New York has a life of its own and everyone who visits this city that never sleeps is guaranteed a once-in-a-lifetime experience. However, New York is not just one big city, it is made up of a number of different places and locations that create a great melting pot of cultures.
SoHo is one of those places. SoHo, which is short for South of Houston, is now well known as the place for the arts. It was during the 1960s that artists moved into SoHo into abandoned buildings that had perfect ‘lofts’, the ideal space for artists. These buildings were industrial buildings prior to the mid-20th century, such as small factories and sweatshops.
During this industrial period, SoHo was known as Hell’s Hundred Acres and was basically a wasteland. Before this, the area was packed with brothels and bars compared to anywhere else in the city. These abandoned buildings were, as stated before, ideal for artists to get creative. The large, well-lit, elevated spaces were perfect for artist’s canvases and paraphernalia.
By the 1970s, SoHo had become a popular residential area and artsy area. Today it is a trendy place visited by many who want to have an aesthetic experience. The area borders Greenwich Village to the north and Little Italy to the east and Chinatown to the southwest, making a visit to SoHo a culturally enriching experience.
There are many hotels in SoHo, so finding accommodation is not difficult. One of these hotels is the SoHo Grand Hotel New York, which offers guests a comfortable stay right in the heart of things. Giving guests access to modern SoHo with influences from its past, the hotel ensures that you are minutes from incredible nightlife, diverse cultural experiences and wonderful shopping.
Trains are easily accessible from near the hotel to visit New York’s historic attractions such as the Empire State Building, Times Square, the Museum of Modern Art and Ground Zero. The classic Guggenheim Museum is also worth a visit with its unique architecture, although most considered it to be less than successful as a gallery. With its soft white color and spiral shape, this building attracts a lot of attention.
SoHo is full of beautiful cobblestone streets and has art galleries, restaurants, brand name fashion stores, all housed in historic cast iron buildings. The area is full of restaurants like Nabu or Café Café, which is a cafe and healthy food, or the SoHo bar and lounge, which draws a large crowd and plays classical and old school music.
However, modern SoHo is no longer the cheap artists’ haven it used to be and most artists’ lofts are very expensive. This has resulted in many moving to nearby TriBeCa, although SoHo will always remain the heart and soul of the arts community. SoHo has the ability to turn all who visit into art lovers with its alluring galleries and bohemian qualities. The famous Hudson River is to the west of SoHo.