Dominick St, SoHo

Dominick is a tiny street with pretty much nothing going on. It is mostly apartment buildings and commercial spaces. There's nowhere to eat and there aren't any bars. And, I think it's a little bit of a hike from either of those things. It's quieter than most of Soho because it's a bit removed. But, there's no charm, no cool buildings and really nothing to do.
There's a massive gallery / event space at Dominick and Hudson that seems really out of place. This isn't what I would call the most commercial area in the city and this building is just a monster. The block between Hudson and Varick is interesting looking because the buildings all look like apartment buildings or dorms but they're actually all office buildings. It's really bizarre because the block looks really residential. The tenement looking building on the corner was the Blues Bar where Dan Akroyd and John Belushi started working their Blues Brothers routine. This block is a pretty sharp contrast to the next block where the commercial properties are so obvious, you would think you were in Flatiron. The Trump Soho is right on the corner of Dominick and Varick and it is massive and really . . . glassy. It's ugly and was built on a cemetery -- human bones were dug up during the entirety of its construction. Across the street from the Trump is a parking lot and a school. And, next door to it is a theatre that I have never been to.
Dominick ends at a little sliver of a "park" which is really more of a square that's not shaped like a square. It's nice to have some green in the area, but the really small ones like this can be a bit depressing.

The Holland Tunnel dumps a lot of traffic nearby, so Dominick Street, with its anonymous, androgynous, and otherwise personality-less facades does not invite a pleasure stroll. The street also exists under the shadow of the Trump International Hotel and Tower, and you're welcome to think your own thoughts about that place. However, Here Arts Center is the delight of this little street, a place that functions as an art gallery, venue for independent performance art and theater, and seedbed for young artists to develop and show new works, all in one. I remember it in its humble first incarnation: the building was rather ratty and the people who worked there or hung out there, or maybe both, were so earnestly devoted to making art happen. There was always something going on, and although not everything I used to see was impressive, it was nevertheless the kind of place whose existence I could appreciate. Now they've renovated, and exhibit the kinds of video pieces in the lobby that takes some decent funding to be able to pull off. The quality of the work being shown on stage has also steadily grown, so that they have become a place of increasingly high repute.

I wasn't really all that impressed with this street, as per there was absolutely nothing going on and it wasn't nearly as pretty as the rest of the streets nearby it. That's the thing about New York City, it's very touch and go. Even in some of the pricier neighborhoods, the streets aren't consistent. I suggest when looking for a place here, you consider a whole neighborhood, and not just the street. In the case of the street, the neighborhood saves it.

Dominick 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 light and I would recommend the street to someone who lives there