26th St Between Lexington Ave and 3rd Ave

To the north: Stoop after stoop leading to a row of squat apartments. To the south: An unflinchingly dominant building belonging to Baruch College. Put them together and you get a street that offers two very different experiences depending on which side you choose.

While the Baruch building is rather nice in it's detailing, the sheer monotony of its presence leaves a lot to be desired. The north side, on the other hand, is full of interesting details that give way to a new building every few feet. Consistency has never been New York's strong suit. If you come across a stretch of sidewalk that feels the same for more than a hundred feet, you've found a unique place, indeed.

This block has a rather unique feature in the form of Broadway Alley. Where it got the lofty name I'll never know, but according to a Times article from 2005 it's quite possibly the last unpaved road in the city. Privately-owned (which is how it's escaped the DOT's paving prowess), the alley–which extends all the way through to 27th Street–holds a rich history dating back nearly 200 years. However, what drew my attention to it wasn't any of that, but rather the oddly-placed street lamp hanging from the corner. I'd have to come back another time to see if the light actually works, but the combination of the ornate iron arm and the semi-modern light fixture seem to imply that it's been through a few upgrades over the years.