Delancey St Between Allen St and Ludlow St

   

Every time I find myself on Delancey street I have to do a double-take to make sure I'm not on Houston, or even 14th. It sounds foolish, but there are many striking similarities. While the other doppelgangers are far more polished thanks to the past 20 years of gentrification, Delancey still remains a bit rough around the edges. Regina Spektor's song "That Time" has a lyric:

"Hey remember the time when I found a human tooth down on Delancey?"

...which is seems very appropriate, but less and less plausible as time goes on.

While the nearby Tenement Museum celebrates the neighborhood's questionable past, the new SVA Ludlow Residence seem to give a glimpse into the future. A controversial building, the brown-brick-mosaic facade is a strange addition to the skyline. Personally, I don't mind it. It's nice to see something that isn't glass and steel. The blocky structure isn't anything thrilling (It reminds me of a telco headquarters that you'd find in the 1960's – especially with those narrow window columns), but I have to commend the architect for the clever use of color. It certainly doesn't appeal to everyone, but I'll be very interested to see how tastes evolve as time goes by. There are also plenty of complaints about the influx of "snobby art students". I can't comment on that assessment (I was one of said snobby art students), but personally I'd much rather have a group of artists than a group of miscellaneous NYC undergrads.