The city's real estate has left us with some precarious addresses. Browse some of Manhattan's 1/2 Houses.

75-1/2 Bedford Street, July 1948. With a facade of only nine and a half feet wide, 75 1/2 Bedford Street is the narrowest house in New York City. The interior space is even cozier, at its widest, 8 feet 7 inches, and at its narrowest, only 2 feet. Some sources suggest it was constructed in 1873 on what was a former carriage entranceway, while others believe the narrow home dates to earlier in the century. In the late 19th century the building was home to a cobbler's shop and candy factory. In 1923 the building was leased (with its surrounding neighbors) by a group of artists and actors, who established the Cherry Lane Theatre around the corner. Poet and playwright Edna St. Vincent Millay and her husband moved into the building in 1923 and only stayed a year. During their tenure, the building, which was constructed in a typical Italianate style with a cornice at the top, was renovated. Architect Ferdinand Savignano installed a skylight and made the top floor a studio for Millay. The original cornice was removed, and a small Dutch stepped gable was added (possibly as a reflection of the Dutch heritage of Millay's husband). According to numerous accounts, the house also was the residence (however briefly) to cartoonist William Steig, his sister-in-law anthropologist Margaret Mead, and actors John Barrymore and Cary Grant. The building was purchased in 1952 by a Greenwich Village local (saving it from redevelopment) and sold and renovated a number of times since the mid-1990s. It was sold in 2013 for $3.25 million.

Isaacs-Hendricks House, 77 Bedford Street, ca. 1975. 77 Bedford Street is one of Manhattan's oldest surviving homes. Located in the Greenwich Village Historic District, the building was originally a free standing Federal style frame farmhouse with a yard. A Greek Revival brick facade was added to its exterior in 1836 and later, in 1928, the roof was raised to add additional living space. The first homeowner, Joshua Isaacs, was a Jewish-American merchant. He purchased the house in 1794, but soon-after lost the property to creditors. The subsequent homeowner, Harmon Hendricks, was also a merchant. Considered the wealthiest American Jew of the early 19th century, Hendricks famously supplied Robert Fulton with the materials that powered the historic 1807 Clermont steamboat. Other notable customers of Hendricks included the US Navy and Paul Revere, who later became a friend. Hendricks was also the husband of Frances Isaacs, the first owner's oldest child. Alongside his brother-in-law, he opened one of the first copper rolling mills in the United States.

Call it whatever you’d like: antique, vintage, or historic. If one thing is for certain, the Village is really, really old. Old by New York City standards, and even old by American standards. But which building is the oldest of the old? On this walk, we'll guide you through the Village and show you some of the contenders.