Curving streetscape, Bedford Street

The unusual curved façade of 2 Bedford Street results from the joining of different street grids where Houston Street meets Bedford Street (Houston Street in fact originally ended at Bedford Street, and joined another street called Village Street, later Hamersly, which continued west; when 6th Avenue was extended southward through this intersection, Hamersly became West Houston Street).  Click here to see historic map.

2 though 8 Bedford Street (left of #2 Bedford Street) were all built in 1829 as part of a row of identical 3-story late federal houses.  Each had an additional story and new cornice added at some point in the late 19th or early 20th centuries. 10 and 12, just visible in the above picture, were built a year later as 2 ½ story  houses, as part of a row of six which continued to their west (left).  These two survivors each now have a full third story, and 12 had a new façade installed in the 1930’s. 

 

4 though 12 Bedford Street (r. to l.) 

 

 

12 (l.) and 10 Bedford Street

The street pattern in this part of the South Village west of 6th Avenue is particularly unusual for Manhattan.  Unlike your typical grid streets, or even many West Village streets, few streets continue unbroken for more than one or two blocks.  This is the result of the merging of several street grids at this location.  As a consequence, these blocks have a sense of isolation and self-containment found few other places in Manhattan.

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