Charles Ln, West Village

Charles Lane is an interesting little slip of an alley between Washington and West. Alleys like this are very coveted property in the West Village because they're so removed from traffic and most tourists and even Manhattan residents don't know they exist. This alley used to be the Northern entrance of New York's first prison. When it was torn down, the alley was paved with stones that are not found anywhere else in the city which I think is pretty cool. The little old homes are really unique as well, and I wish this lane was as cool as it could be.
It's insanely expensive (as the West Village is want to be) but back around the 80's when the West Village was just starting to get popular again, Charles Lane had an interesting dynamic. The lane was mostly longtime residents that all cultivated private "ftont yards," every one knew each other and they had mini block parties on the weekends. It had a very bohemian spirit in the vein of the old West Village. But, there were also prostitutes and drug dealers lingering around West and, apparently, they would trickle into this alley at night. I don't live that far from Charles Lane now, and I can attest to the fact that there are still some suspect people lurking around the Westside Highway so I can only imagine what things these poor people saw back in the '80's. Sadly, a couple of massive building complexes went up on the west side of the alley in the '90's (I think) and it completely changed the street. It's still really quaint and very expensive. And, I don't think there is a lot of illegal activity on it any longer. But, the charm was lost a little bit. The gardens are all unkept and the aesthetic just isn't up to par. Check out other West Village alleys like Patchin Place and Washington Mews and you'll see what I mean. It's still lovely and I wouldn't say no to living on Charles Lane. But, it's not the most attractive alley in the neighborhood. And, it should be.