Soho is one of New York’s most famous neighborhoods, taking its name from its position SOuth of HOuston Street (pronounced “How-ston”) and north of Canal Street. Today it is known as a shopping district, but the area has a rich history that led to the abundance of art we’ll see on this tour.
Soho’s modern history started in the 1600s, when the land was given to freed slaves and remained farmland for more than a century. During this time, the main water source for the city was the Collect Pond, which, by the early 1800s, had become polluted and unusable. The pond was drained via a canal, which later was filled and became the namesake street.
By the mid-1800s, the area’s population was growing. Cast iron buildings started sprouting up. Lord & Taylor and Tiffany & Company had stores on Broadway, and the neighborhood became a center of shopping, entertainment, and theater. However, as brothels started to move in, residents moved uptown. The invention of cast iron construction allowed for taller, stronger buildings with larger windows and open floor plans, which was the perfect setting for industry to bloom. Soon the textile industry had taken over what had been a bustling social neighborhood.
That era lasted until the mid-1950s when textiles moved to the South and oversees. By the mid-1900s, the area was industrial wasteland during the day with empty, desolate streets at night. Its nickname was “Hell’s Hundred Acres.” Things started to change in the 1960s when artists discovered the huge, empty industrial lofts that could serve as both homes and studios. While the living conditions were frequently less than ideal, the rents were low, and soon the artistic community was thriving. In 1973, the area was declared the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District. This recognition limited construction on empty lots until 2005, when the restriction was lifted and the neighborhood once again became known for its well located, high-end residences.
The art and architecture of Soho tell the story of this exciting and changing neighborhood—if you know where to look. So let’s get started with our first stop!
| 1775 | Dutch extend Broadway north of Canal Street |
| tidbit | Manatus Map |
| internal | SoHo Slideshow PDF |
| internal | SoHo Timeline PDF |
| article | Living Lofts: The Evolution of the Cast Iron District |
| link | Illegal Living: 80 Wooster Street and the Evolution of SoHo |
| internal | SoHo Memory: A History of SoHo from the 1700′s through the Present |
| internal | SoHo, Manhattan Wikipedia |
| internal | A Guide to SoHo's Legendary Artists' Lofts |
| internal | NYTimes: 80 Wooster Street |
| internal | gDoc |