrong. Two Boots is the winner, no contest. Many a hangover has been saved by this very outpost in my household.
Across 7th is the recently defunct St Vincent's hospital. What a shame that this place closed. Granted, it wasn't the nicest of hospitals but it's the only one we had and so many great figures were born and passed in this place. It's just too bad. And, now it's a vacant hospital in the middle of a predominantly residential area which is really creepy at night. Next door to the old hospital is Thomas Pynchon's former address and next door to that is Ray's Pizza. Ray's is pretty famous and I think it's terrible but every one deserves to know about it and see for themselves. There's always a line so I wouldn't go in the dead of winter.

West 10th is a very West Village street. There are trees everywhere and a comparatively calm vibe without that ruining the cool. The buildings are old and beautiful and there are great little restaurants and bars lining the blocks. It's hard to pick favorites as far as this neighborhood goes, but 10th is up there. It's just very quaint and very coo.
The corner of West 10th and West used to be the first prison in New York. It opened in 1797. It was supposed to be progressive but ended up being overrun by disease and closed in the mid 19th century. Nothing remains of it today but I don't know that I'd want to live on that site. It would just creep me out. The whole area by the Westside Highway, while pretty, is still pretty creepy at night. It's almost too quiet and too old.
The street is beautiful and has lovely buildings but doesn't start to pick up, energy-wise, until Hudson. At the corner of 10th and Hudson is this fun little restaurant called Cowgirl. It sounds cheesy and it kind of is but it always has people in it and the food's not bad. It's one of the few places in the city where you can get a monster-sized (California size) salad. Across the street from Cowgirl is Blind Tiger Ale House. I like this place though it has a lot of tourists and kids. It's in a former row house and I just think it's cool and old timey.
Heading up to Bleecker you get all kinds of fun: a bunch of gay bars, the Village Apothecary and the Police Station / New York Bomb Squad. What more do you need in a day, right? All jokes aside, that's one of the things I love about this neighborhood. You never know what mishmosh of things are going to be on each block. And, they're all housed in three hundred year old buildings. And, the Village Apothecary is great if you happen to be a girl that likes beauty products .. . . so, basically, if you happen to be a girl. One of my favorite lunch spots is also at West 10th and Bleecker: Westville. The crowd is always cool and the food is always on point.
10th at West 4th is one of my favorite blocks in the West Village. It's so cute you can't help but fall in love with the neighborhood. I Tre Merli is this cute little bistro that is a fantastic place to stop for a drink on a blustery day -- that's exactly how I found the spot before I moved to the neighborhood.
Once you cross 7th Ave, you're kind of in the lesser coveted part of the West Village as it starts to become Greenwich, but I still think the street is so quaint. There's a massive Gourmet Garage market that somewhat ruins the old aesthetic, but it's a great store and much needed in the area so I'm not really complaining. And, one of my favorite coffee shops in the city, Jacks, is right here. It's a must if you're even nowhere near the neighborhood. There are some great restaurants and the Jefferson Market Library at the next block (at Greenwich) which are also not to be missed. The library was a former courthouse and prison. The guy who shot Stanford White had his trial there. And, it was going to be demolished in the '60's which would have been such a shame because it's gorgeous. So, a bunch of preservationists including ee Cummings helped save it and turn it into a library. It's worth a visit, for sure. But, then again, the whole street has gems all over it

Washington Street is one of the quieter streets in the Meatpacking. It's not quiet by any stretch of the imagination but it's better than some of the others that's for sure.
The block of Washington between 13th and 14th pretty much sums up the Meatpacking in my opinion. The corner of 14th holds high end shops like DVF, a horrible bar called Hogs and Heifers (there are bras all over the ceiling and a strange lingering odor) and one of the few remaining butchers in the district. Atlas Meats is the name, I think, and it's pretty unreal to think that every shop on the street used to be just like that one . . . and now, there are designer clothes hanging next door to cuts of meat. Across 13th are two of the newer draws to the Meatpacking: The Highline and The Standard. The Highline used to be an above ground railway that is now a "park" thingy. It's a bizarre walk but it does have an amazing view. The Standard Hotel brings in just as many tourists as the highline though I do have a soft spot in my heart for this place. They have a beer garden and ping pong tables that I have spent many summer nights enjoying. We have tournaments there with all of our friends and have wasted countless hours enjoying the outdoors and too many beers. The Standard also hosts bingo on Sunday nights that is pretty out of control. They have dance offs to settle bingo ties . . need I say more?
There are a couple more meatshops left on the next block down but they are mostly taken over by high end boutiques. Outside of the Standard, there aren't a ton of restaurants or clubs on Washington which is what the Meatpacking is known for. Because it's predominantly shopping and it's right next to the water, it isn't nearly as much of a headache as the rest of the neighborhood. It's pretty industrial and quite dismal looking -- especially in the winter. And, there are definitely still a lot of atrocious people around because of the neighborhood, in general, and the Standard, specifically. But, it's one of the least horrible streets in the Meatpacking and an excellent street to walk if you're trying to traverse the neighborhood.

I have mixed feelings about the Meatpacking but they err on the not so great side. It's a cool looking neighborhood and a few of my friends live there in the most stunning loft apartments I have seen in Manhattan. But, there's a lot of riffraff in the area pretending to be cool. The majority of the city's big nightclubs and trendy but terrible restaurants reside in the Meatpacking. And, there is a lot of high end boutique shopping. Put that all together and you get a lot of Eurotrash, bridge and tunnel crowd and tourists. I don't really hang out there unless it's someone's birthday and they make me go. It looks horribly bleak in the winter because of the factory buildings and the absence of green. But, the aesthetic is really interesting and pretty cool on a nice day to walk through.
Little West 12th Street is where most of the action is and on the weekends, it is packed. It is impossible to get in and out of there on a weekend night because the cabs are so backed up. And, there are drunk people everywhere. There is a place called Bagatelle that does weekend brunch nightclub so people are already tossed by 3 pm. There are famous restaurants like Pastis and Buddakkan and they're both pretty trendy (still) and pretentious. But, Pastis is actually awful -- I hate to admit it, but Buddakkan is actually really good. I also love Fatty Crab on Gansevoort but that isn't really a "meatpacking" restaurant. That place is the only reason I go into the neighborhood. Oh, and the Apple store on 14th. It's massive but always packed. I want this neighborhood to be great because it is so cool looking. It actually used to be a real meatpacking area but there are only two butcher stores left in the area. There are about ten nightclubs in the place where the rest of them used to be.
The nice thing about the Meatpacking is that there is a lot of space in the restaurants and apartments. Being that the buildings are all former factories, they offer a lot more room than most of Manhattan. The bad thing is that that space is filled with a bunch of dingleberries coming into the city to be part of the scene. It's pretty chaotic there. And, it always looks dirty. If I were to live there, I'd live close to Washington or 9th and south of Little West 12th to try to avoid the noise. And, I would only do so if I found an incredible apartment. It's just not worth the pain.

The Spring Street of Tribeca is much more, architecturally, like the Spring of Soho than any other Tribeca Streets. It's a bit quiet, which is a good thing, and the buildings are very old. I feel like Tribeca's always pretty quiet but most of the buildings are modern condos in the neighborhood. That's what makes Spring in this part of town pretty cool.
Spring Street was given its name because it was an actual Spring in what is now Tribeca. It was turned into a well where a body was found in the early 1800's. The suspect was the girl's boyfriend and he was acquitted because of the help of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. One eventually went on to kill the other. And, actually, the Spring was turned into a well as an excuse to start a the Bank of Manhattan because of Burr and Hamilton's longtime fued. Ahhhh, the wheel goes round.
The Ear Inn at Washington and Spring is a building from around 1817. It was built by a wealthy African American whom aided George Washington in the War. The building used to be right on the Hudson when the Hudson came up to Washington so that must have been some pretty prime property. It's now the 4th oldest bar in New York -- dating from the 1860's. And, I must say, it's pretty cool.
The block between Greenwich and Hudson is where a large part of the movie After Hours was shot. And, the buildings are all pretty cool looking.
The New York City Fire Museum is one block over; and, I must admit, it's one of the few museums in New York I have no desire to ever visit. But, if you're into that sort of thing, well, there it is.
There used to be a massive estate on Spring and what is now 6th avenue and I'm sad that it's not there, but happy for 6th avenue because it's one of the better ones. The neighborhood can be a little freakishly quiet at night -- especially toward the Hudson. And, public transportation isn't ideal anywhere in Tribeca. But, if you want to live in this neighborhood and don't want to live in a luxury condo, Spring is a good place to start looking.

The Spring Street has iffy boundaries in regards to when Soho ends and Nolita begins. I usually mark just after Lafayette but sort of in the middle of the block. In my opinion, that's where the neighborhood changes and quite rapidly. The Spring of Soho is marked by heavy tourists and heavy shopping with mostly bad bars and restaurants. Once you get about halfway down the block just east of Lafayette, Spring becomes very Nolita -- or North of Little Italy. The Original Lombardi's was on the corner of Spring and Mulberry if that isn't any indication. I wish it were still there because the building has so much history. It was opened in the late 1890's by Lombardi himself as a grocery store and started selling pizza around 1905. The tourist trap that is Lombardi's now is down the street and it moved there in the 1990's. Directly across the street from the old Lombardi's is Spring Street Lounge. It's definitely a bar not a lounge. If there was any confusion about that point, I'm sure the myriad of sharks on the walls will clear that up for ya. I like this place for football, and, apparently, so do a number of other people.
Across Spring holds the current location of Lombardi's. This place is always packed; and, it is a kitschy good time. But, I don't really think it's worth the wait. As far as sit down pizza joints go, my vote lies with Patsy's. Across the street is a place about whose existence I am continually dumbfounded. It's a rice pudding joint. I'm not kidding. All they sell are different flavors of rice pudding. I'm convinced it's a mob front.
Cafe Habana is just at the corner of Spring and Elizabeth. It's one of my favorite restaurants in New York and it's really cheap! They make a mean mojito, the place is always packed and it's very New York. And, directly across the street is one of my least favorite restaurants in New York: Bread. It's the epitome of Eurotrash (no offense). The food is sub-par, the service is rude and lazy and it's, of course, extremely trendy for no apparent reason.
There's a really interesting building at 11 Spring that has quite a colorful history (and exterior sometimes). It was a carriage house dating from the 1880's. It was owned by a guy that lived in it for 30 years, and he, allegedly, burned the surplus candles from the Chicago World's Fair day in and day out so it came to be known as the Candle Building. Then the building became famous for it's Street Art Murals which were quite vivid and huge. It's now a condo building but people still draw on it. Two buildings over is another interesting building: the Germania Bank building. It's quite beautiful and in some ways it resembles the Flatiron building -- speaking of the Worlds Fair. It was built in the 1890's and had been abandoned for many years when Robert Maynicke bought it in the 1960's. His family still lives there and are its only residents. It has 72 rooms. This building is massive and I can't believe only one family lives there. Maynicke is quoted as saying that when he brought the property for about 100,000 that the neighborhood was very different: "every single thing that can come out of a human body has been left on my doorstep." The building is now worth about $50 million. But, as far as I know, he still hasn't sold. I would have. That's outrageous. It looks like a palace, though, so I can imagine the attachment.
Spring is irksome to me in Soho, but for the few blocks that it traverses Nolita, I really rather enjoy it.

Prince traverses a lot of neighborhoods for a couple of blocks -- they change so quickly downtown even locals argue over where one neighborhood ends and one begins. Prince, technically, runs through Nolita, not Little Italy, but it looks like Little Italy, somewhat, around here so what they hay...
I would say that Prince turns into Prince of Nolita around Crosby street although I would probably be met with a lot of contention on that opinion. I say this because the Soho vibe dissipates pretty significantly after Lafayette and it's my review so I can do what I want.
There are a couple of restaurants on the southeast corner that are both pretty good. Hampton Chutney Co has pretty good Indian food that is really cheap so it's perfect for takeout on a lazy night. The corner of Prince and Lafayette is where President James Monroe died. His daughters house used to be here and he died five years to the date of Presidents Adams and Jefferson. Incidentally, it was also American Independence Day which I think is incredibly bizarre.
The block of Prince and Mulberry is taken over by St Anthony's Cathedral. The building across the street from the actual Cathedral is now a school, I believe, and it used to be an "orphan asylum" in the 1800's, whatever that means. A million different horror films flash through my brain whenever I pass this building. It's even creepier now that I know what it used to be.
Across Mott is a block that I think makes arguing over neighborhood boundaries pretty easy. On one side of Prince is the actual original Ray's Pizza. It's one of the more famous pizza places in the city and the founder of it used to make heroin in the basement for a bunch of Italian Crime families. One point: Little Italy. Directly across the street from Rays is Sigerson Morrison, a very posh shoe store, and a bunch of pretentious restaurants. One point: Nolita.
The corner of Prince and Elizabeth is one of my favorite restaurants in the city: Cafe Habana. It's a tiny Cuban joint that is always packed and always on point. It is such a New York restaurant to me for reasons other than it being the first place I ate when I came to look for an apartment. You practically sit on top of other people and no one seems to mind. The food is cheap and authentic and the energy in this place is great.
Nolita is one of the more expensive neighborhoods for no reason in downtown. But, it really is cute. The apartments are tiny and you're always surrounded by people, but there are actual trees and you never run out of stuff to do.

Mulberry Street is one of the main streets through Little Italy. It's the street that both the St. Anthony and San Gennarro festivals are held every year. Tourists love these festivals and Mulberry is absolutely packed during the weeks that these run. Locals, understandably aren't nearly as enthused for the festivals but I think they're kind of fun if impossible to navigate. There are food and souvenir stands lining the street for about five blocks; and, there are people everywhere. It takes about three times as long to get down this street during a festival and forget about a cab if you're anywhere in the vicinity. So, I can imagine that living here is a terrible pain during these, but other than that, Mulberry is pretty cool. And, the name Little Italy isn't joking around. Pretty much the only thing on Mulberry Street is the Italian Restaurant. There are a few other things, naturally, but on any given day at any given hour, there are people standing outside to lure tourists into their restaurants where old men sit for hours and plan their next mob crime (in my mind, anyway). It's a little cheesy but it's still kind of cool.
Mulberry starts at Bleecker so a block of the street is, technically, in Nolita. That block has the original NY Police Headquarters which was start in the 1860's. Directly across the street (at 303 Mulberry) is where the New York Tribune used to be. Jacob Riis got his photography start here. He's famous for the photography book How the Other Side Lives -- or something like that -- which showcased how awful the slums were in and around this neighborhood. The book still sells really well and it is pretty disturbing.
Mulberry and Houston holds one of the more famous buildings in lower Manhattan, the Puck Building. It was built in the mid-1800's and it really is magnificent. It was showcased in When Harry Met Sally and Will and Grace and I wish more buildings that went up looked like that one. Just down the street is another beautiful relic, St. Patrick's Cathedral. It was the first Roman Catholic Church built in New York, appropriately in the predominantly Italian neighborhood. It is gothic, stunning and creepy. And, the cemetery is pretty cool looking as well. The inside is a must-see, in my opinion. It is perfectly opulent and the stained glass windows were put in at enough distance from the street so that no one could throw a rock through them during anti-Catholic protesting . . those mobsters think of everything. The whole block is quite old and really well preserved so I always tell visitors to take a quick jaunt down this way.
The block between Prince and Spring is the thick of Little Italy. There are a ton of Italian restaurants, little shops and one of my favorite hangouts, 8 Mile Creek. It is an Australian bar that has no place being in this neighborhood and it is awesome. All Aussies work there and an awful lot of Aussies go there. The food is great, the owner is lovely and there is a back patio that is a fantastic place to hang all day during the Spring. I used to go here once a week. Right across Spring is the aptly named Spring Street Lounge. It's not really a lounge so much as a smelly, packed sports bar. It gets crazy during football season but I still love the place.
The rest of Mulberry is legitimately all Italian Restaurants as far as I can tell. They're all jut ok except for a few that are worth mentioning. There's a place called Mulberry Street Bar that is crazy authentic. It has been in a number of films: the scene is 9 1/1 Weeks where they go on their first dinner with the Italian lady singing pretty much sums up how this restaurant is. You feel almost like you're in Italy and it's really cool. Angelo's has great food, too, but Il Cortile is probably the best. That's the place I go with my family every time they come into town and no one is ever disappointed.
There are cute apartments on Mulberry but they are pretty expensive and most are really tiny considering this area used to be one of the biggest slums and the buildings are all still from that period. But, the street is always lively and you will definitely never go hungry living here. Plus, it's a great location for walking just about anywhere. Just, ya know, don't talk back to any of the Italians because they're not messing around.

Bleecker Street is one of the main thoroughfares in the West Village -- or, at least it is to me (I take this street everywhere). It's a really busy street so it's not ideal to live on, per se, but I know a few people with fantastic apartments on this street and very little noise seemed to get in, so it's not a bad street at all. There are always people on this street too, 24 hours a day, so as far as safety, it doesn't get much better than Bleecker in the West Village. It disects the West Village really nicely and there are so many shops and restaurants on this street it can seem overwhelming. I like Bleecker. The bustle of the street is great aside from the weekends when the tourists are out like gangbusters. But, there are a lot of trees for such a busy street and it does have some relatively quiet parts.
Bleecker starts at Hudson right around Abingdon Square, a tiny park that was one of the few to retain a British namesake. There's a little playground here and enough green to be considered a park although it is quite small. In the winter, I find this park to be somewhat depressing but I guess we'll take outdoor space where we can get it. The corner of Bleecker and Bank is where Lauren Bacall first moved when she came to NY at 17 years old. She was discovered shortly thereafter and lived here for a while longer after becoming the Lauren Bacall that we all know. This section of Bleecker is very West Village to me. There are a ton of high end boutiques like Marc Jacobs and Lulu Guinness mixed in with greenery, socialites having a coffee and tourists waiting in line for the famous Magnolia cupcakes which are just ok in my mind. It's quite commercial but the apartments are very expensive, old and beautiful and the crowd runs every through every demographic in the city. Spring weekends find this bit of Bleecker to be particularly crowded but the energy is still pretty tranquil, somehow, so it's not annoying. I think it's all the trees . . .or, maybe all the rich people.
The block right around Christopher Street is also very commercial as most of the mansions that used to take up this block were torn down over the last hundred years. The oldest building in Greenwich is right on the corner of Christopher and Bleecker. It's a pizza place that was put up in 1802. It wasn't a pizza place then but the building is still intact. Bleecker is predominantly high end shops with apartments above until Grove Street. All of a sudden, there are restaurants everywhere. AOC is a lovely little French place right on the corner of Grove. And, the same block houses a Mexican chain, an Indian restaurant and Five Guys which is renowned for their burgers. If you live on this block, you will definitely never want for food options, that's for sure. My good friend lives above the Indian Place and his apartment is really cool but outrageously expensive. Anything west of 7th Avenue is some prime real estate. Thomas Paine lived at 309 Bleecker the last year of his life and now Fat Cat is in the basement which I think is pretty funny. I love Fat Cat, a bar with a million pool tables, shuffleboard and board games, but it's funny that the father of our revolution's deathbed is now a cheeky bar.
Once you cross 7th Ave, Bleecker starts to turn into the Bleecker of Greenwich Village which is a completely different vibe. There are a lot of pizza places, like John's and Bleecker St Pizza (both of which are not remotely deserving of their fame) and bizarre sex shops, hat shops, you name it kind of shops and bars. It's a little dirtier and louder but it's still a cool street. Murray's Cheese Shop and Risotteria are two places right here, though, that are a must in my book. This is a highly touristed area, so it's annoying as all get out on the weekends. But, a weekday jaunt to Murray's is well worth whatever boloney you have to endure to get there. The rent is still astronomical as you get into Greenwich, however, and it's not as nice or quaint. So, if you can afford to live here, I say go west of 7th.

Sullivan is such a Greenwich Village Street. It's one of those streets the perfectly embodies its neighborhood to me. And, Greenwich is a really colorful neighborhood so that's no easy task for a street in this area. The buildings are quite old for the most part seeing as people moved North from Downtown to this area around the 1800's. It doesn't have the sprawling townhouses that many streets in the West and East Villages have, but there's a lot of history to the area. And, there's a lot of hustle and bustle on Sullivan due to its proximity to NYU.
Sullivan starts on the North side of Washington Square Park which lends itself to there already being quite a lot of foot traffic -- WSP is one of the most crowded parks in the city on any given day. And, you can often hear music echoing through the buildings on Sullivan because of all the musicians in the park; a pecadillo which I love and many people aren't terribly happy with. The corner of Sullivan and Wash Square North has (what a shock) two NYU buildings directly across the street from each other. The Law School building went up with much contention because in order to build the department the school had to destroy a number of historical homes including Eugene O'Neill's house. But, that's NYU for you . . .
The next block represents what I was talking about in regards to Greenwich: a mish mosh of the most bizarre things in old buildings that seem to work. There's a restaurant that's menu is entirely comprised of things made with peanut butter. I'm not kidding: everything has peanut butter in it. Expectedly, this joint is pretty popular with the college kids that live in the surrounding area. There's a fantastic ice cream place directly across the street and two bars. What else could a student want but fatty food and booze, right? The bar next to the ice cream place -- I think it's called the Sparrow -- is so beautiful. It has a really low-key vibe and it's decor is old world French. It gets really crowded on the weekends but a weekday happy hour perfect, especially when it's gloomy out. You have to walk downstairs to get to it (in case I have the name wrong) and there are candles everywhere, so it's definitely a fall / winter spot. But, the cocktails and ambience are great.
The next block over is packed with torn down history, sadly. The Sullivan Street Playhouse was just torn down ten years ago after being open for a million (the sign is still there) and Mayor LaGuardia was born in the next door address (177) in the 1880's. His birthplace collapsed during renovations in the 80's and people were killed so I fancy that it's double haunted which adds to the creep factor of the block in a good way . . . especially considering that a 150 year old Catholic Church is across the street and old churches are always creepy. The block between Houston and Prince on which the church stands is, again, pretty representative of Greenwich. There's a cheese shop, a yarn shop, a pastry shop and some other little chotchke spaces that I love but wonder how they're still in business.
The next block past Prince is where Sullivan changes over again as it turns into fancy town. Blue Ribbon and Blue Ribbon Sushi are both on this block. They are highly regarded as two of the best restaurants in the Village (the Sushi spot is often noted as the best in the city). I'm not a huge fan of Blue Ribbon Bakery's food but I love everything else about it that I go all the time. It's tiny and warm and always packed. And, this particular block of Sullivan is too adorable for words. Any place you walk into on this street feels like you're walking into someone's house. Last Halloween, I went to Blue Ribbon at 2 am for oysters and champagne. The room was warm and packed and everyone in the place seemed really happy. It was one of my favorite nights I've had in this city. The houses across the street from the restaurant are both historical landmark houses from 1832. They're really beautiful.
Sullivan ends at 6th Avenue, solidifying it as a true Greenwich Street -- it doesn't traverse any other neighborhoods. It's loud and lively, but not dirty or ugly -- and, that's hard to find in Greenwich. And, it has evolved pretty nicely. It's crazy expensive to live on Sullivan and considering the street and sidewalk traffic of the street, I wouldn't necessarily want to live on it. But, it's definitely really safe, cool, and central.

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.

Stanton starts off really strong and creepy: at an African burial ground from the 18th century that was turned into a children's playground some time after the bodies were "moved" uptown. Sidenote: the bodies are never moved in this city, so tons of little kids play on top of a cemetery. How's that for a horror film? But, just a quick jaunt down from creeptown are two of my favorite spots in the Lower East side. Meatball shop and Epstein's Bar are both on Stanton at Allen Street. Meatball went up last year and is perpetually packed with hipsters and LES visitors alike chowing down on some of the most delicious (and inexpensive) meatballs ever. And, Epstein's bar is a lively, though fratty on the weekends, bar directly next door. You barely have to move for an entire night of fun if you start on this corner. Just down the block, at Orchard, is a dive bar called Arlene's Grocery that has karaoke on monday with a live band. They can play just about any song and this night is wildly fun and insanely crowded. You can't not go to Arlene's Grocery if you're in the LES on a monday. Or, at least, you have to go once.
As you go further down Stanton it gets a little sketchy -- although, apparently, both Leonard Cohen and Marlon Brando lived at Attorney when it was far sketchier than it is now. My sister lived at Stanton and Attorney, and it's definitely a little grittier down there. The apartments are small and grimey for the most part but the street is definitely becoming more peppered with new, expensive buildings by the second. Stanton is one of the best streets to live on the LES if you're young and into grit and hipsterdom. It's got a little bit of edge, but it's pretty safe now because there are so many people on the streets all day every day. I love Stanton for a night out but it's a little too loud and rowdy for living for me. And, though, the neighborhood is way more expensive than it was 5 years ago because of its new restaurant and nightlife scene, you can still find places that are even cheaper than Williamsburg on Stanton. You just really have to look

Gramercy Park East, like the rest of the streets surrounging the park is incredibly posh and beautiful. Gram East doesn't have the mansions that it's sister streets have, but it isn't any less beautiful, historically cool or expensive. Gramercy park is the only private park left in New York City. It was supposed to be, ironically, sanctioned to the freed slaves, but then was purchased and allotted as a private park in 1831 in order to lure the wealthy back from uptown. It worked and the neighborhood remains very posh and eerily old-fashioned. The demographic of Gramercy Park East is old, grumpy, and rich. But, the street is gorgeous.
The corner of Gram Park East and North was a massive hotel built in the 1880's. It looks like a castle and Steinbeck lived there. Next door to that building is a completely different style of architecture, but this building is no less stunning. It's gothic, complete with gargoyles and creepy armor looking statues. John Barrymore and Ringling of Ringling Bros circus both lived here. It is beyond opulent. And, directly next door to the Goth building is a building that looks like a castle. They weren't joking around when they built these complexes, huh? They all look like they jumped out of fairy tales in different lands. James Cagney lived in the castle one.
It's weird that most of the park has houses and this one particular street is all massive apartments. I'm guessing they were all hotels at one point, and now, they are grand co-ops (I seriously doubt anyone rents on the Gram streets). For my money, I would live in an actual house if I were wealthy enough to live on the park, but to each his own. I'm just glad NYU hasn't gotten its mitts on this street too . . .