East 14th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenue

This block has two barbers and two salons, which is why it is sometimes called the "Hairstyling District." Actually as far as I know I'm the first person to ever call it that, but maybe it'll catch on.

On the two 2nd Avenue corners are the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai:

After extensive research, I learned that the thing in the foreground above is called a "payphone." I have no idea what it's used for.

This is a wide and fairly long street that has a lot going on. Here's a view looking east and then one looking west:

It can be a very loud street, even by Manhattan standards, because a siren seems to drive by every few minutes or so. I believe there are some nearby hospitals or medical centers, and my mom also noted that 14th Street is a good street for going crosstown and possibly accessing the FDR Drive as well. 

There is also a firehouse on this block, but it is unclear if it is currently in use because there are construction notices on the front of the building.

According to the city's website, Engine Company 5 dates back to 1865, and has been at this location since 1881.

On the left side of the building are 5 plaques in memory of firefighters who lost their lives.

At 1st Avenue there is also an honorary street sign for Lieutenant Manuel DelValle, Jr.

On the northern corner at 1st Avenue is Papaya Dog.

Their menu is basically all over the outside of the store, with photos and prices, so you can do your homework and be ready to order once you step inside.

On this snowy day I ate at another place on the block called The Halal Guys (coming up later in the post!). The next day I came back and went to Papaya Dog and had the chicken sandwich with fries.

It only cost 4.50 and was pretty good. Nothing mind-blowing but a perfectly serviceable lunch. Let's just say that in this case you get what you pay for. Papaya Dog is open 24 hours and I have a feeling that at 3AM their food tastes much more majestic.

My stomach wasn't feeling great before I ate at Papaya Dog but I pushed through anyway and went for it, and I felt good after. I thought that was brave of me. Maybe not as brave as the guy in this video, but still.



Across 1st Avenue you can see some of the aesthetically pleasing buildings in the complex called Stuyvesant Town:

Wikipedia says the complex dates back to the late 1940's. Peter Stuyvesant had a farm in that area in the 1600's. Also, for many years Stuyvesant High School was located a block away on East 15th Street.

Next to the firehouse on our block is the 14th Street Y:

Are the automatic doors in the above photo opening or closing? It's all a matter of perspective... Actually I happen to know that they were closing at the time.

Also on the block is Tifereth Israel Town and Village Synagogue:

The synagogue's website says it was established in the years after World War II and moved throughout the neighborhood until 1962, when it moved into this building, which at one time was a Ukrainian Orthodox church. 

There's a pizza place on the block called Artichoke Basille's Pizza.

I didn't get a chance to eat there, which is too bad because I'm a fan of artichokes on pizza. But they have other locations in the city, so hopefully I'll go another time. 

I did, however, have a delicious almond croissant at a small cafe on the block called Madman Espresso, which can sort of be seen across the street in this photo:

At first glance it seemed like an ordinary almond croissant, but upon lifting it I discovered that it was super heavy! It ended up being filled with a lot of that tasty almond paste stuff they put in the middle. And the croissant had an authentic, buttery taste to it. Very satisfying and filling. It was almost a meal in itself. The woman behind the counter said they're made at a place called Dough. I'll be looking into them more.

As mentioned earlier, during my first visit to this block I ate at a restaurant called The Halal Guys. 

Their website says that the business started with a food cart in midtown Manhattan in 1990. Now they have locations throughout the city and country, and are even international with two shops in the Philippines.

They have a small menu, which I generally see as a good sign for the quality of the food. I had a falafel platter with a side of fries.

It was really good and I intend to go back many times.

I think that's all for this episode, thanks for reading.

PS: When I was walking home I noticed another location of the really good food that I had in my Bayard Street post in Chinatown, called Xi'an Famous Foods. It was at 1st Avenue and St. Mark's Place.

Apparently they have several locations throughout the city. Just thought it was interesting that I randomly walked by this one in the East Village.