East 11th Street between University Place and Broadway

This is a Greenwich Village street a few blocks below Union Square. On one of the corners at University Place is the Argo Tea Cafe, at the ground floor of a building with a plaque on it.

The Hotel Albert dates back to 1887 and was originally an apartment building, which it also is now. In between it was a hotel for a time. 

Its website lists many ways the Hotel Albert has had an impact on culture and the arts, including being the site where "California Dreamin'" was written by Michelle Phillips and John Phillips of The Mamas & the Papas. Of course that's a song about wanting to be someplace far away, but maybe that's more about the New York weather than how enjoyable it was to stay at the Hotel Albert. According to a 2011 New York Times article, Michelle Phillips has remembered the place "as a fleabag." Well, then.  

Here's a broader look at the building:

I thought I'd try to get a bit of blue sky in the photo. Spring is getting close!

There are some scary faces in the building's architecture:

Wouldn't it have been just as easy to make them friendly faces? Is there something in the foundation of the scary faces that somehow keeps the building held together?

Here's a shot looking down the street from University Place:

It's a long, straight block, but hey, that doesn't mean it isn't interesting. Here's a look uptown along University Place from the same corner:

Even 11th Street's name is more interesting than it might seem at first glance. While it is in fact between 10th and 12th Streets, it is actually called 11th Street because the 11th president of the U.S. lived here. Quick: who was the 11th president?... Time's up, it was James K. Polk. 

You might be saying: Hold on, there's no way that's the reason this street is called 11th Street. You made that up. 

You're right, I did make that up. Although I don't know for certain that it's untrue. It probably is though. 

Quick: What does the K stand for in James K. Polk?... It stands for Knox. When did this turn into Jeopardy?

You can see above that abutting the entrance to The Albert is wagwear, which sells accessories for dogs, and a math center called Mathnasium. You know, like 'gymnasium.' Just rolls off the tongue, doesn't it? I do like how they turned the 'at' into an A+ grade on their sign. That's a nice touch.

Apparently some food ended up on the street, creating a bit of a feast:

 
There are an unusual number of shops on this block related to antiques and furniture. Here's one:

 And another:

Furniture with a soul? That sounds like a horror movie. I would feel safer if it was 'furniture with soul.' One letter makes a huge difference. Let's take a closer look at this shop:

A unique journey: to a place where only furniture souls dare travel. 

Wow, it's an award-winning furniture store. Maybe I should stop making jokes about it. 

Here's another antiques/furniture type of shop, with signs in the windows saying 'prop rentals':

Then there was this window on the block:

I must say, those are really disturbing. I'm talking about the plants, of course. 

I'm getting freaked out by whatever that creature is. Let's go to something else.

How about even more shops with furniture/antiques/home accessories:

That was soothing. I guess. 

A second plaque on the block is on this building, which stretches to the intersection with Broadway:

It is an impressive building. Here's the entrance:

There are several shops on the ground floor, including these 3:

What do those 3 shops have in common? I don't know, I couldn't make the connection. I guess they would be in the 'Potpourri' category on Jeopardy! (I forgot the exclamation point in the show's name earlier.)

Let's check back in on the birds:

There's still plenty of food apparently, and an orange fellow has joined the scene. Good for him. 

Speaking of animals, does anyone else find it uncomfortable when a person is practically in conversation with his or her dog while they're walking down the street? I understand a few words here and there, but longer sentences and conversations unnerve me a little. 

Where was I?... At the street's intersection with Broadway are some nice views of Grace Church and the Empire State Building:

On the opposite corner from the Cast Iron Building is a building with several wreaths on it:

I kind of like that look on the building. Why should wreaths only be a thing during the Christmas season?

Here are some buildings that I thought had an interesting look, plus another shop on the block:

And here's a flower shop called fleursBELLA. Let's see what's written on the chalkboard:

Um, thank you?

There are 2 high-end cafes on this block. One is Le Pain Quotidien, which is also on the ground floor of the Cast Iron Building and has a French name:

The other is the Peacefood Cafe, which sounds like a vegan eatery. And it is. 

Eat differently? Apple already has me thinking different. I'm starting to feel overwhelmed.

The Peacefood Cafe is next to a Japanese restaurant called Ootoya...

... which is next to some columns:

Anyway, back to Peacefood.

I didn't realize it was the type of place where they seat you, so I got my sandwich order to go. 

While I waited I noticed the big stack of books that you can see in the above photo. Most of them had the word 'vegan' somewhere in the title.  I don't know if the books are available for customers to browse through, or if they're just a general reminder that we're all doing a good thing by being connected to a vegan business. 

Also during the wait I took a long look at many of the bakery offerings, which were staring right at me in front of my seat. 

I had to get a closer look at one item in particular:

I don't know what that pastry is, but it looks like a monstrosity of decadence that should be outlawed. Also, I would really like to try one. Or two. Or five. 

My sandwich was ready without too long of a wait, and I headed home to try it. It was in the 'focaccia' section of the menu (their whole menu is in lower-case letters, so I will honor that): 'pan-seared french horn mushrooms,' which includes sun-dried tomatoes, arugula, artichoke aioli, and mint and basil pesto. 

It was very good, though I didn't know a vegan sandwich could be so rich. I actually had to eat each half in different sittings. But it was very tasty and I recommend the Peacefood Cafe. They also have a location on the Upper West Side at 82nd Street.

Well, that's all for now. I hope you enjoyed the post.