SoHo, sometimes written Soho, is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City, New York. Since the 20th century, many artists’ lofts and art galleries have been locations. It has also been known for its shops ranging from trendy upscale boutiques to national and international chain store outlets. The area’s history is an archetypal example of inner-city regeneration and gentrification, encompassing socio-economic, cultural, political, and architectural developments. The name “SoHo” derives from the area being “South of Houston Street” and was coined in 1962 by Chester Rapkin, an urban planner and author of The South Houston Industrial Area study, also known as the “Rapkin Report.” The name also recalls Soho, an area in London’s West End.
SoHo is included in the SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District, which was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1973, extended in 2010, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978. It consists of 26 blocks and approximately 500 buildings, incorporating cast-iron architectural elements. Many side streets in the district are paved with Belgian blocks.
Historic District
The SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District is contained within the zoned SoHo neighborhood. Originally ending in the west at the eastern side of West Broadway and to the east at the western side of Crosby Street, the SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District was expanded in 2010 to cover most of West Broadway and extend east to Lafayette and Centre Streets. The boundary lines are not straight, and some block-fronts on West Broadway and Lafayette are excluded from the district. Top HVAC NYC
Arts and Culture
After the abandonment of the highway scheme, the city was left with a large number of historic buildings that were unattractive for the kinds of manufacturing and commerce that survived in the town in the 1970s. The upper floors of many of these buildings had been built as commercial Manhattan lofts, which provided large, unobstructed spaces for manufacturing and other industrial uses. These spaces attracted artists who valued their large areas, large windows admitting natural light, and low rents. These spaces were also used illegally as living spaces, despite being neither zoned nor equipped for residential use. This widespread zoning violation was ignored for an extended period of time, as the artist-occupants were using space for which there was little demand due to the city’s poor economy at the time and would have lain dormant or been abandoned otherwise.
Restaurants Nearby
- Vic’s is located at 31 Great Jones St, New York City, NY
- Fish Cheeks is located at 55 Bond St, New York, NY
- The Boil is located at 17 Waverly Pl, New York, NY
Check out other neighborhoods like Upper East Side