13th St Between 5th Ave and University Pl
Deeply entrenched within the combat zone between The New School and NYU the area between University Place and 5th Av provides a unique combination of store fronts, architecture, and construction. The middle of the block hold the New York Health and Racquet Club – the one often shown in Seinfeld. The rest of the street is a myriad of offerings ranging from residential enclaves to karaoke-laden sushi bars.
The west-most side is home to a seemingly abandoned (or long dormant) construction site. Being 5th Ave, this section feels a bit dead. It isn't until you walk a bit towards University Pl that the character and excitement of the block comes out.
Pieces of small street art abound throughout as old signs hang on walls. Of course, being so close to Union Square, one does run the risk of being eaten alive by massive crowds (especially on the eastern side of things), but it's still lightyears better than the mass of humans found just one block to the north.
Friday, February 20, 2009 at 8:00AM
Reader Comments (1)
Thanks, you really brought me back to some important times of my life. I was a student at the New School and worked there when the Development office was on B'way between 12th and 13th (I think) across from that famous comic book store (sorry, I was never into that). When I started out I was the one that brought the mail from our office over to the other buildings on 5th Ave and on 12th Street, so you can imagine the amount of time I spent traveling these blocks! It'd be great to see images from various times over the years!