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 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.

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.

The confusing tangle of streets that makeup these few blocks create for some stunning framed view of the surrounding buildings. This stretch feels like classic New York - with a great combination of short & tall buildings, parks & corner stores, not to mention the unavoidable construction canopies. 

The pure eclecticism of architecture makes the block incredibly interesting to walk down. The textures and colors make for a really overwhelming experience.