Alphabet City has new developments, like Seven East Village (top left), and new bars, like Lois (top right), but the nabe retains older eateries and its gritty charm (bottom photos). Photos ...

Alphabet City still has the relatively quiet streets, community gardens, a diverse population and active local organizations. But increasingly, it also has luxury housing options for new residents.

The graphic at right, which circulated around last year, shows the planned downtown section of the Second Avenue Subway in light blue. But what's that in dark blue? Why, it's a crazy dreamer plan ...

Google parent Alphabet has legions of Web developers. Soon it might be in need of real-estate developers as it plans to delve into an ambitious new arena: city building.