Walking up crossing the very first streets of the grid layout of the city, we can now start counting upwards from one to number 220, which is the very last street at the furthest North of Manhattan.
I feel quite at home around the first streets of Manhattan, as I used to study at NYU, New York University. 4th Street is the first of my previous classroom building that I spot on my way. Go West and you are in Washington Square Park.
All around here you find buildings belonging to NYU - like a campus spread a bit among regular houses - it's rather controversial in fact, as the University buy up building after building, driving the prices up and the regular residents out. But no one can deny that the area has a great buzz with all the students filing in and out, cafés are full, bookstores are on every street corner (the famous Strand bookstore is here) and you almost get into a sixties wipe again. One evening during my studies, we had to evacuate our building, so we simply continued our class in the park - New Yorkers do not get kicked off track that easily.
Already on 12th street, you get the glimpse of the New Yorker icon, the Empire State Building. Should you be in doubt of where you are, you are no longer now! However famous the building is and how many times you have seen it, you still admire this great majestic building whenever it pops up in your horizon. Just think of the film "Sleepless in Seattle" in which ESB has a major role!
