We’ve only moved a couple of blocks west of Little Italy, but there is another noticeable shift in the neighborhood. Gone is the ethnic Italian vibe, but more significantly, the architecture has also changed.

In Chinatown and Little Italy, the buildings were predominantly residential with retail at the street level. They were mainly row houses and tenements with fire escapes clearly visible on the front facades. Looking at the background architecture, you can tell the buildings here are larger, more industrial, and served a different purpose when they were developed in the mid- to late 19th century. Originally, the loft-style buildings were developed for wholesale dry goods, textiles, warehousing, and later manufacturing.

When much of the industry left Manhattan, these giant light-filled spaces were converted into artists’ lofts, which helped make SoHo famous. Over time, the neighborhood shifted upscale. At the street level, you can see an active cafe life and a decidedly premium-looking environment compared with the more ethnic establishments you saw in the previous posts from Chinatown and Little Italy.

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