Washington Mews, Greenwich Village

Washington Mews is another one of those sad stories about a beautiful and historically maintained street that was completely usurped by NYU. I swear, NYU will somehow manage to own the Northern Dispensary here soon enough. It used to be a place where the rich people kept their stables. A lot of these really cool alley streets in Greenwich and the West Village are where horses used to live . . . and now people do. And, it's the same buildings and they pay a lot of money to live in them. But, the apartments are really cute. And, Washington Mews, like the other alley streets is quiet, private, and beautiful. The old cobblestone street remains as does one of the street signs from the 19th century. The homes on the buildings on the south side of the street are all the original structures and they are gorgeous. This street is prime property because it is right off of Washington Square Park and it's a gated street with little foot traffic and no cars. This would be a fantastic place to live (if you are rich) except for the fact that it's, I believe, the Language department.
Oh, and, Washington Mews used to be where the "decrepit" sailors had to live way back when so the gated street was self-contained with a church, theatre, etc. That's pretty awesome, but I bet it's also pretty haunted and creepy at night. That's what I love about New York!
It's a great street to walk through and peek in the windows if you're out and about in Greenwich, but you can't live there so it's for lurking only.

Home to many of nearby (and enveloping) New York University's foreign language buildings, Washington Mews is a tiny little street with age-old character. With iron gates on either end of its short stretch, there is hardly any through traffic (or foot traffic period). While this does mean there aren't any stores or interesting art finds, it does prove there can be blocks of quiet within the big city.

This is an odd little street because is is actually closed for part of the nighttime hours. A beautiful, cobblestone street that acts as a passageway between 5th ave and University Place, stepping into Washington Mews makes you feel as though you have stepped into a small European village. It is home to NYU’s language houses, but was once home to rows of stables. There isn’t anything to actually do on this street, but it is definitely worth a look, just to take a breath from the more modern architecture everywhere else in the city. When I went to NYU, I always made it a point to pass through this street, and let my imagination take me to a different time.

Washington Mews is my favorite alley in New York. It runs from University Place to 5th Av. It retains its original Belgian block paving, and the two-story buildings are primarily used as residences for NYU faculty or offices. I like to walk down that street, it feels like taking a stroll in an old European town. However, I am not sure if pedestrians are allowed to enter. It is a private alley, but I have never had any trouble to cross it.

Blink as you travel by on 5th Avenue or University Place and you will miss the gates that guard either end of this tiny block long beauty that is sandwiched between 8th st and Washington Square North. Actually a private street, the gates are unlocked during the day and the curious can wander the still-bricked lane. This mews once housed stables that have been converted to the quaint two-story carriage houses that now line the street. Well worth a visit, if only to marvel at the marked difference between the small architectural remnants of a bygone era and the nearby towering apartment complexes that stare down from the sky.