On Friday, The New York Times published an article on New York City’s one-block streets–contending that they carry something antithetical to the city in some ways, proclaiming that bigger is not always better. But smaller can mean more expensive. While the article focuses much on the real estate nature of these wonderful enclaves, we’d thought we’d provide some historical tidbits and some of our own adds to the list.

1. Gay Street, Greenwich Village

Gay Street in Greenwich Village runs from Christopher Street to Waverley Place. Named in 1833, Gay Street was created as an alley for stables (akin to MacDougal Alley or Washington Mews). It did not receive its name in relation to LGBT rights, but most likely for an owner in the area. A May 11, 1775 article indicates a resident named R. Gay had a horse for sale in the area. Gay Street became home to a number of speakeasies and artists in the early 20th century and remains one of the city’s shortest streets.

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