Spring St. (North Side, between 6th Ave. and West Broadway)

Rather than tackle the whole north side of Spring St. in one blitz, I decided to capture just a few blocks at a time. So here are three blocks of the north side of Spring St., between 6th Avenue and West Broadway.

I overexposed many of today's photos, overcompensating for the darkening effect of the polarizing filter. I'll get it right one of these days! Although probably not anytime soon.

It was a warm, gorgeous day out this afternoon . . . and really crowded. I can't decide whether or not I'm annoyed or pleased when people pause on the sidewalk, waiting for me to take my pictures. On one hand, it hurries me, and as it takes me a few seconds to set up each shot (and wait for the flash, if any), and I wait for a clear spot before shooting, I wasn't going to capture the people in the photo anyway. On the other hand . . . well, it's curmudgeonly to complain about people being considerate, isn't it?

The entrance to the Spring St. Subway station for uptown service on the C and E lines, at the corner of 6th Avenue. I like the tile mosaic on the landing back wall, which the city does a reasonably good job of keeping free of graffiti.

Our neighborhood Tasti D-lite at 203 Spring St., for all our ice cream and candy needs. Yeah, I've spent some time in here filling up little bags with candy from the plastic cases. Their low-fat ice cream tastes like weak chalk, but the regular variety is reasonably decent. That big plastic chocolate and vanilla cone verges on the obscene; chocolate ice cream should never be rendered in plastic.

Despite its terrible name, Hair Box, an old-fashioned barbershop at 203 Spring St., is where I get my hair cut. I like the celebrity pictures in the window, which include headshots of James Gandolfini and other Sopranos. The Styrofoam heads in the window with "hair" formed from clay pebbles are extremely mysterious and creepy.

At 195 Spring St. is Variazioni, which updates their clear-eyed windows frequently. This is a no-nonsense display of Valentine's Day party outfits.

Cigarillos, a friendly neighborhood tobacconist (and head shop) at 191 Spring St. I dig the smoking cricket (or possibly a frog) logo and the bare-breasted cigar-store Indian. It also smells wonderful in there, probably from the wide selection of pipe tobacco. No, I'm not doing very well this week with quitting smoking.

Ah, my good friends at Spring Street Wine Shop, what would I do without you? 187 Spring St., conveniently located on the way home from the Subway.

This display has been up since New Year's Eve. Whatever -- Veuve Clicquot never goes out of style.

I love scotch. Go ahead, put Johnny Walker Blue Label up on a pedestal, it's all right by me.

This isn't a window so much as an industrial archway, leading to a miniature indoor lumberyard right here on one of SoHo's busiest shopping streets. (Metropolitan Lumber and Hardware, 175 Spring St.) I love watching the tourists almost get run over by the little forklift the workers use to shuttle the lumber and bags of cement across the sidewalk.

This is the western window of Flying A (169 Spring St.), which I always think of as the boys' window. Flying A is a little bit like Diesel-lite, but I like that bag and those sneaks. I'm not sure why the mannequin (the one with the head) looks so spaced-out. He'd better watch where he's going!

And this would be the eastern window of Flying A, the "girls' window". Basic women's daily wear, kinda cute, a little chilly-looking for the season. Although that bust in the lower right corner is working her hat!

It seems as though this woman selling Russian-themed t-shirts on the street is enjoying her soup.

A street vendor selling accessories on the northwest corner of Spring St. and West Broadway.

SoHo Snapshot

Just a random picture of a colorfully patriotic cement mixer at the corner of Thompson St. and Broome St. I want to live in that tall, brick, single-family corner house, btw. -- they have a private yard.

Greene St. (between Broome St. and Grand St.)

It was bitterly cold out today, but I wanted to try out my new polarization filter, to see if that helped block out some of the reflections in the glass storefront windows. And . . . not so much. Some of the pictures came out a little better, but some were darker and muddier. I'm going to have to practice more.

Anyway, it was so chilly out (15ºF!) that my hands were shivering and getting chapped, so I only snapped a few storefronts on Greene St., between Grand St. and Broome St., and then one storefront on Broome St. itself that I couldn't resist.

This is the southern window of the Arcadia Fine Arts Gallery at 51 Green St., showing a wickedly cool robot painting by Steven Skollar.

Here are some glitzy and yet simple and elegant Plissé light fixtures at the Luceplan Store at 49 Greene St. "Plissé" apparently means "pleating," and the style is designed by Inga Sempé. The window is created well to showcase these fixtures, with the blue circles suggesting dazzling lightspots.

At 47 Greene St. is the Jonathan Adler store. It's a homey and kitchy window, and of course I'm a fan from seeing him on Top Design and Welcome to the Parker (and from . . . my favorite duvet). The head with the multiple faces reminds me of the animated sequence in Hedwig and the Angry Inch for "Origin of Love." And you know I'm a sucker for a sweet ceramic squirrel wearing a pink bow.

I always enjoy peering into the windows at Waterworks (469 Broome St.). This Greene St.-side shot shows off some of their colorful bathroom tile options. I rent, so I can only dream of redoing my bathroom in a style of my own choice.

I don't think I've ever noticed Sol de Ibiza at 52 Greene St. before, but today I was intrigued by the blue harem pants. That manniquin looks cold! And what's wrong with the wee manniquin? Her pose suggests she may have a yeast infection.

The storefront windows at Sicis (470 Broome St.) are amongst the funkiest in the city. They specialize in mosaic tile designs, which is so very specific. Usually the windows showcase manniquins covered in mirrored mosaic, but recently they switched to these giant flowers and gold chains, which are equally beguiling.

Spring St. (South Side, between Greene St. and Broadway)

The John Varvatos store at 122 Spring St. is impressively intimidating, even though I find the fashions a big laughable in their goofy, brooding intensity. The sneering, urbane, tough-guy look is an uncomfortable mash-up. This is actually a view through the open door, since this space doesn't feel like it was originally created to be a retail location.

Here's the long Spring St. side of the John Varvatos shop, with all its narrow display windows.

John Varvatos display window #1.

John Varvatos display window #2.

John Varvatos display window #3.

John Varvatos display window #4. Come on, isn't there something silly about painted tires, scarves, sunglasses, and a man-bag all mixed together?

John Varvatos display window #5. I know I always keep my moisturizer perched on an old tire.

A unique SoHo gem, Evolution at 120 Spring St. has one of the most fascinating and intriguing storefronts in the whole city. I've gone in there occasionally to buy really surprising birthday presents, like a fetal shark in a jar for my brother, and a fox skull for my ex-boyfriend's father. I love staring in that window at the curios from the natural world.

At 118 Spring St. is the rather mysterious Jenny B. I couldn't even find a website for them. The display is simple and functional, keeping a clean emphasis on the straightforward shoes and boots themselves.

The flagship store of Burton is at 106 Spring. The windows are busy and messy, but it does fit their rough-and-tumble Xtreme sports aesthetic. I guess you could even call these displays "shredded".

Another shredded display from Burton, this time with a pithy slogan.

And here's the Burton credo on their door.

A very cool, youthful, trendy storefront from Ben Sherman at 96 Spring St., with just the right level of '80s retro styling.

Two more of the Ben Sherman window displays. It certainly feels like he's got his finger on the generational pulse with this storefront.

More cool Ben Sherman.

The doorway of the Ben Sherman storefront. He had me up until that Member's Only-style jacket just inside the entrance.

Spring St. (South Side, between West Broadway and Greene St.)

I've always dug the European feel of this Morgenthal-Frederics opticians on the southeast corner of West Broadway and Spring. There's something really old-school about the colors and display cases. . . like an apothecary shop. And who doesn't love that big dog welcoming you in?

Aw, that dog bowl is adorable.

In the Spring St.-side windows of Morgenthal-Frederics there are three freestanding display cases, which on closer inspection, proved impressive. Here's the first of the three . . . winter sunglasses in a diorama!

The second of the winter sunglasses displays at Morgenthal-Frederics.

And the third Morgenthal-Frederics display box, with a nice touch of orange. Someone spent time putting these together!

I'm not really sure what, exactly, this street vendor at the corner of West Broadway and Spring St. is selling, but it's a mighty colorful jumble. Are they hats? Or all kinds of winter accessories? Whatever -- she was nice enough to let me take her picture.

Okay, it's a kids' socks store. Plus they sell KnitWits, which appear to be long-eared sock monkey things. LittleMissMatched at 160 Spring St. seems to be doing well enough, as it's one of the few stores around that isn't trumpeting a huge sale on their storefront. But really? Mismatched socks and sock monkeys?

A very pink Olive & Bettes at 158 Spring St.

I like those drawings in Le Petit Cafe's windows at 156 Spring St. . . . working the European charm.

It's a Body Shop. 154 Spring St. Aren't they all the same? It makes SoHo seem even more like a giant outdoor mall.

Nice and simple and Swedish, and I like those sweaters. Tretorn, at 150 Spring St.

Breil Milano at 148 Spring St. It's a very cool modern display of their jewelry, watches, and bags, unfortunately obscured by the reflections in this picture.

The door in this Clarins storefront at 146 Spring St. is quite sexy.

In other seasons besides chilly winter, this flea market at the corner of Wooster St. and Spring St. teems with colorful street vendor wares, but it's looking kind of sparse right now. I wonder how many of the vendors here took the opportunity to move west to that indoor SoHo Flea Market for the winter?

Another angle on the flea market at Spring and Wooster.

At 138 Spring St. is Ilori. Those scrims are quite arresting, although the reflections in this picture have rendered them sort of abstract, and have obscured the display of sunglasses.

Hogan is located at 134 Spring St. Those squiggly-shaped multilevel display racks really boost the visual interest in these windows.

One of the coolest window displays in all of SoHo is in the storefront of Longchamp at 132 Spring St. That undulating orange, wooden display floor holding up those shockingly red bags is just gorgeous.

Yummy! I've gotten hot chocolate at Vosges Haut-Chocolat (132 Spring St.) several times, and I just love how they drop a truffle into your hot chocolate for a wonderful surprise when you hit the bottom of the cup. The display is nicely Gothic and sexy, and the signature purple boxes add a nice twist to the typical Valentine's Day gift.

Molton Brown at 128 Spring St. has a sturdy, upper-crust London apothecary shop feel. I'm not sure what the leather chair and the blanket is supposed to signify, though . . . a homey, masculine inner sanctum?

I like the variety of sleek menswear that J. Lindeberg always has displayed at 126 Spring St., but I'm not sure I'm Euro-riche enough to wear them. This window is showing a more sober, businessy side than the tightly-fitted Nordic sportswear they often showcase.