East 14 St, Greenwich Village

14th in Greenwich begins right at the site of the commencement of the Draft Riots of 1863 and I dare say the intersection doesn't seem much more peaceful today. This area is an absolute zoo between students, commuters, tourists, etc. 14th street, in general, is always ridiculously crowded but the part of the street that runs through Greenwich is the worst.
The corner building that is now some nearly unknown dance studio used to be the Living Theatre. Eliot and Auden debuted plays at this theatre and Martin Sheen had his first acting job here. It's such a shame that places like that are gone but Walmart is alive and thriving. Across the street is a gorgeous building that used to be a high end department store and is now Urban Outfitters. I'm not gonna lie, I go here all the time when I've got time to kill. That Urban is massive. 56 W 14th is the only remaining part of the original Macy's and the architecture is stunning. It was built at the end of the 19th century and it's too bad that the rest of the building no longer remains. The entire street leading up to 5th Avenue is full of grand old buildings with disappointing businesses in them. I often wonder how on earth most of these stay in business but I suppose it's because the street is always so packed.
The block between 5th and Uni is also pretty blah aside from the architecture. Although this block does have Garden of Eden which is a great alternative to nearby Whole Foods. It's like Whole Foods but not corporate and not packed. And, 7 E 14th is not only a lovely building but it has an interesting history.
Unit 11 was Biograph Studios where the likes of Mary Pickford and Lionel Barrymore got their start. And, 17 is where Florence Maybeck lived after being released from prison in England. She was accused of poisoning her husband and she had two Presidents intercede on her behalf. They came to find he was addicted to arsenic so they released her. He is, to date, still one of the main suspects thought to have been Jack the Ripper.
The next block is the dreaded Union Square. It's fantastic as far as public transportation and the outdoor market but it is so unbelievably crowded it's almost insufferable at times. There are just way too many people and it ruins the street. Things like a 24 hour Best Buy don't help either.