Changes on Charles

Last time I checked in with Weird Way West, the westernmost margin of Greenwich Village, life on bricky, cobblestoney Charles Lane was still fairly quiet. Today, it's an explosion of undulating glass. 166 Perry Street has fully arrived--totally glazed and complete with a $24 million penthouse.



Looking a whole lot like the Chelsea Modern with its wavy, boxy windows and louvers, it promises "sweeping views in the heart of the West Village," according to the giant sales office advertising up the street.



Of course, according to recent reports and market predictions, those views will most likely be of transgender sex workers and their clients getting busy at the edge of the West Side Highway.

Or maybe right there, down there, in the shadows by that tree...



Post Script:
On my walk to Charles Lane, I happened to pass a woman flagging down her local garbage men. She had a big, tabletop-sized plate of glass on the sidewalk and asked the men, "Can you take this? I'm afraid if I leave it here, it will get smashed--you know, with all the changes in the neighborhood."

When was the last time you heard someone in this city talk about scary neighborhood changes and they didn't mean hyper-gentrification?

Is glass no longer safe in Meier Haven--now that Charles Lane may be turning back into some semblance of Pig Alley?