I always get excited when a street I'm posting about has its own Wikipedia entry. It usually leads to some interesting factoids or discoveries that I either didn't know, or only knew part of. Imagine my joy when I saw University Pl was graced with an article all its own on the free encyclopedia. Then imagine my disappointment as I found that it was as short and poorly-written as a post on this very blog. Not a word on the history of the street. Not a word on the naming (though I have a pretty big hunch *cough* NYU *cough*). Not even a whisper about Bowlmor (blasphemy!). I guess I'll just have to draw upon my own experiences here…my goodness, what will become of this entry!?

Feeling a bit like a bastardized version of Irving Place, University shares a lot of similarities to its neighbor to the north (east). Short, sheltered, and terminating at a Park, there's a limited amount of car traffic, but plenty of people walking to the various businesses. Whereas Irving is known for its high-end cafes, University caters to a younger clientele – namely college kids (thank goodness it's named as-such!). The buildings lining the block are mostly older brick ones, which range from the featureless boxes that you ignore everyday to the embellished turn-of-the-century masterpieces...that you also ignore everyday. I would talk about the bus stop on 9th Street, but the sign was pretty firm about its ant-bus stop status.

The convergence of Lafayette and Mulberry Streets at Bleecker creates for a fascinating block which whittles itself down to nothing more than a sliver. The small, triangular building which sits on the plot could put the Flatiron Building to shame with it's absurd lack of space. Bite, a small eatery fills this unusual storefront as best it can. In a way, a kitschy eatery with a one-word name is one of the few things that could thrive here.

Bleecker is well-known in Greenwich Village for it's wide selection of bars, bars and more bars. However, this far east, and despite the subway stop, the street is still fairly calm. Bigger deal joints like The Bleecker Street Theater are practically hidden amongst the hardware stores. Walking down the block reveals a number of "practical" stores such as photo printing, shoe repair, and a locksmith.

There are some particularly beautiful examples of architecture, but many of them seem to have been neglected over the years. I would say it's a shame, but sometimes deterioration befits a block more than restoration.

This anomalous section of Broadway is like a neighborhood unto itself. Marking the last stretch that runs perfectly north/south, the remainder turns south-west after 10th Street. Grace Church anchors the beginning of the block and is architecturally significant, and not just because it's pretty. . . Designed by James Renwick, Jr. – who is responsible for many treasured structures in NY and around the country – it was later updated slightly by the firm of Heins & LaFarge – who are well-known as the architects of the original IRT Subway stations and buildings. It's an interesting mashup of 19th Century architectural heavyweights.

Working one's way up to Union Square, you can feel the subway rumble under your feed as you pass a series of buildings and stores, including the ever-popular Strand Bookstore; one of the few remaining independent used bookshops in the city. Claiming 18 Miles of Books, it's a haven for anyone who considers themselves a bookworm (which, unfortunately, isn't me), and is certainly lightyears better than the Barnes & Nobel just a few blocks to the north.

Finally the influences of Union Square's relentless commercialism begins to be felt around 13th Street when you run across Regal Theaters, Cosi, Forbidden Planet, Max Brenner and a handful of other stores which are all impossibly crowded any night of the week. Street vendors and food trucks flock to this area thanks to the influx of people visiting the movie theater. By the way, if you regularly see movies at this theater you must have nothing but pure hatred for the art of film – what other reason could you give to seeing movies in such a terrible, terrible environment, with such terrible, terrible people.

Just a block away from the edge of Manhattan, the quiet enclave of Perry Street feels absolutely removed from the rest of the city. Rivaling Roosevelt Island in terms of serenity and shade, these few blocks begin to pick up a bit as you work your way towards Hudson Street. The cobblestones are, as always, a nice touch on a street with such classic architecture, though it's always a shame to see it being overtaken by pavement wherever patchwork has been done.

With great architecture and details like ivy-covered walls, every building and store that lines the street deserves some sort of recognition for being unique and pleasant. Even simple services like the parking garage on the corner come off as vintage and quaint when compared to similar facilities in the borough. It can be a bit hard to convince yourself that you're walking on the same tract of land as the Empire State Building and Times Square. 

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?

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).