I would have said that this block is in SoHo, but Google Maps says it's in Nolita, and who am I to argue? The term 'Nolita' comes from North of Little Italy, by the way. Couldn't it have its own name instead of being compared to something nearby? It shouldn't have to be the West Virginia of neighborhoods.
Unfortunately the most noticeable thing right away on the block is a big advertisement. I guess the ad people did a good job. When ad people succeed, however, the rest of us lose.
Here's a big building at the northeast edge of the block, with grand columns and an interesting shape:
Oh yeah, and a Duane Reade. I have a feeling that building wasn't originally a Duane Reade on the ground floor. Just a guess.
I tried a pizza joint on Cleveland Place called Champion Pizza SoHo. The sign says they have award-winning pizza, so I guess the name holds up.
At the counter they have many varieties of pizza and novelty license plates:
If I'm trying a new pizza place and judging its quality, I have to go with a regular slice.
That's a good-looking slice. The verdict: delicious. Highly recommend. And a slice is only $2.00, which is a bargain for quality pizza around these parts.
The place itself is small and has a nice atmosphere, with wood and brick walls and plenty of small tables. On the walls are framed articles and photos of famous people who have eaten there.
Just next door to the pizza place, and sharing with it the ground floor of a nice-looking building, is Eileen's Special Cheesecake.
This shop is even smaller than the pizza place, with the back area full of employees working on making more treats.
It was very crowded and seemed to be mostly full of tourists, but that doesn't mean New Yorkers can't go there. They let me in, at least. Fortunately the line moved fast so it wasn't a long wait.
I got a cannoli and cherry tart. Here's the box it came in!
Ah, nothing like a bakery box, tied with that special string in that special way. Good stuff.
Oh yeah, and here are the actual pastries:
Both were really, really good. Especially the cannoli, though that may just be my personal taste preferences talking.
Also on Cleveland Place is The Henley Vaporium.
Are you wondering what a vaporium is? Dude, get with it. It's a place for e-cigarettes. Where have you been?
On Kenmare Street is the Corner Deli, which actually serves Mexican food.
It is also called La Esquina, which means The Corner. Hmm, makes sense.
I do find the name "Corner Deli" confusing in terms of what food to expect there. I didn't eat there but it has good online reviews and I would guess it is in the city's top ten for "delis" that serve Mexican food. Since I can't imagine that there are ten such places here, I would put it in the top ten even if it had bad food. But apparently it doesn't.
By the way, see that rather majestic, domed building a couple of blocks down the street? It's just an apartment building. Actually, from 1909-1973 it was the New York City Police Headquarters, but now it's full of condominiums. So there you go. At least they didn't tear down the nice building.
It is fitting for the former police headquarters to be so nearby, because at the center of this block is a park named after an heroic lieutenant, Joseph Petrosino.
Below is a plaque with more information on Lieutenant Petrosino. I recommend reading it, he sounds like a great man:
Next to the plaque was an article that included a photo of the Lieutenant and a photo collection of 17 criminals whom he had locked up.
The park itself is small with a calm vibe, and a nice open space in the middle of a rather busy area of lower Manhattan.
I'm sorry to say it, but here are some rather ugly buildings in the area:
Along the Lafayette Street side of the block there are several restaurants that seem very nice, though I didn't go to any. One of them is Ed's Lobster Bar, which is probably the one with the big lobster on its sign.
I like the colorful art on the right side of that photo.
That about wraps it up from a nice block, named after a noble man and with good food options. Here's one more look at the pastries, just because:
Oh my.
This block in Greenwich Village has a handful of shops on it, one of which is called Popbar.
I first saw the name from a distance and wondered what they sold: maybe Popbar specializes in different types of soda pop, even though no one in New York uses that term for soda. Or maybe it's a popsicle store and is also owned by Spurs basketball coach Gregg Popovich, whose nickname is "Pop." The possibilities were intriguing. Then I got closer and saw that it's a gelato shop. Oh. Okay. That's still cool, I guess. Actually I think they sell gelato popsicles, which is an interesting twist.
Next to Popbar is Joe's Pizza.
I can't believe it took me 7 posts before I got to a block with a pizza place on it. I feel ashamed.
Joe's has great pizza and I recommend it if you're in the area. Also try a delicious Sicilian slice to mix things up! The day before this I had eaten twice at Joe's, once here and once at their 14th Street location, so I didn't feel like getting another slice just so I could take a photo of it. Besides, I think we all generally know what a slice of pizza looks like. Let's be adults about this.
Unfortunately Joe's can sometimes get very crowded, and there are also some walking tours that make it a regular stop of theirs. This means a large group of people added to the mix, plus a tour guide talking very loudly to the tourists as if they're the only ones there, making it feel a bit like being observed in an exhibit: "New Yorkers love their pizza, folks! Here we see some in their native habitat. Don't get too close or they might get agitated. In fact, since they're New Yorkers they're probably already agitated over something or other."
On the plus side of eating at Joe's, they play the oldies radio station, although oldies used to mean music from the '50s and '60s and now it means music from the '60s, 70s, and 80s. Which is fine, but what about Dion and the Belmonts? Anyway, I seem to be getting sidetracked. Back to pizza...
A relative visiting from out of town recently asked me if New Yorkers fold their pizza when eating it, and if that was considered the right way to do it here. To me, it doesn't matter. You can do it either way. However, when ordering regular pizza without toppings, don't ask for a "cheese slice" or a "plain slice," just call it "a slice." Otherwise you're basically announcing, "Hey everyone! I'm not from here. I'm visiting from out of town. Just wanted to say that. Okay, carry on!"
Here are some of the stores closer to Bleecker Street:
Dos Toros is a taqueria, and its name means "two bulls." In other words, don't order the mystery meat on the menu. Just kidding.
On the corner is another gelato place called Grom. Is this where Mets pitcher Jacob deGrom is from? Was he born in this shop?
Two gelato places on one block seems like a lot, and I wish I could be mad about gelato being so trendy, but I admit I find it delicious so I'm okay with the whole thing.
On the other side of this block is Father Demo Square:
Father Antonio Demo was the pastor of Our Lady of Pompeii Church from 1900 to 1935. The church, and its Catholic elementary school, are on the opposite corner of Bleecker Street:
On a personal note, this Square has special significance because it was a favorite spot of my Grandpa Richie.
As nice as this block is, I think it's even more beautiful during the warm months when the trees have bloomed.
Maybe I'll come back then and take some more photos of this block. But it's still nice in the winter months too.
Plenty of bicycles available here, by the way.
I guess that's all for now. If you're in the area, grab a slice at Joe's and relax for a while in Father Demo Square. You deserve it.
