Lower Manhattan is known for its polarities: here we find the former bohemian capital of America, Greenwich Village, and just a couple of kilometers south we encounter the Civic Center with all the major New York courthouses. On the one hand we have Soho, a very neat and elegant neighborhood thriving on pricy art galleries and boutiques, and then, all of a sudden, without any warnings or intervals, we wind up on Canal Street, the noisiest and dirtiest street in Manhattan, but geographically one of the most important. These are just two of the peculiar mismatches that await us on this itinerary.