Cleveland Pl, Little Italy

The street starts at Petrosino Square, crosses a piece of Kenmare Street, and ends as quickly as it began at Broome Street. Yup, it really is a street only two blocks long, barely a footnote of a place. But I like these kinds of tiny, eccentric little corners which make life in a major metropolis a thing of beauty and surprise. What's special here is of course Petrosino Place, a triangular bit of turf with a drinking fountain and some benches, apparently all newly built. For all my complaining that there's nothing to do in SoHo but shop, here finally is a little place for respite just a block away from the weekend crowds and madness, where you can rest your consumerist body and think about the meaning of life for just one second. Before you go back to the fray, you might also grab a burger at The Corner Diner (technically on Kenmare, but you just have to turn your head to see it) and then run across the street for some of Eileen's Special Cheesecake. Okay, and here's the real reason I wanted to review this street: go stand at the corner of Broome and Cleveland Place, looking downtown. Something about the angle of the streets aligning to make for one of those dramatic city views you can only find in New York. There are so many views like this opening up when you least expect it in this city.