I took that photo because I like the post office across the street. In the long run, it’s probably doomed: my guess is that the postal service will make a deal with a developer to construct a large building on that site in exchange for the post office getting space at the ground floor, but for now, let’s just enjoy the classically-styled truck bays.
The second thought I had was that I won’t be walking under that cornice. The entire facade of the post office above waist level is terra cotta veneer, and the staining on the cornice tells us that water has been getting through the joints for a long time.
The two plain pavilions on either end of the building appear to be original, and there is also a low building next to each end – you can see the brownstone past the far end of the post office. If I’m playing developer, you add those to the post office site. That’s the way sites have been assembled in Manhattan for a long time.
The taller buildings nearby are pretty much all old loft buildings (this is the edge of the Garment District) that have been partially or entirely converted to offices. That explains the very plain rear and side facades and the maxed-out zoning bulk. The windows on the side wall of the building to the right with the yellow-brick street facade are irregularly spaced because they’re a product of office conversion, and so have been installed for tenants as requested.
Finally, the traffic is the result of too many people driving in the city when it’s not needed, too many large vehicles when they’re not needed, and people using a side street as a shortcut when it’s also where the post office loading dock is.
