The SoHo – Cast Iron District
New York City is well known for it’s part in the nations industrial development. The SoHo neighborhood today teems with shops and boutiques unknowingly connected with its history as the original garment district of the city. Otherwise known as the Cast Iron District, this neighborhood displays much of the city’s remaining cast iron building still preserved today, many retaining their original frame and facades.
*** This is an Example of the types of tours we offer. ALL of our tours are private and customized to your specifications. ***
A neighborhood of many talents
While it is partially a nod to London’s Soho neighborhood, NYC’s SoHo is called so because it is “South of Houston Street.” And as with all things NYC, the neighborhood is filled with a rich history that captures the city’s evolution over the years. What is remarkable about SoHo is how it manages to represent different eras of the city’s history within its borders. From the old textile industry to the current emphasis on boutiques and galleries, SoHo has found ways to evolve over the years, remaining an integral part of the machine that is NYC. With everything from architecture to art crammed in, so much is available to explore in SoHo, so much to discover as to what makes it so unique and such a hotspot not just for tourists, but for locals as well. With a private tour guide from CityWalksNY, explore the neighborhood through the SoHo private tour and indulge in the rich cultural heritage of the area.
Cast in Iron, Built on Dreams
SoHo is also known as the Cast Iron District, it is the largest span of cast iron architecture in the world. Cast-Iron architecture was used from the 1840s to the end of the 19th Century, the cast iron buildings that remain are a remarkable pieces of historical importance from a different era, notable for their ornamental detail and value as architectural pieces. After being preserved for years for their historical and cultural value, the buildings saw a surge in new tenants, primarily artists, who valued the loft space available. But the history of the neighborhood and its unique architecture has not been static, evolving to this day. The cast Iron District private tour will highlight the remarkable iron work, its structural and historical importance, as you walk through the neighborhood on your custom tour.
Shop to your heart’s desire
Today, the neighborhood is known for straddling the economic line between exclusive boutiques and the rapidly commercializing stretch of the neighborhood that houses national chains. Touring with CityWalksNY, you will explore the endless opportunities for shopping throughout the neighborhood, with options available for every price range. Or you can choose to visit art galleries housed in the cast iron buildings. Despite its changing nature, SoHo continues to represent the evolving facets of NYC culture that make it so unique.
Bordering SoHo to the east is another acronym named neighborhood, Nolita. Nolita stands for North of Little Italy. As the name implies, Little Italy is just south of Nolita and surrounded on its other three sides by New York City’s famous Chinatown neighborhood.
