Lofty ambitions – life in New York’s SoHo district

There must be something about the name, since London’s Soho and New York’s SoHo (short for South of Houston Street) both share a wild, bohemian sensibility.

However, when it comes to the architecture of these respective areas, London’s version tends towards snug apartments with more character than space, while in SoHo New York the trend has been rather different. Today this fascinating part of the city is characterised by its magnificent loft apartments, with massive windows that admit plenty of light, making them the perfect retreat for artists.

SoHo as we know it today began to take on its current form in the 1970s when plans for an elevated highway, that was to have run through the area, were abandoned, leaving blocks of real estate that failed to attract interest from the manufacturing and commercial sector, yet were of considerable historic importance.

Perhaps now best known as the site of the most impressive collection of cast-iron architecture in the world, SoHo has undergone a complete personality change. For a while the city authorities were unsure as to what would become of these old buildings, considering that they did not meet residential building codes and were therefore unsuitable for habitation. It was also thought that manufacturing might return to the heart of the city, so these magnificent properties might be returned to their original use. As officials prevaricated, artists moved in and the evolution of the SoHo loft space began.

In 1971 certified artists were permitted to live in their workspaces and in 1973 the SoHo Cast-Iron Historic District received its official landmarks designation. At first these lofts were large, cold, uncomfortable barn-like spaces, but as SoHo underwent a process of aggressive gentrification the population shifted. Far from being the dens of bohemian artists, all paintbrushes and dirty crockery, the SoHo of today is the playground of the wealthy, with the best lofts exchanging hands for millions of dollars.

With a terrific central location and some of the most attractive and stylish real estate in New York, more and more people are flocking to this exciting district.

Rimontgó offers condominium apartments for sale in SoHo.

New post on at Tuesday, 5 January, 2010, 6:47 am and is archived in Art, Culture, Lifestyle, Luxury, Places of Interest. Subscribe to answers with RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.