East 14 St, NoHo

There's a really interesting building on the corner of Irving and Gramercy Park South. It's a residence hall owned by the Salvation Army that is strictly for Women. It has become a haven house for aspiring actresses and models. The Salvation Army has been trying to get rid of it, but it hasn't worked yet. I think that's pretty cool. Directly across Irving is the Stuyvesant Fish House. It is a beautiful mansion built by Peter Stuyvesant's grandson for his daughter as a wedding gift. It was a very high society house in the 1800's and is a remarkable piece of property.
This street has very old townhouses all over it and it is a really beautiful street. There's a really interesting townhouse on the same block as the residence hall with gargoyles all over it. It's weird, but cool. Across the street from that is a beautiful, four-story townhouse with vines all over it. Living on this street would be incredibly expensive -- as expensive now as it was back then -- but there is so much history and the architecture is criminally handsome.
Pete's Tavern is on Irving. It's one of the oldest bars in New York. O. Henry used to hang out here and wrote the Gift of the Magi in one of the booths. The interior is dark and old world and even though it's a tourist trap, I still love this joint. It survived even the Prohibition by posing as a flower shop so I think it deserves a little respect.
56 Irving is one of the oldest Greek revival townhouses on the street. It was built in 1840 and it is remarkable. This street is just so cool. Pure Food and Wine is now at this site. It's a raw food place that, while it is incredibly expensive, is actually pretty good for raw food. The closer Irving gets to 14th the less cool it gets. The buildings are newer and bigger and it becomes more commercial. But, the majority of Irving is old and beautiful.

Irving place is very easy to get too and very close to the action, so to speak. The subway stations are plentiful and there are always people in the area. Irving Plaza offers some wonderful concerts and entertainment options. It is known as one of the best small venues in the City. A NYSC and a number of Cafes and stores round out the neighborhood for residents. It's an easy area to travel to and from and thus makes for an ideal place to live.

In the wonderful Washington Square Park area of New York City, Irving Place is a great street. It's extremely well accessible with metros on virtually every corner and a good amount people out on the street, this is a lively block. There's always something going on here, and the neighborhood is youthful. All in all, one of my favorite places in the city.

Ironically, Union Square is one of the best places to exercise your capitalistic impulses and shop. From the farmers market to the Virgin Megastore, you won't have a lack of things to buy. The Strand Bookstore is just south of Union Square on Broadway. If you head east on 14th St, you will find a Trader Joe's if the Whole Foods in Union Square South is too pricey for your wallet. The protests in Union Square are amusing. Bring lunch (and even a dog to walk!) to watch the political street theater. Agree or disagree--it's much cheaper than the shows uptown. Spend time people watching to find your hidden cultural anthropologist emerge. I wouldn't recommend this area for the easily shocked or offended.

A great location to get a feel for what I think is ‘younger Manhattan’ full of students and 20-30 somethings looking for a bargain and the markets on the weekend at Union Square or popping into the Coffee Shop for lunch. There’s also Virgin Megastore and diesel next to the square and a great discount liquor store selling genuinely good wines down the road, Trader Joe’s.