I also went to 13th street and 5th avenue where Childe Hassam drew his painting Lower East Side. However, I had a hard time determining where he stood when he drew the painting and I took multiple pictures. The problem was partly due to the fact there was construction in the way, but also I realized that the angle of the tower and the street do not match. This likely as he translates what he sees in the world to the canvas, the artist must modify certain aspect of the painting to fit his own vision. If you look at the painting, the face of the tower seem to be facing the viewer directly, because the four columns on the top of the tower are aligned. However, the angle at which the street he painted does not match with the reality if the tower was facing the viewer directly. I know this is not a big problem because it is never necessary for the painter to completely paint everything accurately. Childe Hassam was an Impressionist painter not a Realist.
Click on the pictures for descriptions!
In the first shot, I tried to take the picture with the tower facing me. However I realized that it would require me to stand in the middle of traffic to do it.
In the second shot, I tried to match up the street angle in the painting with my shot. I decided this is the most probable spot Hassam would be standing in when he painted since in the other he had to stand in the middle of the street.
The original painting by Childe Hassam is the last picture
Nice Try. You are correct, you must stand in the middle of the street to get a more accurate angle. It looks like the width of the street did not change.