Walk down Lafayette and take a sharp turn. You’ll hit a two-block stretch that feels like a glitch in the Manhattan grid. It’s too wide to be an alley, too short to be an avenue, and far too weird to be "just another street."
Great Jones Street isn't actually that great in terms of length. It runs from Broadway to the Bowery. That’s it. But if you’re looking for the ghost of old New York—the version that was grimy, expensive, dangerous, and brilliant all at once—this is where you find it.
Honestly, the name itself was a bit of a power move. Back in the late 1700s, a lawyer named Samuel Jones donated the land to the city. He had one condition: the street had to be named after him. Since there was already a "Jones Street" in the West Village, he insisted his be called "Great Jones." It’s the ultimate 18th-century "I’m better than you" energy.
The Ghost of 57 Great Jones Street
If you stop in front of the two-story brick building at 57 Great Jones Street, you're looking at the epicenter of 1980s Downtown culture. This was Andy Warhol’s building. He bought it in 1970, and by 1983, he was renting the second floor to a young, chaotic genius named Jean-Michel Basquiat.
It’s a heavy place.
Basquiat lived and worked here during the height of his fame, churning out massive canvases that would eventually sell for over $100 million. He also died here. In August 1988, he overdosed in the loft. For decades after, the facade was a revolving door of graffiti tributes. Fans from all over the world would leave tags, poems, and crowns in Sharpie and spray paint.
Fast forward to late 2025 and early 2026: the street has been officially co-named Jean-Michel Basquiat Way. It’s a permanent nod to the guy who redefined modern art while living in what used to be a stable. Today, the building houses Atelier Jolie, Angelina Jolie’s fashion collective. It’s a weird, full-circle moment for a spot that went from a carriage house to a gangster hideout to a drug-fueled art studio to a high-end luxury brand hub.
Gangsters, Grains, and the "Jonesing" Myth
Before the artists moved in, Great Jones was... rough. In the early 1900s, Paul Kelly (born Paolo Antonio Vaccarelli) ran the Five Points Gang out of a saloon here called Little Naples. We’re talking about the era of Al Capone and Lucky Luciano. They used the basement as a headquarters. Legend has it there were tunnels connecting these buildings to the subway, used for moving booze during Prohibition.
Speaking of booze.
You’ve probably heard people say the term "jonesing"—meaning a desperate craving for drugs—comes from Great Jones Street. The story goes that because of the heroin addicts who used to hang out in Great Jones Alley, the street name became a verb. It’s a gritty bit of folk etymology. While some linguists argue it’s just a coincidence, New Yorkers will swear it’s true.
🔗 Read more: Finding Space at the 3rd Avenue Parking Ramp: What You Need to Know Before You Drive
Today, that history is being distilled—literally. Great Jones Distilling Co. at 686 Broadway (right on the corner) is Manhattan's first legal whiskey distillery since Prohibition. When they were renovating the space, they actually found one of those secret tunnels behind a false wall. They’ve leaned into the history, using 100% New York grains to make bourbon that tastes like the city.
Why NoHo Architecture Hits Different
The street is a museum of Romanesque Revival and Renaissance styles. Because it’s part of the NoHo Historic District, developers can’t just tear everything down to build glass toothpicks.
- 3 Great Jones Street: A Greek Revival townhouse from 1845. It’s got a private, gated mews called Jones Alley (once known as Shinbone Alley).
- 11 Great Jones: A modern Morris Adjmi design that actually respects the neighborhood. It uses heavy brick piers inspired by the late Donald Judd.
- The Cobblestones: They aren’t there for "vibes." They are the original infrastructure of a city built for horses, not Ubers.
Where to Eat and Hang Out in 2026
Great Jones isn't just a history lesson. It’s where you go when you want to feel like a "real" New Yorker without the midtown tourists.
Bistrot Ha is the current darling of the block, run by the team behind Ha’s Snack Bar. It’s cramped, loud, and the food is incredible. If you want something more classic, Vic’s is still the go-to for Italian, and Great Jones Cafe (which sadly closed years ago but is still talked about) has been replaced by newer spots like Lord’s, where the English-inflected menu makes you feel like you’re in a posh London pub.
💡 You might also like: Premier Inn Bath City: Is This Actually the Best Place to Stay?
What Most People Get Wrong
People often confuse Great Jones Street with the Jones Street in the West Village (where the The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan album cover was shot).
Don't do that.
Great Jones is NoHo. It’s wider, more industrial, and has a much more "commercial" past. While the West Village feels like a movie set, Great Jones feels like a machine. It was a place for manufacturing, for stables, for warehouses. That "loft living" dream everyone has? It started in places like this, where artists like Chuck Close and Basquiat took raw, cold spaces and made them legendary.
📖 Related: Finding Your Way: What the San Jacinto Map CA Tells You About This Inland Empire Gem
How to Do Great Jones Street Right
- Start at Broadway: Grab a coffee and look at the distillery. If you have time, do the tour. The engineering required to put a whiskey still over a subway line is actually insane.
- Look for the Plaque: Find the 57 Great Jones plaque. It was put there by Village Preservation and Two Boots Pizza. Read it. Imagine the 80s.
- Walk the Alley: Peek into Great Jones Alley. It’s one of the few places in the city that still feels genuinely hidden.
- Eat Late: The street feels different after 10:00 PM. The lighting hits the brick differently, and the noise of Lafayette dies down.
Actionable Insight: If you're visiting or looking to move to the area, prioritize the mid-block. The corners are noisy, but the center of Great Jones is where the "quiet" NoHo magic happens. Check the local galleries like Venus Over Manhattan nearby—they often carry the torch of the street's artistic DNA.