Downing Street "cul-de-sac"
South end of Downing Street -- Bedford to Varick Streets
Not truly a cul-de-sac, but surprisingly close in feel. Two-block long Downing Street may be one of the least well-known and least traveled streets in all of the Village. Its southern end is visually blocked by the mass of the loft building at 225 Varick Street, making it feel closed. At its north end, it gently curves off of the extension of 6th Avenue, with parklets on either side of its entrance giving it a secluded, tucked away feel. The buildings on Downing Street itself are an unusual assortment of stables, garages (some converted to residences, some still in use), houses, tenements, and a variety of old industrial buildings, some dating to the early 1800’s. It feels like a back alley, but a remarkably picturesque one, which is especially surprising when you realize its proximity to the hub-bub of Houston Street, 7th Avenue South, and Bleecker Street.
North end of Downing Street -- Bedford Street to Sixth Avenue
(l. to r.) 29 Downing (red), built in 1829 as a two story wood-frame house; 27 Downing, built in 1893 as a stable with apartments above; 25 Downing, 5 story tenement built in 1899; and 23 Downing (shutters, brown triangular pediment), built in 1826 as a wood-frame two-story house
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