SoHo is a district of New York City—allegedly named SoHo to stand for ‘SOuth of Houston’ Street—and is known as the art center of the area. The loft apartments and numerous art galleries attract the artistic crowds and the apartments have been renovated to trendy levels. Set in the borough of Manhattan, SoHo contains about five hundred buildings in a twenty-six block radius and most of the buildings contain architectural elements such as cast iron.
Historical Information
One of the most historic districts in the whole of New York, SoHo began life as farmland granted by the Dutch West Indies Company to freed slaves. The land was purchased in the 1660’s but was later confiscated from Nicholas Bayard as a result of his connections with Leisler’s Rebellion. However, it was returned back to him after an annulment of his sentence.
The hills and streams that surrounded the area in the eighteenth century hampered any development possibilities and as a result the rural character was maintained. During the nineteenth century, major establishments such as Tiffany and Co. set up shop in the growing area. Along with this came the development of the cast iron and masonry structures with decorative facades, along with theaters and shopping districts. This caused a huge shift in the tone of the neighborhood and residents started to leave because of the businesses that began to infiltrate the area. Along with legitimate businesses came a red light district, which made the locals very uneasy.
After the highway scheme was abandoned the area was left largely unpopulated, but during a 1970’s revival the artistic population moved in and took over. Despite the city’s efforts to stem the growth it finally conceded that it was good for the area and nowadays it is a thriving suburb of New York. The redevelopment of the area has led to a huge growth in SoHo luxury apartments that are being grabbed up by renters and buyers from all over the country. People who move to the city to try their hand at the arts find loft apartments for rent or sale. Businesses also attract high earning workers to the area and this has also led to a growth in apartment rentals and sales. SoHo’s reputation for shopping brings tourists and new business to the area every year and it continues its success.
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