Charlton St, SoHo

The corner of Charlton and Hudson is, strangely, still owned by Trinity Church. The land was given to the church by the Queen in the early 18th century and Trinity has torn down old apartment buildings and put up commercial spaces somewhat recently. Nothing like a church making a killing, eh? In fact, Trinity property takes up Charlton until east of Varick. And, what a remarkable difference Varick makes. The final block of Charlton (between Varick and 6th) is one of the most beautiful blocks in the city. Richmond Hill used to be right on the south side of the street and there's now a commercial building -- which is such a shame -- but, that's pretty much the only house that has been demolished on this block. The rest of the block is entirely Federal and Greek style row houses from the mid 19th century. They are gorgeous and ridiculously expensive. This block is really special because it looks almost exactly like it did nearly 200 years ago. Many members of Tammany Hall lived in these houses around the late 19th century. Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker used to live at 17, Edna St Vincent Millay lived at 25 and Fred Gwynne lived at 9. Apparently, one of the victims of the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire lived at 11 when she died which is odd because those women were all working class. I'm guessing there must have been loads of people living in these around the time because the neighborhood wasn't great for a period of time. This block is really worth walking down because of the history and beauty . . .let alone the celebrity residents.
Charlton ends at 6th Ave and becomes Prince street but the short stretch that is Charlton is a really desirable street. If you can afford it, this is one of the better streets to live on.

Charlton Street is quiet once you get towards the middle of the block but it intersects with some very heavily trafficked hotspots in the city. If quiet is what you are after Charlton Street is a nice place to settle but try to stay towards the middle of the street as the corners can be rather noisy as they intersect with heavily trafficked roads. Archipelago is worth a stop and is bringing more sophistication and charm to the neighborhood.

Charlton Street is charming, really rather charming. It's a quiet street that crosses some of the major hot spots in the city, yet it maintains it's quiet vibe. It has a nice art house feel to it and the small businesses that are located sparingly along the street only add to the neighborhoods charm. Archipelago, Located on Hudson at Charlton, has been getting great reviews as of late and has brought a special flair to the neighborhood

In the village, the cross streets carry more weight while the off streets house the more quiet homes and apartments, an important lesson to learn when looking for a place to live in this side of town. This particular street was cleaner than the rest and had a youthful vibe, while there were plenty of artsy dives and places to go nearby.

Charlton Street is also a wonderful place to begin your journey into the Village. It is close to the following metros: C,E at Spring Street and the 1 at Canal. It is also accessible by many buses. Foot traffic is fairly heavy and I would recommend the street to just about anyone!