This single street threads a long, uneven path through Arbor Hill, Sheridan Hollow, Center Square, Park South and Hudson/Park. It sits one block east of Washington Park, and just two long blocks west of the Empire State Plaza. A short walk from downtown Albany's business district, this stretch has long been a mix of commercial and residential buildings.
Look down the block: you'll see many independently owned shops, coffee houses, restaurants, art galleries, antique shops, marketing agencies, bars and tattoo shops. Between Madison Avenue and Washington Avenue this section was rebuilt in 2002-2003, with new roadways, trees and sidewalks in front of the new shops in the active portion of Lark Street. Yet if you glance north across Washington Avenue you'll notice a different rhythm; some local residents have protested the neglect of the northern end of the street, which runs down into the less-affluent Arbor Hill neighborhood.
A bit of film history lingers here too: Lark Street and Jay Street were used as locations during the filming of Ironweed. Where Lark Street meets Washington Avenue, the Washington Avenue Armory closes the block, with the shops, galleries and coffee houses strung out behind you.