Not-so-late breaking quiet

Crosby Street has a dual identity, with residential and office space side-by-side. Of course, this is nothing new in New York; the same mixture exists all over Manhattan, feeding the city-that-never-sleeps cliché. Nighttime bustle reanimates the sidewalks as the workday dies away.

Crosby runs against that grain. Usually, it is serene after most of the workers go home. The residents flood their lofts and stay there, or they go elsewhere. No stoop sitting here, just the occasional fire escape cigarette. The effect is more peaceful than derelict - perhaps more from the pricey real estate than from the amiable surroundings.

Now, daylight savings stops and the temps drop and everything gets earlier faster. Maybe in summertime the street life will linger until 9 or 10. These days, the sidewalk folds up by 8, and one has to wait five minutes just to see a passing car.