Astor Pl, NoHo

Astor Place, the spot between Broadway and Cooper Square, is a place where people meet, mainly by “Da Cube,” the big sculpture in the middle of the square. Aside from a lot of skateboarders that seem to hang out there, you'll see a lot of people just standing and waiting, checking their watches. It drives me to distraction that the 6 train never seems to be running properly when I'm in the biggest hurry, and I have to jog down to the Bleecker Street station. This has been the case for years now. Years. Okay, but also at Astor Place and Lafayette Street is “Da Public” (The Joseph Papp Public Theater) an incredibly good theater for contemporary drama and performance, housed in one of those lavish old brick buildings nobody builds any more. The building also houses Joe's Pub, an important music venue. The Public's current artistic director used to run a smaller experimental theater, has ties to some of New York's more interesting independent theater groups, and as a result has done a lot to bring important performance work to the Public.

There are a lot of big chain stores clustered around Astor Place, such as Kinko's, Walgreens, and Kmart; right at Broadway you also have the Vitamin Shoppe, the Body Shop, Gap, etc. David Barton Gym looks more like a designer clothing store than a place to sweat, but to each his own workout, I guess. Cooper Union is around the corner on the other side of the square. The dramatic design of their new building is definitely worth a second look, from outside and from however far the guard lets you look in on the inside. A very prominent Starbucks at Astor Place does brisk business, and is an excellent place to exercise your people-watching skills. Not only because you can sit at one of the window seats and observe the passers-by, but also because its central location attracts all types--you wouldn't believe some of the conversations I've overheard, minding my business and innocently sipping my latte. That said, it's not a pleasant coffee experience—always packed, bathrooms are nasty—and you're better off walking in either direction away from Astor Place, to the cross streets, for good coffee places with personality

Astor Place is a single block between Broadway and Cooper Square. Many people walk along this street, because of the subway and its many shops. In the traffic island in the center of Astor Place there is a sculpture, known as the Cube, by Tony Rosenthal. This is a popular meeting place, particularly for skateboarders.

This street is named after John Jacob Astor. Astor Place is famous for its Astor place subway station which is of historical importance. Across the street is the Joseph Papp public theater. The architectural developments of this place make it popular for tourism. Though there is not much of entertainment here, small corners of historical view catch the attention of many visitors passing by. I likes this place for its air of serenity and calmness.

Even though it is only a small block, Astor Place is rich in history. It received its name from John Jacob Astor, once the richest person in the United States and one of New York's famous residents. It has buildings and structures that have been standing through the test of time.