Walking through the West Village a couple months ago I came across this odd building that seemed to have a railroad track running through the second floor.

It turns out the railroad isn’t the only thing noteworthy thing about the building:

• Known as the Westbeth, it’s the largest artists’ colony in the world. It was one of the first industrial buildings in NYC to be converted to loft space for artists, and remains in use today.
• The train tracks on the second floor were originally part of the High Line, an elevated railway that ran up Manhattan’s west side. The track below Gansevoort Street has been dismantled, leaving the Westbeth’s section of track orphaned.
• Prior to becoming an artists’ colony, the building housed a Bell Labs research facility that produced some of the most important electronics advances of the analog era.
• Actor/filmmaker Vin Diesel grew up there.

Neighbors on 14th Street.

Second Avenue in 1861, looking north from 42nd St. From a Times article about the 200th anniversery of NYC’s grid system.

You know you’re in Chelsea when the optometrist puts your contact lenses in an expensive-looking boutique bag.

I learned today that I live 2 doors down from where my great great grandmother, Sarah Branigan Cunningham, lived on W 16th St in 1896.

My great great grandfather, Edward Cunningham, lived a few blocks uptown on W 23rd St. I’m told they met walking down Broadway, where Edward decided Sarah was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen.

Most accurate vanity license plate ever.

Spotted outside of 1 Oak.