1-5 Bleecker Street

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4-story Italianate residential building completed in 1869 as a series of rowhouses. Designed by D. & J. Jardine, the facades are clad in red brick (painted at No. 3). Now joined, they span a total of 13 bays, with historic cast-iron columns remaining at the ground floor of the western sections. The main entrance is at the center of the ground floor, featuring a paneled surround, scrolled brackets, projecting keystone, and molded hood. Sandstone quoins line the edges of the facade, as near the center, where the edge of No. 5 was. The windows have projecting sandstone sills and molded and bracketed sandstone window hoods. Bracketed metal roof cornices cap the facade, painted green above the eastern bays, and brown above the west. The south facade also has three metal fire escapes. The 2nd bay from the east has been bricked-in, and has a fanlight-shaped basement window at the sidewalk level with a keystone and iron grille.

The Bowery facade spans six bays, with a paneled columns at the black cast-iron ground floor, which is topped by a black modillioned cornice that wraps around the corner. The windows match those on Bleecker Street, and there is another fire escape. The roof cornice also continues along this facade.

Over the years, the upper floors of these buildings were occupied mainly by European immigrants, while the storefronts were occupied by a variety of businesses. Many fur businesses occupied space in these buildings in the early-and mid-20th century. From 1930 through at least 1980, the Shapiro Hardware Co. was located here. The ground floor is occupied by Think Coffee shop, Agozar Cuban Bistro, and Bianco restaurant.