The 1800s
SoHo development really started when Collect Pond was filled. The 1800s are considered an elegant part of SoHo’s history. Mainly residential, the neighborhood of Federal and Greek style homes was first inhabited by the wealthy and then by the middle class. In time, the fast development of the area attracted many business and by 1825 was the most densely populated area in Manhattan.
To glorify their business, ambitious business leaders produced four to six story buildings, many of which were structured in cast iron. The Cast material’s fire resistant properties and strength made it possible to construct large buildings at a cheap cost. The Haughwout building opened in 1857, it showcased the City’s first passenger safety elevator. They were famous back then and created fine china, cut glass, silverware and chandeliers. The New York Times described it as “the greatest china and porcelain house in the city”.Other stores and factories had facades in the Victorian Gothic, Greek, Italianate, and Second Empire styles. Stores like Lord & Taylor, Arnold Constable & Company, and Tiffany & Company opened for business as well as grand hotels such as the St. Nicholas and the Metropolitan, and theaters.The famous Niblo's Garden was a New York theater on Broadway, near Prince Street. The theater was considered New York's most fashionable theater, at first it only served coffee, ice cream, lemonade and other refreshments, in the center was the open air saloon, used also for musical entertainments, in the evenings, Niblo's Garden was illuminated with hundreds of colored glass lanterns, later opera and plays followed.Around this time SoHo
was also getting bad businesses like brothels,it was starting to become referred to the red light district. It
changed the neighborhood and drive out residents, and between 1860 and 1865, lost 25% of its population. SoHo
was a thriving commercial center until 1890, the neighborhood became depressed
after fashionable businesses moved uptown to Fifth Avenue.
The 1900s
By the 1950s, the textile industry had moved South and overseas; SoHo became home to many printing plants and empty warehouses spaces. Around this time, SoHo became a depressed commercial slum known as “Hell’s Hundred Acres”. Above is a picture of the street view of Elm & Spring Streets in the year 1901 construction of the subway.
In the 1960s,urban planner Robert Moses proposed two enormous elevated highways, the project was intended to create an automobile and truck route connecting the ten lane elevated highway connecting the East River with the Hudson River. Robert Moses proposal included the leveling of fourteen blocks along Broome Street. 1,972 families and 804 businesses would have been kicked out. Below is a picture of how SoHo would have look like if the highway was constructed.
In the 1960s,urban planner Robert Moses proposed two enormous elevated highways, the project was intended to create an automobile and truck route connecting the ten lane elevated highway connecting the East River with the Hudson River. Robert Moses proposal included the leveling of fourteen blocks along Broome Street. 1,972 families and 804 businesses would have been kicked out. Below is a picture of how SoHo would have look like if the highway was constructed.
1970s: When Art ruled SOHO
After the abandonment of the highway project, the city was left with a large number of historic buildings left businesses and warehouses. Artist started moving in for the big windows that provided natural lights and cheap rent. By 1971 there was a large population of artist. Since this was not a residential neighborhood there was a lot of struggles that artist and other went through living there. According to the blogger of The SoHo Memory Project this is what the residents at the time lived through.
There was a lot of yelling in SoHo in the 70s, because most people did not have doorbells, people had to scream up to a loft to let resident know the visitor is there, then they would throwthe person a key in an old sock so they can open the door. Residents had to walk up a lot of stairs many buildings had freight elevators, and often it was not on the ground floor and with fourteen-foot ceilings it was a workout. Since there was often no regular trash pickup, people living there often had to drag their trash to the nearest place that did have pickup service. There was almost no stores in SoHo people had to walk a lot get the newspaper, groceries, or supplies. The bathroom was higher than the rest of the rooms in the lofts. Because loft spaces were not originally meant for living, residents had to bring in water and sewage pipes to build a bathroom. For most proper and consistent heat was certainly not available. If the heat did work then it run during business hours only and was turned off over the weekend. Most lofts had metal doors with police locks with a knob in the center of the door. The floors in most of the buildings are hollow so everything can be heard. Everybody new each other. A lot of New Yonkers did not now the location so deliveries and getting a taxi to drive you to your loft was difficult.
*Demographics: I couldn't find the demographics of SoHo in these two centuries they were most likely Caucasian, they were obviously other race there too especially during the art movement but I found no records since this area was not residential in the 1970s and before and most people living there illegally.
Below a picture of Crosby Street & Spring Street, 1978 and the Haughwout Building in the 1980s
There was a lot of yelling in SoHo in the 70s, because most people did not have doorbells, people had to scream up to a loft to let resident know the visitor is there, then they would throwthe person a key in an old sock so they can open the door. Residents had to walk up a lot of stairs many buildings had freight elevators, and often it was not on the ground floor and with fourteen-foot ceilings it was a workout. Since there was often no regular trash pickup, people living there often had to drag their trash to the nearest place that did have pickup service. There was almost no stores in SoHo people had to walk a lot get the newspaper, groceries, or supplies. The bathroom was higher than the rest of the rooms in the lofts. Because loft spaces were not originally meant for living, residents had to bring in water and sewage pipes to build a bathroom. For most proper and consistent heat was certainly not available. If the heat did work then it run during business hours only and was turned off over the weekend. Most lofts had metal doors with police locks with a knob in the center of the door. The floors in most of the buildings are hollow so everything can be heard. Everybody new each other. A lot of New Yonkers did not now the location so deliveries and getting a taxi to drive you to your loft was difficult.
*Demographics: I couldn't find the demographics of SoHo in these two centuries they were most likely Caucasian, they were obviously other race there too especially during the art movement but I found no records since this area was not residential in the 1970s and before and most people living there illegally.
Below a picture of Crosby Street & Spring Street, 1978 and the Haughwout Building in the 1980s