Street Art and Lots of Food: Spring Street between Lafayette and Mulberry

This is a short block in the Nolita neighborhood but it has a lot going on. Here's a look down it from across the intersection at Lafayette Street, facing east:

Near this corner is Petrosino Square, which was featured in a previous post.

There are 3 works of street art placed on different buildings on our block. All 3 are by an artist called Kai Aspire, who is from Los Angeles.

I like them, and also how each one is in a frame.

This next one is probably my favorite of the three. It's just to the right of a subway entrance on the block:

The 6 is the local train on the 4-5-6 green line. It is, maddeningly, the only line that runs along the east side of Manhattan, and it also has smaller subway cars that hold fewer people. These factors combine to often make for jam-packed subway rides on the 6. Possibly on the 4 and 5 too, but my personal sardine experiences are on the 6. Anyway, it's fun stuff.

Perhaps you're saying Hey, why not make another subway line on the east side that runs along, say, 2nd Avenue? Funny you should say that. 

The Second Avenue Subway has been an off and on project in the city for many decades. In fact the idea was originally brought up in... 1919. There has been construction for it in recent years, and apparently a first portion, uptown, is planning to open by the end of this year. All New Yorkers together now: "I'll believe it when I see it." 

Anyway, if you want to visit this block, the 6 train to Spring Street will take you right there. Just try to take the first car or last car to make sure you can squeeze onto the train.

Let's get to some of the food places. If street art will stimulate your mind, then the art of crepe-making is sure to stimulate your taste buds! ... I'm thinking of becoming a writer for the local news, was that a lame enough transition?

There is a French crepe shop called Vive la crepe! The exclamation point is part of their name, but I suppose I'm excited about it anyway.

Normally I wouldn't feel the need to describe a crepe shop as French, but there is another crepe place on this block that makes Japanese crepes. That's right, you heard me. It's called Eight Turn Crepe.

Does the name Eight Turn have to do with how they make the crepes? Because it's also the number of double takes I did when I saw the term 'Japanese crepes.' Maybe this is a well-known thing and I'm just out of the loop. 

To one side of the Japanese crepes is a patisserie, Ceci-Cela.

Ooh la la. Ceci-Cela looks like a good bakery, and the name looks like a little kid trying to spell Coca-Cola. At least he used C's instead of K's.

And on the other side of the Japanese crepes is Gatsby's, a place for food and drink. It is underneath a building that is oddly at an angle. 

I wonder why it's at an angle. Maybe it heard that it was directly next to a Japanese crepe place and turned to say "I beg your pardon?"

On the same side of the street, at the Mulberry Street corner, is Pomodoro Ristorante and Pizzeria.

I understand why they have a big sign saying they have pizza by the slice, since "high-end" pizzerias often just serve pies, but it still looks odd to me since most pizza places in the city serve by the slice. Maybe I'm just a pizza snob. It's part of being from New York. 

Directly across from Pomodoro, on the other Mulberry Street corner, is the Spring Lounge. And diagonally across from Pomodoro is DeSalvio Playground.

Next to the Spring Lounge is an empty space, followed by a liquor store.

 Further up on that side of the street is a salad place called Chop't.

At Chop't you first order your salad at one station and the person puts it all into a big bowl. Then the person at the next station dumps it all out onto a big cutting board, chops everything up nice and small, and it's all put back into the bowl. Hence the name Chop't. Gimmick or great idea? Umm... you decide. 

Next to Chop't is a beauty shop called Browhaus. Across the street is also Rituals Cosmetics on the Lafayette Street corner, and a health and beauty place called Fresh, which is a good name for a health and beauty place. 

On the other corner at Lafayette Street is a Duane Reade, which I mentioned in my post on Petrisono Square as not seeming like the original occupant of that building. 

No offense to Duane Reade but the building does seem a bit too majestic. Here's a look inside:

It turns out that it was the East River Savings Bank Building, built in 1927 in a style called Beaux-Arts. Its architect was Cass Gilbert, who also designed the Woolworth Building and the United States Supreme Court building. I guess things change. Now you can get a jumbo pack of Q-tips here at a very reasonable price. And it's open 24 hours!

Here's another look down our block, from the Lafayette corner area:

Along with all the other food on this block, there was also an halal food cart.

As the post title says, there are many eating options. 

I think that's most of what this block has to offer, however...

Bonus street art: I'm cheating a little because these works are not on this block, but I thought I would share some other street art I saw nearby.

Actually some of these works are associated with neighborhood businesses and I don't know if that qualifies as street art, but I'll include them anyway. At Kenmare and Mott is a nice tribute to David Bowie. The Graffiti Room is a restaurant on Mott Street.

Next to L'asso pizza across the street is a lighter image that features Mugatu from Zoolander:

Here's an image that is actually connected to our block because it is around the corner on the same building as the Spring Lounge. It's a beer-drinking shark, of course. The Spring Lounge's website says it is also called the Shark Bar because it features stuffed sharks. 

There were a few pieces at Kenmare and Mulberry that didn't seem connected to businesses.

This one seems to be by an artist called Mr. Renaissance:

And here are two separate pieces by different artists:

The left one is by a Brooklyn duo called ASVP. 

The one on the right is signed by Hanksy, an anonymous New York artist who started out by combining works by Banksy with images of Tom Hanks. Someone apparently is not a fan:

I guess the street art game can be tough.

Hopefully I'll come across more street art to share in future posts, and maybe even some art in 'museums' too. Stay tuned.