Meet 4th Street
Walking the thirty blocks that make up 4th Street (starting at Avenue D and curving up to end at 13th Street — see our Side note below for an explanation of this anomaly) was like getting a lesson in Manhattan’s not-so-distant bohemian past. Since the 1950s, 4th Street has been known as an enclave for artists and writers who are not afraid to push the envelope by being bold, innovative and radical.
From the Lower East Side to the East, West, and Greenwich Villages (the four distinct neighborhoods through which this side street passes), we found a history rich with an independent spirit that can still be felt today. This is the birthplace of the Nuyorican literary movement, punk rock, LGBT rights, the beat generation, two progressive churches prominent in anti-war activism (Washington Square Methodist Church and Judson Memorial Church) and Fourth Arts Block, Manhattan’s only Cultural District.
Fourth Arts Block (FAB) is the home of art in all its forms. Stretching only a short distance between Second Avenue and the Bowery, East 4th Street Cultural District has a multitude of theaters. Each one has its own personality with spaces dedicated to American and Latino heritages, women and transgendered productions, dance studios, teen projects and independent films. Bicycling around one Sunday, we found 4th Street Cultural District closed for FAB day. Artists displayed their wares as community members joined in the festivities, and as we became part of this event, we began to understand why Fourth Arts Block is one of those must visit side streets – a commingling of art, passion, and people. Learn more here.
Past and present collided as we befriended locals along the way, including legendary photographer Alex Harsley at the 4th Street Photo Gallery. Alex has lived and worked in the East Village for forty years. He is “a living archive of the East Village,” as he has spent his career documenting the locals. For more on the history of the Village, watch our interview with Harsley.
Then there was our visit to the Merchant’s House Museum where we stepped back in time and toured the perfectly preserved 19th-century home that was built for the wealthy Tredwell family in 1832. Seabury Tredwell, along with his wife, six daughters and two sons resided on 4th Street for nearly one hundred years until Gertrude, the youngest, died in 1933. Today the Federal-style building that still houses many of their possessions is recognized as a national historic landmark.
We could write an entire blog just about 4th Street’s array of music shops and concert venues, but that would leave out the food: British, Ethiopian, Greek, Asian, Mexican, Italian, Spanish, Mediterranean, French, Korean and vegetarian restaurants abound as do chocolate shops and, of course, the Vendy award-winning NY Dosas. The “dosa guy”, as many fondly call him, sets up his food cart everyday just outside of Washington Square Park at the intersection of West 4th and Sullivan Street. We were perfectly content to wait on the line so that we could dine al fresco on delicious vegetarian dosas – a light crepe made from rice and lentils.
Once a drug-infested park where few would dare to venture, Washington Square Park is today a vibrant space with a verdant natural appeal that invites chess enthusiasts, children, dogs and a hodgepodge of live performers. Although named for George Washington, the park is, perhaps, best known for its 120-year-old arch modeled after Paris’s Arc de Triomphe. A towering water fountain welcomes playful children on hot summer days and is a favorite gathering place well into the night for NYU students, tourists and locals alike.
We cannot write about West 4th without a nod to the many adults-only stores that line the street. Whether you are stocking up for a bachelorette party, interested in the raunchy and the novel, spicing up your sex life, or are exploring your inner 50 Shades of Grey, these establishments have what you need.
No matter what neighborhood you find yourself strolling through, the variety of goods, services, and entertainment – leather, antique prints, fragrances, tattoo parlors and comedy clubs – will make sidewinding 4th Street a fascinating experience.
Side Note: West 4th Street is the only side street in Manhattan that, for a short distance between 6th Avenue and 13th Street, runs north to south instead of east to west. It is also the only side street that intersects with four other side streets – 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th.
Of course, there is much dispute about the neighborhood boundaries that 4th Street passes through. However, from what we could surmise, the Lower East Side starts at Avenue D and ends at Avenue A. This area is also known as Loisaida, coined by the Spanish-speaking population that entered the area in the 1970’s. The East Village is the area west of Tompkins Square Park to Lafayette Street, where the West Village begins. Finally, the West Village becomes Greenwich Village at Sixth Avenue until it ends at 13th Street. The next time you are randomly quizzed on the confusing geography of 4th Street, you will be ready. You’re welcome!
