Ave C Between Houston St and 4th St

    

Very few neighborhoods are as well-defined as Alphabet City. You get a distinct feeling that you've crossed over some boundary once you pass Houston and make your way up Avenue C. Historically close-knit and rugged, Alphabet City maintains a flavor all its own. Though that's starting to change little by little. You can start to see signs of gentrification taking root with shiny new apartment buildings, which look completely out of place amongst the older New York standbys.

Between Houston and 2nd Street the narrow triangle formed as Ave C works its way northward is occupied by a Mobil station – a rare sight in Manhattan. Normally gas stations are relegated to the outermost reaches of the borough– this one manages to sit itself inland by two blocks.