West Village, 4th Street at 10th Street

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Mary Sargent © 2010 ………………….…………… .....………………….. click to enlarge

Here is the well-known intersection where 4th Street turns northish and crosses 10th Street.  And if you pan down that building across the street




Mary Sargent © 2010 ………….......……….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

you will see Chow Bar, a place I dismissed as being of no interest as I assumed it was filled with college kids.  It was the sign that made me think that, the appearance of it and the word Chow.  But I was wrong.  Chow is Chinese; it does not refer to chowing down.  If you follow the Chow Bar link, you will see that it's a New York Magazine Critics' Pick, highly thought of for its honey plum glazed spareribs. 
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East Village, 4th Street Between Second and First Avenues

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Kind of a mixed message here. Sit/don't sit.



Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

This little doggy's coat says "Adopt Me."




Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

And in the window, hard to see because of the scrollwork, are some half grown kitties romping around. So cute. So adoptable. Come on down. No, we didn't take any because I already have two cats, Luka has one, and that's all we can handle.

Continuing the cute animal theme, I was just watching Dogtown - did you see those puppies?!! And Toughie?! Talk about totally lovable.

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East Village, 4th Street at Second Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Sometimes you just have to post a photo of a bank.

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East Village, 4th Street Between Bowery and Second Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2008 ……..……………………………….. click to enlarge

Will you look at that color? I'm putting in a label for color. By that, I mean colorful buildings. Signage doesn't count, being colorful by nature.

Okay, label's in, but I'm only through 2006 so far.




Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

When I took this shot, I had no idea how interesting the KGB Bar would be. You must check out the link. Now I want to go there. And maybe the Comedy Club, too.

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East Village, 4th Street Between Bowery and Second Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Strolling along 4th Street, Luka noticed a massage place and suggested we have a foot massage. I used to hesitate at spending money on something so self-indulgent, but since I learned the health benefits of massage, I hesitate no more. Within 30 seconds we were up on tables, having a painfully good foot and leg massage.

This photo is from the entryway. I don't think we noticed how grubby the place was, but then, it was a foot massage, so no matter.

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East Village, 4thStreet at Bowery

Mary Sargent © 2008 …………...........………………………….. click to enlarge


After lunch, we walked across 4th Street into the East Village, and here at Bowery is a new building! Construction! This is a real beauty, I think. It's the Cooper Square Hotel, set to open any day now. As luck would have it, this week Justin Davidson, New York Magazine's architecture critic, has an article called Glass Stampede, with photographs of 54 new buildings alongside photographs of the buildings they replaced. Our building is number 43 on page 20. He calls it an "elegant building that makes a clumsy intrusion." Check out the site to find out why.

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West Village, West 4th Street at Sheridan Square

Mary Sargent © 2007 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Okay, I'm still not current. It rained all day today. Tomorrow, for sure. This was taken one year ago, November 14th. It looks awfully late, but I had just gone downtown after work to get some chocolate at Varsano's which I've already carried on about.

Which reminds me . . . I'm due for a visit.

Across the street is Boxers, a bar/restaurant that no longer exists. I remember the dismay I felt when I first saw it had closed. At night, it was too crowded and noisy for my taste, but in the middle of the day, it was a quiet, low key spot and the perfect place to stop for lunch after shopping at Varsano's and sit by the window and think about how great it was not to be at work.

The thing is, I only discovered that a couple of years ago and only did it twice. Did you ever notice how if there's something you do that you like and you do it at least twice, in later years (or months) you say something like, "That was a great place, I used to go there for lunch . . . " and it sounds like you did it all the time?

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West Village, West 4th Street Between Jones and Barrow Streets

Mary Sargent © 2006 …………………….........……….. click to enlarge

Maybe psychic shops look better at night. Or maybe they look better in the Village. See post of November 6.

West Village, West 4th Street Between Jones and Barrow Streets

Mary Sargent © 2006 …………….........……………….. click to enlarge

A week ago last Tuesday night (11/14), I went downtown after work to pick up some chocolates at Varsano's, which has THE best chocolate I've ever had. Dark chocolate almond bark, none better. I had a fright when I got there and the store was gone. Gone! I walked up and down the block in disbelief, wondering if I were on the right street. Finally, I went into a bakery and asked about it and was told it had moved across the street. So relieved. But this is a one man operation and it won't go on forever, so I'd advise you to waste no time getting there.

Note: the store is still listed as being at 179 West 4th, but the new address is 172 West 4th, between Cornelia and Jones.

This shot is not Varsano's, of course, and why do I never have a shot of the destination, I wonder. I think it's because I'm too close to it. I stand there and shoot across the street, in this case, at Mary's Dairy, which I haven't tried. I'll try to be more conscious in the future.

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