A typical street in the Flatiron district, this block has a varied collection of storefronts and residential buildings. Thanks to Broadway cutting through the neighborhood, each of the streets around here are different lengths – getting shorter the further south you go. Even though it's right next to the fancy Gramercy neighborhood, there isn't anything particularly high-class about this block. 

Most of the buildings along this stretch are older, 10-20 story structures from early last century. The brick and stonework you can observe is particularly nice, especially over the doorways. There's more signs hanging out on the buildings than I've noticed on most other streets – I suppose there's just lots of commerce (and parking) to be had here.

Steps away from City Hall, the grandeur of the financial district begins to fade into memory. There's a certain amount of staidness which is associated with the area it leaves behind. Though still rather uptight and uncomfortable, this block begins to loosen up a bit and feel more like a neighborhood. A mix-and-match selection of buildings and businesses line the block, which is cast in a permanent shadow.

There's a total lack of trees here, which makes it feel much more like midtown and downtown. The overall gray feeling is augmented by the canyon effect you get along the street. A construction site in the middle of the block looks like it's been in limbo for quite some time – strangely appropriate for the street.

The unofficial-official entranceway to Greenwich Village (hey...they have a big sign constructed out of tinsel; that counts for something), Bleecker Street is an eclectic mix of storefronts which sit so close to the street, you'll barely have any sidewalk so wander along. And don't kid yourself, it's all about the stores and restaurants here...I'm sure there are people who live up in those apartments, but this is a destination neighborhood, plain and simple.

This short little block really only gives you a glimpse of what Greenwich Village offers – and things really begin to pick up once you continue further east or north. One of the more surprising things on the block, which sticks out like a sore thumb is the Perazzo Funeral Home – which has been sitting at 199 Bleecker since 1926 (so to be fair, it's sort-of got the right to stick around). I wonder how many grieving families have been inundated by drunk hipsters wandering around the streets?

The final few blocks before the sheer insanity of Canal street takes over are a bit like the calm before the storm. You can see the gridlock traffic and swarms of people from a few hundred feet away as you approach the gimmicky shopping stretch. These blocks are light on the storefronts and heavy on the eclecticism. The rear (or is it the front?) of the AT&T building looms over the entire block between Walker and Lispenard Streets. 

Starting its life down at Battery Park as Greenwich Street, and then Trinity Pl, Church Street dies unceremoniously at Canal just as the conformity of SoHo takes over. For such a relatively short street Church hits some rather important landmarks, including the Word Trade site. The Canal Street Station Post Office which sits on the western corner here is an instantly recognizable structure, with it's corner cut at 45 degrees. With several Manhattan Post Offices closing, including the nearby Prince Street Station, it seems this particular run-down office is getting more important.

Though not as crowded and shopper-centric as its neighbors to the east, this long stretch of Thompson is still definitively SoHo. The rows of old short buildings, overflowing with every type of store and restaurant imaginable, wrestles with the sidewalk for space and attention. Though claustrophobic, the small blocks and low skyline allow for taller buildings a few blocks away to peek through.

Thompson feels much less like a tourist destination and much more like a hoppin' local neighborhood – at least when compared to the main SoHo thoroughfares. The staggering amount of space taken up by cars parking on both sides of the street, really bring to light the short-sightedness of the original city plan when it came to allowing for the free flow of traffic. Parts of these blocks are starting to change as the old tenements are bring taken down to make room for chic hotels like Sixty Thompson

This eclectic block crams a whole bunch of odd things into a very short distance. With a combination of old and new buildings lining the street, there's always something to glance up at. Most of the street level is packed with commercial storefronts and restaurants – which tends to make the block feel more crowded than it is.

Even though Chambers is a major two-way street, it doesn't have the typical 4-lane layout that other major thoroughfares enjoy- which makes it feel simultaneously vast and cramped.

With the towering monuments of the financial district sinking into the background, and the yet-to-be-encountered shining obelisks of midtown just peeking over the horizon, the quiet and welcoming streets of TriBeCa sit in a time warp. Old wall advertisements cut through years of paint and neglect while local shops sit side-by-side with massive corporations. The amount of diversity and contrast you can see down here is inspiring and fascinating. While it may be known as an expensive and privileged part of town, the character that has been maintained on the streets is something all neighborhoods should strive for.

Sure, it may be all a facade, but that doesn't bother me. I tend to be a person who takes joy in how a street looks rather than what it offers. I may be in the minority as far as that goes. But a friendly, good-looking, character-filled block can go a long way to shaping how the surrounding neighborhoods turn out. Besides, it's always free to walk down a street- no matter how expensive the apartments or businesses may be. At least I can enjoy the public space.

Now, is this all a sign of gentrification? Possibly. I'm not smart enough or in an appropriate enough position to pass judgement on how those changes can affect a community. But be that as it may, if you were to offer me a choice between a block such as this or a purely anonymous one in the center of midtown, I'd take this one any day.

South of 9th St, Sixth Avenue acts as a barrier of sorts, holding back the mess of streets that make up the West Village from interfering with the conformity of the grid. As you get closer to Houston, the avenue begins to lose this battle- as evidenced by Minetta Lane, which creates an extra mini block between Bleecker and MacDougal.

A series of open squares along this stretch creates for a wide open, yet hopelessly disorienting experience. Park space is a given as most of the buildings sit back on the side streets. This is one of the few places where 6th Avenue still retains some of the original signs from when it first became "Avenue of the Americas". A popular area to grab some food, it's generally not too crazy down here (that's reserved for West 4th, or further into Greenwich Village).



Lined with restaurants and places to shop, the western end of Houston St is a good deal different than its eastern counterpart. Gone are the bars and trendy clubs, instead you'll find churches, apartments and quiet(ish) side streets. Sure, there's still the bustle of Greenwhich village just a few blocks north, but compared to the inane noise of the LES/East Village, this is nothing.

The side streets that peek out into the middle of the busy intersections all seem very anonymous and similar. Houston is a massive street - complete with a middle island; something only a handful of other streets in Manhattan share (Park Ave, B'Way, and Delancey come to mind). All-in-all, this part of the block feels much more like a neighborhood, whereas a bit to the east it feels like a destination.

A very typical block for this neighborhood, this is just one incarnation of West 4th, which does an incredible job of meandering it's way through the West Village (It ends up intersecting a handful of other streets). With a church, some restaurants and a lineup of apartments (which I would be willing to bet are owned by NYU), this is another fine example of a self-contained street.

The anchoring corners are both rather busy. With the south east side of Washington Square Park on the east and the bustling insanity of 6th Avenue and the A, B, C, D, E, F, & V trains on the west, you can feel a bit blocked in by humanity.