6th Avenue Between Lispenard St and Canal St

   

Canal Street has this gravitational pull which has the potential to suck all life from any surrounding area. While blocks like this suffer from a drought of things to do or see (save for a restaurant or business or two), Canal is positively overflowing with crap and people – causing a bottleneck that is almost impossible to escape from. I'll grant that this isn't aways true, and the sphere of influence is limited to only a few blocks, but it's a noticeable effect.

The neighborhood has some stunning old-world architecture which is being offset by a collection of very strange modern buildings. Personally I like this sort of dichotomy, but I can understand the cries of New Yorkers who lament to loss of previous marvels. 

Varick St Between Ericsson St and Canal St

   

Seeing as the majority of this block is nestled up against a massive roundabout which feeds off the Holland Tunnel, there really isn't much to admire around here. Off in the distance you can spy the fire house which was used for Ghostbusters, but it's a solid two blocks away. In the middle of the tangle of streets here is St. Johns Park which is only accessible by way of some pedestrian bridges which leap over the swirling mess of cars.

With the exception of all the cars scrambling to enter the city, this block is rather quiet. As you get closer towards Canal Street and Cavala Park, this serenity begins to disappear, but it's still rather peaceful compared to some surrounding streets.

Greenwich St Between Chambers St and Harrison St

   

As one of the more prominent streets in TriBeCa, Greenwich Street certainly has more to offer than any one person could take in. When I visited, their weekly farmer's market was in full swing next to Washington Market Park. Across the street a row of vintage buildings add to the quaint (though expensive-looking) character.

The east side of the block, besides being home to the park, is weighed down by a massive housing project. A series of buildings which feature massive concrete steps, big open plazas and even sidewalk access for a few tenants, are a strange feature to have across from the simpler structures on the west side of the street. I wouldn't say it's entirely unwelcome since I enjoy contrast and variety, but it does make you wonder what developers were thinking during the middle of the 20th Century.

Murray St Between Broadway and Church St

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.

Church St Between Walker St and Canal St

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.

Chambers St Between Church St and West Broadway

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.