Broadway, Little Italy

West Houston is an IT street, so if you are new to New York, please do be sure to pronounce it correctly, not like Houston in Dallas. It divides SoHo from NoHo (aka South of Houston and North of Houston, yes a truly imaginative method of naming neighborhoods) and cuts a big east-to-west traffic line across Manhattan. Angelika is an important venue for independent films, and so is the smaller, but no less important Film Forum, some blocks to the west. Apparently, New Yorkers love their independent film, because on a Friday or Saturday night, the Angelika waiting area is packed elbow to elbow, and you don't get in to see a film without a reservation ahead of time. Houston is also conspicuous for the enormous, racy underwear ads on the sides of buildings, and for an informal kind of promenade around weekend brunch time of all the beautiful people in the world, picking distinctively at vintage furniture and clothing stalls set up along the street. Perhaps you never thought that there was such a thing as too trendy, but West Houston is too trendy. You have the feeling everyone is looking at everyone else, silently calculating shoe or handbag values. I appreciate the presence of the basketball courts at 6th Avenue, to bring a touch of the real world to this street, though I admit even here all the players seem conspicuously styled and attractive.

Houston is one of the great dividers of Manhattan neighborhoods – West Houston Splits up Noho (North of Houston) from Soho (South of Houston), and is a busy main drag. It’s close to anything you can imagine being close to – as it is right in the middle of these downtown commercial hotspots.

The more west you go on Houston, pretty much the cooler it gets. You'll find some of the best film houses in Manhattan along Houston, as well as some of the trendiest shops and eateries. If you keep going further, you'll find your share of some really good (and interesting) clubs. If you can swing the rent on the street, you're in for some of the hippest living you can find.

And by underground, I mean underground movies. If you're a fan of indie or foreign films, this is your dream come true. When I visited my brother, I had never actually seen a foreign film. This started, and cemented, my love for the non-hollywood films. They're great, possibly romantic, and always a new experience. Definently reccomended for anyone who wants a fun movie night.

As you walk down W. Houston, you can't help but be struck by how trendy all establishments are. And they're usually good. The Angelika is a great movie theater of Mercer and Hudson, showing independent and foreign features. Excellent vibe, but suffers from its close proximity to a subway line. All theaters are watchable even though.