West 11th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue

This Greenwich Village block has some historic sites and is also very long, as you can see here:

Near its intersection with 6th Avenue, or "Avenue of the Americas," as no one calls it, is a very small and very old cemetery, which is quite unassuming from the street:

Shearith Israel is a Jewish congregation dating back to 1654, making it the oldest one in America. 

It is a Jewish custom to leave small stones at a grave site, and perhaps some were left on top of the wall in the above photo by people who couldn't get access inside the cemetery.

 
I like that there are small cemeteries scattered throughout various Manhattan streets, instead of them being in a separate, distant place that we only go to and think about on certain occasions. Old cemeteries especially can be a link with the city's past and a reminder to try to appreciate our lives and those who came before us.  

I noticed that the building next to the cemetery had a plaque near its entrance:

Here's a wider shot of the building:

To be honest, I had never heard of Charles Ives before. But hey, now I have. Good job, plaque. 

On one of the 6th Avenue corners is French Roast, a cafe and restaurant:

The other 6th avenue corner is an empty space, but there's some colorful art in the window, paintings or water colors perhaps. So that's something:

Just up the block from this is a place that suggests Chinese cuisine, though it doesn't look very inviting. The awning does say that the entrance is on 6th Avenue, though.

In the window reflections above you can see several parked cars and some jerk taking a photo. Oh wait, that's me. 

Next door is Gene's Restaurant, which has an A health rating.

It seemed like a nice place, though unfortunately a bit too pricey for me.

Near Gene's is a New School building. The New School is a university in the neighborhood. 

The majority of this block is very nice residential houses. I believe it would cost quite a bit to live here. Here's a closeup of some old-fashioned building artwork, and an air conditioner:

Several buildings on this block feature columns. 

If you live in lower Manhattan and your building entrance has columns, then you're doing pretty well.  

I noticed this building from across the street:

The design is certainly interesting. I didn't say I liked it, I said it was interesting. I guess I like it fine. It is a bit disconcerting, though, to see one building twisted at an angle like that. Maybe in the architectural world it's considered a work of genius. 

At the northern 5th Avenue intersection is First Presbyterian Church. Here's a side view from 11th Street:

Here's some shots from 5th Avenue:

As the plaque notes, this congregation goes back to 1716. There is a flag at the front of the church marking the 300th anniversary.

Here's the other 5th Avenue corner:

It's a rather majestic building, though oddly foreboding as well. 

I think that's all for now. Thanks for reading.