One of the most fashionable and popular neighborhoods in New York is SoHo. Named because of its proximity to ‘SOuth of HOuston’ street, shortened to SoHo, the area has growth in stature over the last thirty to forty years. SoHo was virtually abandoned during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s owing to a highway scheme that was decommissioned. After this a number of the historic buildings that were around the area became less attractive and practical for many of the commercial and manufacturing companies. Many of them left for better premises, leaving the economy of SoHo pretty much defunct. Squatters moved into many of the buildings, using them as illegal residences and for many years this went on ignored by the City. However, after the artistic began moving into the newly populated loft apartments, the city began to undergo a period of rejuvenation. Loft apartments were then regenerated from older buildings and converted to apartments especially designed to house artists. The City co-operated by altering the Zoning Resolution to accommodate certified artists to live and work on the premises.
Regeneration
SoHo can boast that it has the best collection of Cast iron architecture, probably in the world. Around two hundred and fifty buildings with constructions of cast iron are still standing in New York City today and most of them are in fact in SoHo. This means that many apartments in SoHo NYC are situated in cast iron buildings. The facades of these buildings are built with decorative features generally constructed between 1840 and 1880. Many of the buildings made a feature of the cast iron itself and the reason cast iron became such a popular material between those years was the cost. Ornamental molds, made from stone and concrete were affixed to the fronts of buildings to decorate the exteriors.
When the artists began moving into the SoHo area in the 1970’s the general vicinity began to experience a huge upsurge in popularity. What had once been a deteriorating, run down area, suddenly had people wanting to live there. The area then underwent a rejuvenation period and since then, SoHo has become the major arts center of the entire Manhattan locality. Still, today, apartments in SoHo are much sought after among people moving into the area.
To find the best apartments in SoHo NYC, contact Onevandam for a list of penthouses, apartments and other luxury homes.
