Varick St, SoHo

7th Avenue turns into Varick at the block just before the village becomes Soho so it's a very downtown street. Varick was actually there before 7th Avenue which explains why they share a name. And, right when 7th becomes Varick is the exact intersection that a man was lynched during the Civl War Draft Riots. No one was ever convicted of the crime. The block below Houston houses a music club called SOB's and the INS Detention Center (where you can also get your passport). It's a pretty odd mix for one block but it definitely makes the street international. The next block south seems very Tribeca to me though it isn't. In fact, most of Varick as it runs through Soho looks like Tribeca. It's a very commercial street with a lot of big buildings and little green. This particular block holds a massive building with about a dozen architectural and design firms and a self-storage building across the street . . . and, that's it.
The corner of Charlton and Varick used to be a gorgeous mansion that George Washington, Aaron Burr and the Astors all lived in. It was torn down to make room for a 17 story commercial building. Varick at Vandam holds a cute little place called City Winery where you can make your own wine. It's one of the few neighborhood joys on the street. And, you would think there would be more to please the myriad of people that live in the Trump Soho building just across Spring. This thing is massive and ugly and built on a cemetery (human bones were continually dug up during its construction).
The rest of Varick as it runs through Soho is a collection of big, ugly buildings, traffic for the Holland Tunnel entrance and little to do. There is no neighborhood feel here at all. There aren't any restaurants or bars and there are no trees. There's too much traffic and noise and the street is especially depressing in the winter.

If you've ever had to sort out a visa or other passport issue, you may well have come down to Varick Street and spent hours in waiting rooms at the Varick Street Immigration Court. Outside of issues of legality and border control, however, Varick Street has little significant to offer. It's by no means an unpleasant street - on the contrary, it's a perfectly scenic downtown street running through Tribeca and the West Village, well-located near a variety of "neighborhoods," each with their own lively restaurant and bar scene. But Varick Street seems to be "always a bridesmaid, never the bride" when it comes to the attention lavished on its neighbors. It's always in proximity to the Next Big Bar Street without ever attaining that honor.

In many ways, this is quite a good thing. Given the relatively small size of New York City's downtown, the bars and clubs of other downtown areas are but a five minute walkaway. But Varick Street itself benefits from this tiny distance, making it an eminently more livable street (especially on a Friday and Saturday night at bar closing time). Just don't get into any trouble with Immigration!

Varick Street is going through some serious changes and it's heading to trendy quickly. City Winery and Greenhouse are two interesting additions to the neighborhood and loft office space is bringing a rush of people in. Varick has been such a "no name" street for so long that it's about time it had something of note on it and that's all going to happen in 2009.

Varick Street has been nothing special for sometime, but that is getting ready to change. The street that runs north to south intersects some of the most popular spots in lower Manhattan and because of that it has long been considered a mere pass through. The M20 runs up and down the street and several subway stations are located on it. The street is currently home to warehouses and office space but very interesting changes are coming to the area. City Winery announced their plans to open in the neighborhood early in 08 and will be officially open for business shortly. The winery is a unique dining and entertainment experience that really deserves to be visited. Former club, Shelter, has been transformed into a two story nightclub experience by the name of Greenhouse. It is targeted towards the hip, trendy and eco-friendly types and will likely be a hit. The nightlife is really heating up on the street. More changes and additions are slated for 2009, so Varick St. is one to watch.