This past weekend I went down to SoHo to check out what was happening and it was pretty much the usual scene that it’s been for years. Lots and lots of shopping! That and tons of little cafes to eat at also, which makes the area perfect for tourists or anyone that likes fashion, food and fun. There’s a good vibe there and the best part of walking around in my opinion is seeing all the old cobblestone streets, the cast iron facade loft buildings and the cool storefronts. For those that don’t know, SoHo stands for “South of Houston” because it’s located below Houston Street and ends further south at Canal Street. Also ending at 6th Ave to the west and Broadway to the east. Notice how on certain streets facing south you’ll catch good views of the Jenga Building and the World Trade Center in the distance. It was funny to see all the sidewalk merchants on Canal Street selling their bootleg knockoff products to people. They've always been there, but now it seems that there’s more of them than ever. The luxury brand items look decent at first glance, but how long until the stitching starts falling out? I remember buying a fake Swiss Army watch many years ago and one day I noticed the face had fallen off somewhere the night before haha! So much for quality or warranties.
As for the neighborhood’s history, it was generally factories, sweatshops and storage in the early to mid 1900’s. At one point in the 1960’s it became popular with artists because of the studio loft spaces and low rents. This of course was followed in later years by luxury fashion boutiques, high end art galleries, business offices, nightlife, etc, which made the demand go up, which naturally made the rents go up. Also interesting, is that back in 1807 the city widened a small spring that ran from Collect Pond (the city's main water supply in the 1700's) to the Hudson River and planted rows of trees along both sides of this new canal. This path was known as Canal Street, even after it was paved over in 1821. Definitely a cool area to live if you can afford it and also to work in if your job is there. Lots to see and do, as well as bordering other cool areas like TriBeCa, Greenwich Village and Chinatown. Hope you enjoy this summer stroll around around SoHo!
FEATURES:
0:00 Subway station
0:35 E Houston St
1:13 Broadway
3:23 Prince St
8:21 W Broadway
9:31 Prince St
12:10 6th Ave
12:41 Prince St
14:02 Thompson St
15:55 Spring St
18:05 WTC
19:05 Lofts
19:30 Wooster St
21:25 Broome St
23:58 WTC
24:17 Watts St
25:05 W Broadway
25:38 Broome St
27:00 Lofts
27:33 Greene St
28:56 Jenga Bldg
29:23 Grand St
30:05 Mercer St
32:06 Canal St
39:30 Broadway
48:44 Prince St
50:07 Fanelli Cafe
50:22 Mercer St
52:01 Angelika
52:30 W Houston St
53:23 Greene St
54:36 Prince St
55:58 Thompson St
57:40 W Houston St
1:00:37 Saint Anthony's
1:01:12 Sullivan St
1:02:38 W Houston St
1:03:29 MacDougal St
1:04:08 King St
1:04:33 6th Ave
1:05:39 W Houston St