Why West 4th Street Crosses West 10th
Greenwich Village was already built up when the Commissioners’ Plan of 1811 laid numbered streets over Manhattan, so it kept its 18th-century street pattern. West 4th Street, which runs east-west across the rest of the island, turns north-south here and crosses West 10th, 11th and 12th Streets. The old names were simply renumbered.
West 4th follows the line of old Asylum Street, named for the Orphan Asylum Society building between Bank and Troy Streets, demolished in 1833. Amos Street became West 10th, Hammond Street West 11th and Troy Street West 12th. The streets page walks the old lanes one by one, and the self-guided route gives an order that keeps the map readable.
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Frequently asked questions
Why are the Greenwich Village streets not on the grid?
The Village was already built up before the 1811 Commissioners’ Plan, so it kept its 18th-century street pattern.
Where do West 4th and West 10th Streets cross?
In the West Village, where West 4th runs north-south and crosses West 10th, 11th and 12th Streets.
What were the old names of West 10th, 11th and 12th Streets?
Amos, Hammond and Troy Streets; West 4th was Asylum Street. The history page covers the earlier Village.