That Which We Call SoHo (2024)

A digital archive of our collective memory

That Which We Call SoHo (2)

SoHo as Concept

That Which We Call SoHo (3)

What's in a name?

First there was SoHo (south of Houston), and then came Tribeca (triangle below Canal), Nolita (north of Little Italy), NoHo (north of Houston), DUMBO (down under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, I think), and the really awful SoHa (south of Harlem). And I'm sure there are many more. But who started it all by coining the name SoHo?

In 1962, Chester Rapkin, the New York City Commissioner of Planning and urban planning theorist, published a report titled "The South Houston Industrial Area" (also known as the "Rapkin Study"). His 2001 obituary credits him with coming up with the name SoHo. But I think a few other people have also been credited with the coinage

The area that is now SoHo was also once known as the Valley, because it is comprised of many low, five-story buildings with areas of tall skyscrapers to the south and north. It was also known as Hell's Hundred Acres, a name given to the neighborhood by the fire department after several huge warehouse fires. The Landmarks Preservation Commission called it the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District when it designated the area an official historic district in 1973. SoHo in New York is distinguished from Soho, the area in London, by the capital letter "H," indicating that it is a contraction of the words "South" and "Houston."

SoHo used to refer to "the other side of the tracks," where poor artists lurked in the shadows in fear of being evicted, where people from uptown went "slumming." But now the name SoHo is used as an adjective to describe an aesthetic or a lifestyle that is glamorous and hip with a dash of bohemia mixed in, as in SoHo-style loft or SoHo chic. The name SoHo has gone from describing an industrial wasteland to the stomping grounds of the rich and fabulous.

That which we call SoHo is thus a reminder of where we came from as well as, for better or worse, a reminder of just how far we've come.

Explore

That Which We Call SoHo (4)

Robert Weinreb, a SoHo old-timer, has spent the past 50+ years photographing his environs and the world, most significantly the Himalayas, documenting changes in the region over a 30-year period. The following is a sampling of Weinreb’s SoHo photos, taken in the early 1970s. They capture the moment in time when SoHo’s buildings housed a mix of artist studiosand factories and the streets were both gritty and glorious. Read more>>

Everyday Life in SoHo

Dec 12 2022

That Which We Call SoHo (5)

Librarian, author, and critic Jesse Karp and I grew up in SoHo at the same time, born just days apart, but we somehow never met until our paths crossed at my daughter’s school, where he is Lower School Librarian. In this month’s guest post, Jesse looks back at how SoHo, as a place as well as an ethos, had a hand in shaping the person he is today. I think all you SoHo “kids” will relate to this story of growing up in a special place where the “forces of art and industry met and sparked a unique vitality.” Read more>>

Sep 01 2022

That Which We Call SoHo (6)

Recently, I came across three short films about SoHo, Ingrid Wiegand’s “Walking,” Ming Mur-Ray’s “Surviving SoHo,” and Paul Tschinkel’s “SoHo Stories – Colette and Cindy Sherman.” Each illustrates in its own way what it was about artists’ SoHo that allowed it to flourish, albeit briefly, before gentrification crept in—a happy coincidence that presents an interesting glimpse into the everyday lives of four artists that shows us a little bit about what made artists’ SoHo tick. Read more>>

Everyday Life in SoHo

Jun 01 2022

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That Which We Call SoHo (2024)

FAQs

What does SoHo stand for? ›

SoHo (an acronym for South of Houston Street) still features galleries, though these days the work within them tends toward the more high-end commercial—matching the luxury boutiques and independent-designer outposts that characterize the area.

Why are so many places called SoHo? ›

If you shorten “South of Houston (Street)” to the first two letters of “South” followed by the first two letters of “Houston”, you get the acronym “SoHo”. This was common at the time – just look at Tribeca (originally TriBeCa), which is formed when you shorten “Triangle Below Canal Street” in the same way.

What is the message of last night in Soho? ›

There is also a sense of Last Night In Soho attempting to address issues of toxic masculinity, sexist behavior, and the abuse of women (including in the sex work industry), both in the past and present.

Why do they call Soho in London? ›

THE ORIGIN is not well defined, but it is believed to have derived from a hunting cry. Before the Great Fire of London in 1666, Soho was almost entirely made up of fields (hence the name Soho Fields) with a few farm buildings.

What does SoHo mean in Florida? ›

SoHo Tampa, short for "South Howard Avenue (Tampa)" is a residential district within the Hyde Park neighborhood of Tampa.

Why is SoHo so popular? ›

SoHo is short for “south of Houston Street.” Today, the neighborhood is famous for its upscale boutiques, artists, and cast-iron architecture. But in the mid-1900s, SoHo was known for its factories and industries, earning it the nickname “Hell's Hundred Acres.”

Which Soho was first London or New York? ›

London's Soho was the first in the world, but now there are plenty of places of the same name around the globe.

What is the real name of Soho? ›

The name "SoHo" derives from the area being "South of Houston Street", and was coined in 1962 by Chester Rapkin, an urban planner and author of The South Houston Industrial Area study, also known as the "Rapkin Report".

What part of New York is called Soho? ›

Located west of Little Italy and bounded by Houston Street, West Broadway and Lafayette Street, SoHo (acronym for South Houston) is one of the most popular neighborhoods of New York City. The nearby neighborhoods are Little Italy to the east, TriBeCa to the south and West Village to the north.

Is Sandy Eloise's mother? ›

Eloise will always love her mother, just as she'll always love the '60s culture which inspires her and is embodied by Sandie's shade. But seeing them clearly, and learning to accept their legacies, warts and all, allows her to move through the world as an adult.

Who is the killer in Last Night in Soho? ›

It turns out that Ms Collins is Sandie and she poisoned Eloise's tea because she didn't like the girl snooping around in the past. Ms Collins tells Eloise that she killed Jack and every other man that tried to force themselves onto her in the room.

Was Last Night in Soho based on a true story? ›

Though they didn't draw from any one specific story in crafting Sandie's life amidst the seedy underbelly of Soho showbiz, Wright and Wilson-Cairns drew from a dossier of research prepared by Lucy Pardee, who interviewed numerous people who lived through the era and knew the area well.

What does Soho stand for in San Francisco? ›

South of Market, San Francisco - Wikipedia. Open main menu. Home.

What does TriBeCa stand for? ›

The acronym TriBeCa stands for "Triangle Below Canal," a coveted swatch of real estate bordered by Canal Street (to the north) West Street (to the east), Broadway (to the west) and Vesey Street (to the south).

What type of word is SoHo? ›

Interjection. soho. (obsolete) ho; halloo; a word used in calling from a distant place.

What is the richest part of Tampa? ›

Beach Park is one of Tampa's more desirable and wealthiest neighborhoods. It's located on the city's west side on Old Tampa Bay.

What is so cool about Soho? ›

From its Instagrammable cobblestone streets to its high-end boutiques, SoHo is the epitome of NYC romanticism—and rightfully so! The gorgeous neighborhood is defined by its picturesque architecture, celebrity sightings and restaurant staples. With so much to explore it's hard to know how to narrow it all down.

What is good about Soho? ›

In SoHo there are a lot of bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks. Many young professionals live in SoHo and residents tend to be liberal. The public schools in SoHo are above average.

When did Soho become gentrified? ›

From 1960 to 1980, residents transformed the industrial neighborhood into an artist district, creating the conditions under which it evolved into an upper-income, gentrified area.

What was NYC called before? ›

Following its capture, New Amsterdam's name was changed to New York, in honor of the Duke of York, who organized the mission. The colony of New Netherland was established by the Dutch West India Company in 1624 and grew to encompass all of present-day New York City and parts of Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey.

What is the oldest part of New York? ›

Stone Street is one of New York's oldest streets, incorporating two 17th-century roads in the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam. In 1658 it became the first cobbled street in New Amsterdam.
...
Stone Street (Manhattan)
Significant dates
Designated NYCLJune 25, 1996
14 more rows

Does SoHo still exist? ›

Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century.

What did SoHo used to be? ›

In the early 1900s, Soho was mostly a place of business, and this part of the city was completely covered in warehouses. However, by the mid-1900s, Soho began rapidly changing from a district of business filled with warehouses and factories to a district that was lively with art and people.

Who is the king of SoHo? ›

Paul Raymond (15 November 1925 – 2 March 2008), born Geoffrey Anthony Quinn, was an English strip-club owner, publisher of p*rnography and property developer who was dubbed the "King of Soho".
...
Paul Raymond (publisher)
Paul Raymond
Children3
7 more rows

Is Hudson Square considered SoHo? ›

Hudson Square, in Lower Manhattan, is in the center of the West Village, Soho and Tribeca.

What streets make up SoHo? ›

Soho is a charming neighborhood located in lower Manhattan. As its name implies, the neighborhood is just South of Houston Street, between 6th Avenue and Lafayette Street. Soho's southern boundary is Canal Street.

Is Sandy evil in Last Night in Soho? ›

Alexandra "Sandie" Collins is the main antagonist of the 2021 psychological horror film Last Night in Soho. She was a young singer in the 1960s taken in by the charismatic Jack.

How did Eloise get a hickey? ›

Eloise Is Traveling Through Time In Her Sleep

You'd naturally question whether these experiences are dreams, visions, hallucinations, or some other psychological manifestation, but Last Night in Soho shows us a hickey (love-bite to the British) on Eloise's neck following a frisky encounter with Matt Smith in the past.

Is Sandie still alive in Last Night in Soho? ›

During this time in the 1960s, Sandie lived in the same bedsit that Eloise now rents and one night, Eloise sees Sandie killed by Jack in her bed. The past starts to bleed into the present as Eloise is haunted by the ghosts of the men who abused Sandie and goes to the police to report Sandie's murder.

Who was the Soho serial killer? ›

Dennis Andrew Nilsen (23 November 1945 – 12 May 2018) was a Scottish serial killer and necrophile from Scotland who murdered at least twelve young men and boys between 1978 and 1983 in London.

Why did Eloise see Sandie at the end? ›

Moreover, when Eloise approaches the mirror, we see that Sandie is her reflection. Eloise only lives Sandie's life as part of the dreams at night. I believe this final scene shows that Eloise finds herself to be a lot like Sandie, a talented girl who has come to London to make it big.

Who was Ellie's mother in Last Night in Soho? ›

Last Night in Soho (2021) - Aimee Cassettari as Eloise's Mother - IMDb.

Why do people not like Last Night in Soho? ›

“Last Night in Soho” had many qualities that could have made for an amazing movie, but sadly had many bad qualities that just made the movie mediocre. The plot holes, the fact that there was no character development for certain characters, and the predictability really brought down the overall effect of the movie.

Was Jack a pimp in Last Night in Soho? ›

Jack was a pimp operating in London as a talent manager in the 1960s, he was introduced to Sandie in the Cafe de Paris when the latter approached him asking to be represented before impressing him with her dancing skills and charisma, prompting him to buy her a drink, unfortunately however due to a fight breaking out ...

Is Last Night in Soho a dream? ›

The movie follows aspiring fashion student Ellie Turner (Thomasin McKenzie) who is transported into 1960s London in a dream, where she meets ambitious singer Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy).

What does SoHo stand for in Seattle? ›

Seattle's Sodo used to be called "South of the Dome", referring to the now-demolished Kingdome; to keep some sense in the name, it is sometimes explained now as "South of Downtown".

What is the equivalent of SoHo in Chicago? ›

The 'Soho' of Chicago - Boystown.

What does Dumbo mean in NYC? ›

Updated 03/29/2022. Dumbo, a neighborhood whose name is an acronym for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass (no matter what Jerry Seinfeld tells you), is one of the most-visited spots in Brooklyn. It's easy to see why.

What does NoHo mean in NYC? ›

Nestled just above SoHo's bustle, NoHo (for “North of Houston Street”) occupies only a few blocks—but proves that sometimes less is more.

What does nola stand for in NYC? ›

North of Little Italy. Nolita is bordered by Houston Street on the north, Bowery Street on the east, Broome Street on the South, and Lafayette Street on the west. This area is close to Chinatown and Little Italy.

Why is it called Soho House? ›

It was called Soho House because that was what it was: a Georgian house in London's Soho. The logo reflects the layout of that first space – three floors across three interconnecting houses.

What was SoHo New York called before? ›

The area that is now SoHo was also once known as the Valley, because it is comprised of many low, five-story buildings with areas of tall skyscrapers to the south and north. It was also known as Hell's Hundred Acres, a name given to the neighborhood by the fire department after several huge warehouse fires.

Which SoHo came first? ›

London's Soho was the first in the world, but now there are plenty of places of the same name around the globe. There's one in Hong Kong, another in Tasmania and a third in Buenos Aires.

What is the real name of SoHo? ›

The name "SoHo" derives from the area being "South of Houston Street", and was coined in 1962 by Chester Rapkin, an urban planner and author of The South Houston Industrial Area study, also known as the "Rapkin Report".

Is SoHo a rich area? ›

As for the three richest neighborhoods in NYC, the podium remained unchanged from last year, with Hudson Yards, TriBeCa and SoHo as the top priciest neighborhoods.

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