West 4th St Between West 12th St and West 11th St

One of the great things about the village down here is how screwed up the grid gets. This is a rare area where it seems like there SHOULD be a grid , but it's placement in the geography of the city prevents the rules from applying. My favorite side effect is how W4th Street is forced to turn northward and subsequently intersect several other streets, essentially becoming an avenue.

The narrow streets down here remind me of what the Financial District must have looked like 120 years ago. The low-rise buildings split up by the occasional store or restaurant give a true sense of community...However I often find it hard to believe that people actually live here. It often seems like one of those unattainable things to dwell in a brownstone next to a cafe...but it certainly happens, I mean, I see people walking out of them all the time!

What I love about this stretch is the character each individual building has. Sure, they seem to all follow the same basic template, but each one finds a way of uniquely expressing itself. Even the strangely modern one I came across near Bank St had me fascinated. The old and the new, living together! See? Everything is OK.

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