On a tiny cobblestone street in the Far West Village, we found a cluster of unique attached duplex homes, each with its own front yard and terrace ~ and one with a cool surprise above the front door. Welcome to The Pez House.
The unique abodes can be found on Charles Street, stretching a block north to the tiny cobblestone Charles Lane, which runs from Washington to West Street. Also known as Pig Alley, it once was the northern boundary of Newgate State Prison from 1797 until sometime in the 1820s, and according to the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, “these condos altered their appearance in a dramatic conversion process ~ formerly a freight depot for a brewery, now two rows of eight duplex-style townhouse apartments built in 1979, setback behind small suburban style front yards, at 8A-8F Charles Land and 151-157 Charles Street.”
It is on Charles Lane that we first came upon The Pez House in 2010, #8E, with its turquoise front door, and painted white trim ~ and the historic Pez Holders lined up above. With so many changes in the Far West Village, including Charles Lane at West Street, we were glad to see that while some things change ~ some of the best things stay the same.
Below, a nice photo of the duplex condo complex on Charles Lane taken in 2010.
Missing, are the colorful painted bricks and mural on the North side of Charles Lane next to a former stable at 13 Charles Lane, with red planters (below).
There are not many stone streets left in the Village. Check them out on our Greenwich Village Poster Map. Or check out a watercolor map of the Way West Village.