Charles Cowles (born 1941) is an American art dealer and a collector of contemporary art . Cowles was also a curator of Fine Art at the Seattle Art Museum from 1975 until 1979.
108-611: He opened his contemporary art gallery at 420 West Broadway in SoHo in lower Manhattan in 1979, mounting the first public exhibition there in April 1980. The Charles Cowles Gallery was finally located on 537 West 24th Street, between 10th and 11th Avenues in Chelsea in New York City . In June 2009, after thirty years as an art dealer, Cowles closed his contemporary art gallery and retired. Cowles
216-451: A decision was made to change the process by which buildings are declared to be landmarks due to some perceived issues with the manner by which the LPC operates as well as the realization that the destruction feared when the LPC was formed was no longer imminent. By 1990, the LPC was cited by David Dinkins as having preserved New York City's municipal identity and enhanced the market perception of
324-627: A full-time, paid workforce of 80, composed of administrators, legal advisors, architects, historians, restoration experts, and researchers. Students sponsored by the federal government, as well as volunteers, also assist the commission. The full-time staff, students, and volunteers are divided into six departments. The research department performs research of structures and sites that have been deemed potential landmarks. The preservation department reviews and approves permit applications to structures and sites that have been deemed landmarks. The enforcement department reviews reports of alleged violations of
432-566: A half-dozen neighborhood groups, led by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation , put forth a "community alternative plan" which they claimed would create more affordable housing without any major new development, and a report attacking the city's plan, a claim that was challenged by the city and other civic organizations. Carl Weisbrod , former chairman of the New York City Planning Commission said
540-529: A heatedly discussed decision on August 3, 2010, the LPC unanimously declined to grant landmark status to a building on Park Place in Manhattan, and thus did not block the construction of Cordoba House . A major dispute arose over the preservation of theaters in the Theater District during the 1980s. The LPC considered protecting close to 50 legitimate theaters as individual city landmarks in 1982, following
648-545: A higher rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city. The vast majority of residents age 25 and older (84%) have a college education or higher, while 4% have less than a high school education and 12% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 64% of Manhattan residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher. The percentage of SoHo and Greenwich Village students excelling in math rose from 61% in 2000 to 80% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 66% to 68% during
756-442: A larger neighborhood tabulation area called SoHo-TriBeCa-Civic Center-Little Italy. Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the population of SoHo-TriBeCa-Civic Center-Little Italy was 42,742, a change of 5,985 (14%) from the 36,757 counted in 2000 . Covering an area of 581.62 acres (235.37 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 73.5 inhabitants per acre (47,000/sq mi; 18,200/km ). The racial makeup of
864-550: A lease for large parts of the Seaport area and desired to redevelop it, generating fears among locals that the New Market Building would be altered or destroyed. The corporation has offered to provide a more modest food market (at 10,000 sq ft (930 m )) into their development plans, but market organizers have not been satisfied as they believe this proposal is not guaranteed or large enough, and would still not ensure
972-534: A lively theater and shopping district and the entertainment center of New York; as usual with such areas, it was home to many brothels as well, and the side streets off of Broadway became the city's red-light district . As this change in character drove out the middle-class, their place was taken by small manufacturing concerns, including cabinet-makers and the lumberyards that supplied them, brass and copper firms, makers of china and glassware, locksmiths, snuff manufacturers and book publishers. This dramatic shift in
1080-517: A number of neighborhoods. This success is believed to be due, in part, to the general acceptance of the LPC by the city's developers. By 2016, the LPC had designated 1,355 individual landmarks, 117 interior landmarks, 138 historic districts, and 10 scenic landmarks. One of the most prominent decisions in which the LPC was involved was the preservation of the Grand Central Terminal with the assistance of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis . In 1978,
1188-409: A part-time basis. By law, the commissioners must include a minimum of six professionals: three architects, a historian, a city planner or landscape architect, and a realtor. In addition, the commissioners must include at least one resident from each of New York City's five boroughs (who may also be a professional). All of the commissioners are unpaid, except for the chairman. The commission also employs
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#17330859483421296-607: A proposed landmark designation are recorded. According to the Landmarks Preservation Law, a building must be at least thirty years old before the LPC can declare it a landmark. Approval of a landmark designation requires six commissioners to vote in favor. Approved designations are then sent to the New York City Council , which receives reports from other city agencies including the New York City Planning Commission , and decides whether to confirm, modify, or veto
1404-618: A small number of low-rise historic buildings from the earlier eras remain. In 2003, Svehlak wrote a manifesto arguing for the landmark designation of "a trilogy" of three contiguous buildings on Washington Street, the thoroughfare that was most closely associated with "Little Syria". These consisted of the Downtown Community House – which hosted the Bowling Green Association to serve the neighborhood's immigrants – 109 Washington Street (an 1885 tenement), and
1512-548: A thousand individual landmarks, as well as numerous interior and scenic landmarks. Mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. first organized a preservation committee in 1961, and the following year, created the LPC. The LPC's power was greatly strengthened after the Landmarks Law was passed in April 1965, one and a half years after the destruction of Pennsylvania Station . The LPC has been involved in several prominent preservation decisions, including that of Grand Central Terminal . By 1990,
1620-400: Is 0.0095 milligrams per cubic metre (9.5 × 10 oz/cu ft), more than the city average. Sixteen percent of SoHo and Greenwich Village residents are smokers , which is more than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In SoHo and Greenwich Village, 4% of residents are obese , 3% are diabetic , and 15% have high blood pressure , the lowest rates in the city – compared to
1728-555: Is 38% in SoHo and Greenwich Village, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 45% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 , SoHo and Greenwich Village are considered high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying . SoHo and Lower Manhattan are patrolled by the 1st Precinct of the NYPD , at 16 Ericsson Place. The 1st Precinct ranked 63rd safest out of 69 city precincts for per-capita crime in 2010. Though
1836-569: Is an archetypal example of inner-city regeneration and gentrification , encompassing socioeconomic , cultural, political, and architectural developments. 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". The name also recalls Soho , an area in London 's West End . Almost all of SoHo
1944-444: Is at 75 Sullivan Street. The New York Public Library 's Mulberry Street branch is located at 10 Jersey Street, where it occupies three floors of a former SoHo chocolate factory, including two basement levels. New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission ( LPC ) is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The LPC
2052-661: Is bounded by Crosby Street on the east, and Sixth Avenue to the west. These are the same boundaries shown by Google Maps . However, the AIA Guide to New York City gives the western boundary of SoHo north of Broome Street as being West Broadway, and New York magazine gives the eastern boundary as Lafayette Street and the western boundary as the Hudson River . The map at the Community Board 2 profile page on New York City's official website has "SOHO" written near Broadway in
2160-683: Is cited as a catalyst for the architectural preservation movement in the United States, particularly in New York City. The Mayor's Committee for the Preservation of Structures of Historic and Esthetic Importance was formed in mid-1961 by mayor Robert F. Wagner Jr. This committee had dissolved by early 1962. Wagner formed the Landmarks Preservation Commission on April 21, 1962, with twelve unsalaried members. Soon afterward,
2268-464: Is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are adults: a plurality (42%) are between the ages of 25 and 44, while 24% are between 45 and 64, and 15% are 65 or older. The ratio of youth and college-aged residents was lower, at 9% and 10% respectively. As of 2017, the median household income in Community Districts 1 and 2 (including
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#17330859483422376-640: Is included in the SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District , which was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1973, extended in 2010, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978. It consists of 26 blocks and approximately 500 buildings, many of them incorporating cast-iron architectural elements. Many side streets in
2484-788: Is responsible for overseeing a range of designated landmarks in all five boroughs ranging from the Fonthill Castle in the North Bronx , built in 1852 for the actor Edwin Forrest , to the 1670s Conference House in Staten Island , where Benjamin Franklin and John Adams attended a conference aimed at ending the Revolutionary War. The LPC helps preserve the city's landmark properties by regulating changes to their significant features. The role of
2592-475: Is responsible for protecting New York City's architecturally, historically, and culturally significant buildings and sites by granting them landmark or historic district status, and regulating them after designation. It is the largest municipal preservation agency in the nation. As of July 1, 2020 , the LPC has designated more than 37,800 landmark properties in all five boroughs . Most of these are concentrated in historic districts, although there are over
2700-413: Is served by two New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire stations: Preterm births are more common in SoHo and Greenwich Village than in other places citywide, though teenage births are less common. In SoHo and Greenwich Village, there were 91 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 1 teenage birth per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide), though
2808-589: The Andrew Carnegie Mansion , Percy R. Pyne House , and Oliver D. Filley House , all of which ultimately became individual landmarks after the LPC's formation. Other structures such as the Van Cortlandt House , Morris–Jumel Mansion , Edgar Allan Poe Cottage , and Dyckman House were preserved as historic house museums during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Advocates also led efforts to preserve cultural sites such as Carnegie Hall , which in
2916-650: The Bellevue Hospital Center and NYU Langone Medical Center in Kips Bay , and NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital in the Civic Center area. SoHo is within two primary ZIP Codes . The area north of Broome Street is in 10012 while the area south of Broome Street is in 10013. The United States Postal Service operates two post offices near SoHo both in ZIP 10014: SoHo and Greenwich Village generally have
3024-730: The Bowling Green U.S. Custom House , and six buildings at Sailors' Snug Harbor . The first landmark district, the Brooklyn Heights Historic District , was designated in November 1965. Within its first year, the LPC designated 37 landmarks in addition to the Brooklyn Heights Historic District. The LPC's earliest landmarks were mainly selected based on their architecture, and were largely either government buildings, institutions, or structures whose preservation
3132-514: The Financial District and Tribeca ) was $ 144,878, though the median income in SoHo individually was $ 124,396. In 2018, an estimated 9% of SoHo and Greenwich Village residents lived in poverty, compared to 20% in all of Manhattan and 20% in all of New York City. One in twenty-five residents (4%) were unemployed, compared to 7% in Manhattan and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent,
3240-617: The Palace in mid-1987. Ultimately, 28 additional theaters were designated as landmarks, of which 27 were Broadway theaters. The New York City Board of Estimate ratified these designations in March 1988. Of these, both the interior and exterior of 19 theaters were protected, while only the interiors of seven theaters (including the Lyceum, whose exterior was already protected) and the exteriors of two theaters were approved. Several theater owners argued that
3348-524: The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the city's largest real estate trade organization, had shown no interest in a rezoning of SoHo and NoHo. The proposal was immediately contentious; while most major candidates in the Democratic mayoral and Manhattan borough president primaries endorsed the plan, at least in principle, candidates for the city council district were more divided. A group of
Charles Cowles (art dealer) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3456-612: The United States Supreme Court upheld the law in Penn Central Transportation Co., et al. v. New York City, et al. , stopping the Penn Central Railroad from altering the structure and placing a large office tower above it. This success is often cited as significant due to the LPC's origins following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station, referred to by some as architectural vandalism. In 1989,
3564-502: The "New Amsterdam Market", a regular gathering with vendors selling regional and "sustainable" foodstuffs outside the old Fish Market buildings. The group's chartered organization planned eventually to attempt to reconstitute the "New Market Building", a 1939 structure with an Art Deco façade and that was owned by the city, into a permanent food market. However, a real estate company, the Howard Hughes Corporation , possessed
3672-580: The "Save Our Seaport" community group, the New Amsterdam Market, and the Metropolitan Waterfront Alliance. The "Save Our Seaport" group specifically argued that New Market Building was culturally important for its maintenance of the historic fish market for 66 years, and that it offers a "fine example of WPA Moderne municipal architecture (an increasingly rare form throughout the nation)." They had encouraged others to write letters to
3780-404: The "Save Washington Street" group led by St. Francis College student Carl "Antoun" Houck — have continued, especially, to advocate for a hearing on the Downtown Community House , arguing that its history demonstrates the multi-ethnic heritage of the neighborhood, and that its Colonial Revival architecture intentionally links the immigrants to the foundations of the country, and that preserving
3888-502: The 1940s is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . SoHo SoHo , short for "South of Houston Street ", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan , New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and has also been known for its variety of shops ranging from trendy upscale boutiques to national and international chain store locations. The area's history
3996-439: The 1950s, the area had become known as Hell's Hundred Acres , an industrial wasteland, full of sweatshops and small factories in the daytime, but empty at night. It would not be until the 1960s, when artists began to be interested in the tall ceilings and many windows of the empty manufacturing lofts, that the character of the neighborhood began to change again. SoHo boasts the greatest collection of cast-iron architecture in
4104-441: The 1950s, there was growing support for preservation of architecturally significant structures. For example, a 1954 study found approximately two hundred structures that could potentially be preserved. At the same time, older structures, especially those constructed before World War I , were being perceived as an impediment to development. The demolition of Pennsylvania Station between 1963 and 1966, in spite of widespread outcry,
4212-930: The Charles Cowles Gallery exhibited many artists including: Oliver Arms , Charles Arnoldi , Dennis Ashbaugh , David Bates , Howard Ben Tré , Mark Boyle , Marsha Burns , Sandro Chia , Dale Chihuly , Gene Davis , Ronald Davis , Jim DeFrance , William Eggleston , Vernon Fisher , Caio Fonseca , Richard Hamilton , Duncan Hannah , Tom Holland , Patrick Ireland , Harry Kramer , Ronnie Landfield , Frank Lobdell , Michael Lucero , Alden Mason , Robert Motherwell , Manuel Neri , Nathan Oliveira , Beverly Pepper , Joanna Pousette-Dart , Jean-Marc Prouveur , Mimmo Rotella , Martin Saar , Italo Scanga , James Surls , Frank Stella , Toshiko Takaezu , Peter Voulkos , Darren Waterston , William T. Wiley , and Xiaoze Xie . This article about an American businessperson born in
4320-614: The District. During the colonial period, the land that is now SoHo was part of a grant of farmland given to freed slaves of the Dutch West Indies Company , and the site of the first free Black settlement on Manhattan island. This land was acquired in the 1660s by Augustine Hermann, and then passed to his brother-in-law, Nicholas Bayard. The estate was confiscated by the state as a result of Bayard's part in Leisler's Rebellion , but
4428-453: The GVSHP's report was "misleading and disingenuous", and a spokesman for the mayor's office described the "community alternative plan" as "an exercise in magical thinking". In July 2021, the area's community board voted to reject the proposal, although the vote was ultimately non-binding. In September 2021, Manhattan Borough president Gale Brewer expressed concerns about the plan, particularly
Charles Cowles (art dealer) - Misplaced Pages Continue
4536-606: The Hudson River. The SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District is contained within the zoned SoHo neighborhood. Originally ending in the west at the eastern side of West Broadway and to the east at the western side of Crosby Street, the SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District was expanded in 2010 to cover most of West Broadway and to extend east to Lafayette and Centre Streets. The boundary lines are not straight, and some block-fronts on West Broadway and Lafayette are excluded from
4644-428: The LPC began designating buildings as landmarks. That July, Wagner issued an executive order that compelled municipal agencies to notify the LPC of any "proposed public improvements". The early version of the LPC initially held little power over enforcement, and failed to avert Pennsylvania Station's demolition. As a result, in April 1964, LPC member Geoffrey Platt drafted a New York City Landmarks Law. Outcry over
4752-601: The LPC designated the Ladies' Mile Historic District . The next year marked the first time in the LPC's history that a proposed landmark, the Guggenheim Museum (one of the youngest declared landmarks), received a unanimous vote by the LPC members. The vast majority of the LPC's actions are not unanimously supported by the LPC members or the community; a number of cases including St. Bartholomew's Episcopal Church , Bryant Park , and Broadway theatres have been challenged. One of
4860-490: The LPC has evolved over time, especially with the changing real estate market in New York City. Potential landmarks are first nominated to the LPC from citizens, property owners, city government staff, or commissioners or other staff of the LPC. Subsequently, the LPC conducts a survey of properties, visiting sites to determine which structures or properties should be researched further. The selected properties will then be discussed at public hearings where support or opposition to
4968-432: The LPC to designate landmarks for eighteen months after the law became effective, followed by alternating cycles of three-year hiatuses and six-month "designating periods". In 1973, mayor John Lindsay signed legislation that allowed the LPC to consider landmarks on a rolling basis. The bill also introduced new scenic and interior landmark designations. The first scenic landmark was Central Park in April 1974, while
5076-467: The LPC to support formal designation or district protection. However, in 2013, the LPC declined to hold a hearing to consider this landmark designation or to expand the district. Community Board 1 supports protecting and repurposing the New Market Building, and the Municipal Art Society argued in a report that "[it] has both architectural and cultural significance as the last functioning site of
5184-489: The LPC was cited by David Dinkins as having preserved New York City's municipal identity and enhanced the market perception of a number of neighborhoods. The LPC is governed by eleven commissioners. The Landmarks Preservation Law stipulates that a building must be at least thirty years old before the LPC can declare it a landmark. The goal of New York City's landmarks law is to preserve the aesthetically and historically important buildings, structures, and objects that make up
5292-658: The LPC's designations of these theaters the next year. The three theatrical operators challenged the ruling with the U.S. Supreme Court, which refused to hear the lawsuit in 1992, thus upholding the designations. An LPC-designated historic district for the South Street Seaport has been active since 1977 and was extended on July 11, 1989. After the Fulton Fish Market relocated to the Bronx in 2005, community members, with leadership from organizer Robert Lavalva, developed
5400-639: The Landmarks Law were sworn in during June 1965. Platt was the first chairman, serving until 1968. The LPC's first public hearing occurred in September 1965, and the first twenty landmarks were designated the next month. The Wyckoff House in Brooklyn was the first landmark numerically, and was designated simultaneously with structures such as the Astor Library , the Brooklyn Navy Yard's Commandant's House ,
5508-568: The Landmarks Law, which includes alterations to a landmark. In 2016, the preservation commission consolidated its archaeological collection of artifacts and launched a reconstructed archaeology department, known as the NYC Archaeological Repository: The Nan A. Rothschild Research Center. Archaeologists work for the center reviewing the impact of proposed subsurface projects, as well as overseeing any archaeological discoveries. The environmental review department uses data from
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#17330859483425616-529: The M1-5a and M-5b districting was established to permit visual artists, certified as such by the Department of Cultural Affairs, to live where they worked. In 1987, non-artists residing in SoHo and NoHo were permitted to grandfather themselves, but that was the only extension to non-artists and was a one-time agreement. The area received landmark designation as the SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District in 1973. In 2005,
5724-633: The NRHP. As of 2007 , the vast majority of interior landmarks are also exterior landmarks or are part of a historic district. The preservation movement in New York City dates to at least 1831, when the New York Evening Post expressed its opposition to the demolition of a 17th-century house on Pearl Street in Lower Manhattan . Before the LPC's creation, buildings and structures were preserved mainly through advocacy, either from individuals or from groups. Numerous residences were saved this way, including
5832-414: The New York City vista. The Landmarks Preservation Commission is responsible for deciding which properties should be subject to landmark status and enacting regulations to protect the aesthetic and historic nature of these properties. The LPC preserves not only architecturally significant buildings, but the overall historical sense of place of neighborhoods that are designated as historic districts . The LPC
5940-449: The appeal of lofts as living spaces, its architecture, and its reputation as a haven for artists all contributed to this change. The pattern of gentrification is typically known as the "SoHo Effect" and has been observed elsewhere in the United States. A backwater of poor artists and small factories in the 1970s, SoHo became a popular tourist destination for people seeking fashionable clothing and exquisite architecture, and home to some of
6048-541: The area became well known as Little Syria , hosting immigrants from today's Lebanon , Syria , and Palestine , as well those of many other ethnic groups including Greeks, Armenians, Irish, Slovaks, and Czechs. Due to eminent domain actions associated with the construction of the Brooklyn–Battery Tunnel and the World Trade Center , in addition to significant highrise construction in the 1920s and 30s, only
6156-401: The cast iron. An American architectural innovation, cast iron was cheaper to use for facades than materials such as stone or brick. Molds of ornamentation, prefabricated in foundries, were used interchangeably for many buildings, and a broken piece could be easily recast. The buildings could be erected quickly; some were built in four months. Despite the brief construction period, the quality of
6264-451: The cast-iron designs was not sacrificed. Bronze had previously been the metal most frequently used for architectural detail. Architects found that the relatively inexpensive cast iron could provide intricately designed patterns. Classical French and Italian architectural designs were often used as models for these facades. Because stone was the material associated with architectural masterpieces, cast iron, painted in neutral tints such as beige,
6372-486: The city in the 1970s. The upper floors of many of these buildings had been built as commercial Manhattan lofts , which provided large, unobstructed spaces for manufacturing and other industrial uses. These spaces attracted artists who valued them for their large areas, large windows admitting natural light and low rents. Most of these spaces were also used illegally as living space, despite being neither zoned nor equipped for residential use. This widespread zoning violation
6480-650: The citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 5% of children are obese, the lowest rate in the city, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Ninety-six percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is more than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 91% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", more than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in SoHo and Greenwich Village, there are 7 bodegas . The nearest major hospitals are Beth Israel Medical Center in Stuyvesant Town , as well as
6588-467: The coalition put forward a rezoning plan that would produce 3,400 additional housing units, nearly 700 of which would be affordable, and later that month the city officially proposed a similar plan that envisaged the creation of 3,200 new residential units and up to 800 affordable units. Observers suggested that the coalition's campaign for a residential rezoning had spurred a previously reluctant mayor to act, noting that even real estate industry groups like
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#17330859483426696-412: The cold water used to extinguish fire. In 1899, a building code mandating the backing of cast-iron fronts with masonry was passed. Most of the buildings that stand today are constructed in this way. It was the advent of steel as a major construction material that brought an end to the cast iron era. In the 1960s, the SoHo area was to have been the location of two enormous elevated highways that comprised
6804-435: The construction of residential buildings on empty lots in the historic district was permitted. Nevertheless, with no enforcement of the new zoning laws by the city, beginning in the 1980s, in a way that would later apply elsewhere, the neighborhood began to draw more affluent residents. Due to rent protection and stability afforded by the 1982 Loft Law , in addition to the fact that many of the artists owned their co-ops, many of
6912-716: The designation. Before 1990, the New York City Board of Estimate held veto power, rather than the City Council. After the City Council's final approval, a landmark designation may be overturned if an appeal is filed within 90 days. The New York Landmarks Preservation Foundation is a not-for-profit organization, established in 1980 to support the Commission. They sponsor plaques, historic district signs, and street signs. The Landmarks Preservation Commission consists of 11 commissioners, who are unpaid and serve three-year terms on
7020-513: The destruction of the Helen Hayes and Morosco theaters. An advisory panel under mayor Koch voted to allow the LPC consider theaters not only on their historical significance but also on their architectural merits. In response to objections from some of the major theatrical operators, several dozen scenic and lighting designers offered to work on the LPC for creating guidelines for potential landmarks. Theaters were landmarked in alphabetical order;
7128-490: The district are paved with Belgian blocks . SoHo is part of Manhattan Community District 2 and its primary ZIP Codes are 10012 and 10013. It is patrolled by the 1st and 5th Precincts of the New York City Police Department . Because of the nature of neighborhoods in New York City, different sources will often give different boundaries for each one. In the case of SoHo, all sources appear to agree that
7236-466: The enlarged windows. The strength of cast iron permitted high ceilings with sleek supporting columns, and interiors became expansive and functional. During cast iron's heyday, many architects thought it to be structurally more sound than steel. It was also thought that cast iron would be fire-resistant, and facades were constructed over many interiors built of wood and other flammable materials. When exposed to heat, cast iron buckled, and later cracked under
7344-491: The first interior landmark was part of the neighboring New York Public Library Main Branch in November 1974. In its first twenty-five years, the LPC designated 856 individual landmarks, 79 interior landmarks, and 9 scenic landmarks, while declaring 52 neighborhoods with more than 15,000 buildings as historic districts . In 1989, when the LPC and its process was under review following a panel created by mayor Edward Koch in 1985,
7452-612: The first theaters to be designated under the 1982 plan were the Neil Simon , Ambassador , and Virginia (now August Wilson) in August 1985. The landmark plan was then deferred temporarily until some landmark guidelines were enacted; the guidelines, implemented in December 1985, allowed operators to modify theaters for productions without having to consult the LPC. Landmark designations of theaters increased significantly in 1987, starting with
7560-438: The importance of the artery to the city. Nevertheless, through the efforts of Jane Jacobs , Tony D'Apolito, Margot Gayle , and other local, civic, and cultural leaders, as well as SoHo artist residents themselves, the project was derailed. After the abandonment of the highway scheme, the city was left with a large number of historic buildings that were unattractive for the kinds of manufacturing and commerce that survived in
7668-520: The important commercial and shipping hub at South Street Seaport." After the September 11 attacks in 2001, New York City tour guide Joseph Svehlak and other local historians became concerned that government-encouraged development in Downtown Manhattan would lead to the disappearance of the last physical heritage of the once "low-rise" Lower West Side of Manhattan. Also known as "Little Syria" in
7776-467: The island, but which had become polluted and rank and a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A canal was built to drain the pond into the Hudson, and the canal and pond were both later filled in using earth from nearby Bayard's Hill. Once Broadway was paved and sidewalks were built there and along Canal Street, more people began to make their homes there, joining earlier arrivals such as James Fenimore Cooper . By
7884-525: The landmark designations impacted them negatively, despite Koch's outreach to theater owners. The Shubert Organization , the Nederlander Organization , and Jujamcyn Theaters collectively sued the LPC in June 1988 to overturn the landmark designations of 22 theaters on the merit that the designations severely limited the extent to which the theaters could be modified. The New York Supreme Court upheld
7992-416: The last 8-10 years". Several changes to the Landmarks Law were made by the City Council committee that was reviewing the legislation; for example, the committee removed a clause mandating a 400 ft (120 m) protective zone around proposed landmarks. The bill passed the City Council on April 7, 1965, and was signed into law by Wagner on April 20. The first eleven commissioners to take office under
8100-702: The late 1950s was slated for replacement with an office tower. However, early preservation movements often focused on preserving Colonial-style houses, while paying relatively little attention to other architectural styles or building types. There was generally little support for the preservation movement until World War II . Structures such as the City Hall Post Office and Courthouse , Madison Square Presbyterian Church (1906) , and Madison Square Garden (1890) were demolished if they had fallen out of architectural favor. Others, such as St. John's Chapel , were destroyed in spite of support for preservation. By
8208-409: The late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area between Battery Park and the World Trade Center site , east of West Street and west of Broadway , had been a residential area for the shipping elite of New York in the early 19th century, and turned into a substantial neighborhood of ethnic immigration in the mid-19th century. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, centered on Washington Street ,
8316-552: The mainly residential and commercial present-day reality of the neighborhood. A coalition of nearly two dozen housing and social organizations, led by pro-housing advocacy group Open New York , and including the Citizens Housing and Planning Council , the Regional Plan Association , and Habitat for Humanity , seized on the idea of a rezoning as a means of alleviating the city's housing shortage . In October 2019,
8424-573: The mid-19th century, the early Federal - and Greek Revival -style homes were replaced by more-solid structures of masonry and cast iron, and along Broadway, large marble-skinned commercial establishments began to open, such as Lord & Taylor , Arnold Constable & Company and Tiffany & Company , as well as grand hotels such as the St. Nicholas and the Metropolitan. Theatres followed in their wake, and Broadway between Canal and Houston Streets became
8532-474: The most controversial properties was 2 Columbus Circle , which remained at the center of a discussion over its future for a number of years. Cultural landmarks, such as Greenwich Village 's Stonewall Inn , are recognized as well not for their architecture, but rather for their location in a designated historic district. In 2015, Stonewall became the first official New York City landmark to be designated specifically based on its LGBT cultural significance. In
8640-509: The most expensive real estate in the country. SoHo's chain outlets are clustered in the northern area of the neighborhood, along Broadway and Prince and Spring Streets . The sidewalks in this area are often crowded with tourists and with vendors selling jewelry, T-shirts, and other works. SoHo is known for its commercialization and eclectic mix of boutiques for shopping – although in 2010, it had twice as many chain stores as boutiques and three times as many boutiques as art galleries. Despite
8748-553: The nature of the neighborhood continued to drive out residents, and between 1860 and 1865 the Eighth Ward, which included the SoHo area, lost 25% of its population. After the Civil War and the Panic of 1873 , in the 1880s and 1890s, large manufacturers began to move into the area, especially textile firms, and the area became the mercantile and wholesale dry-goods trade center of the city, and
8856-439: The necessary architectural and historical significance and that better examples of the settlement house movement and tenements exist in other parts of the city." The activists have said they hope that the LPC under the new mayor will be more receptive to preservation in the neighborhood. Very rarely, a landmark status granted by the LPC has been revoked. Some have been revoked by vote of the New York City Council or before 1990,
8964-513: The neighborhood was 66.1% (28,250) White , 2.2% (934) African American , 0.1% (30) Native American , 22.2% (9,478) Asian , 0% (11) Pacific Islander , 0.4% (171) from other races , and 2.6% (1,098) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.5% (2,770) of the population. The entirety of Community District 2, which comprises SoHo and Greenwich Village, had 91,638 inhabitants as of NYC Health 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 85.8 years. This
9072-464: The northern boundary is Houston Street , and the southern boundary is Canal Street , but the location of the eastern and western boundaries is disputed. In 1974, shortly after SoHo first came into existence, The New York Times described the boundaries as "stretching from Houston to Canal Streets between West Broadway and Lafayette Street " – a definition it continued to hold to in 2016 – but The Encyclopedia of New York City reports that SoHo
9180-645: The number of crimes is low compared to other NYPD precincts, the residential population is also much lower. With a non-fatal assault rate of 10 per 100,000 people, SoHo's rate of violent crimes per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 100 per 100,000 people is also lower than that of the city as a whole. The 1st Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 86.3% between 1990 and 2018. The precinct saw 1 murder, 23 rapes, 80 robberies, 61 felony assaults, 85 burglaries, 1,085 grand larcenies, and 21 grand larcenies auto in 2018. SoHo
9288-621: The original pioneering artists remained despite the popular misconception that gentrification forced them to flee. Many residents have lived in the neighborhood for decades. In the mid-1990s, most of the galleries moved to Chelsea, but several galleries remain as of 2013, including DTR Modern Galleries, William Bennett Gallery, Martin Lawrence Galleries , Terrain Gallery , Franklin Bowles Gallery, and Pop International Gallery. SoHo's location,
9396-598: The possibility that the occupied space might be needed for the return of manufacturing to New York City. Pressured on many sides, and organizations such as the Artist Tenant Association and later the Soho Artist Association, the city abandoned attempts to keep the district as strictly industrial space, and in 1971, the Zoning Resolution was amended to permit Joint Live-Work Quarters for artists, and
9504-526: The potential for the plan to incentivize commercial development rather than residential, a criticism echoed by some of the housing advocates who had initially pushed for the plan. In 2022, a team of over 2,000 players constructed a recreation of Soho in the sandbox game Minecraft , as part of the COVID-19 Build the Earth movement. For census purposes, the New York City government classifies SoHo as part of
9612-586: The proposed destruction of the Brokaw Mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side , identified by the LPC as a possible landmark, inspired Wagner to send the legislation to the New York City Council in mid-1964. The law, introduced in the City Council that October, would significantly increase the LPC's powers. The City Council cited concerns that "the City has been and is undergoing the loss and destruction of its architectural heritage at an alarming rate, especially so in
9720-486: The protection of the historic building. A group of community activists formed the "Save Our Seaport Coalition" to advocate that the New Market Building be incorporated into the historic district set by the Landmarks Preservation Commission, in addition to calling for the protection of public space in the neighborhood and for support for the seaport's museum. This group included the Historic Districts Council ,
9828-773: The research and archaeology departments to collect reports for governmental agencies that require environmental review for their projects. Finally, the Historic Preservation Grant Program distributes grants to owners of landmark properties designated by the LPC or on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). As of May 1, 2024 , there are more than 37,900 landmark properties in New York City, most of which are located in 150 historic districts in all five boroughs. The total number of protected sites includes 1,460 individual landmarks, 121 interior landmarks, and 12 scenic landmarks. Some of these are also National Historic Landmark (NHL) sites, and many are on
9936-592: The same time period. SoHo and Greenwich Village's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is lower than the rest of New York City. In SoHo and Greenwich Village, 7% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year , less than the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 91% of high school students in SoHo and Greenwich Village graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%. There are no New York City Department of Education schools in SoHo, although there are several just outside its borders, including: The Montessori School in SoHo
10044-408: The significant change in the neighborhood's character in the previous decades, by the end of the 2010s the area's zoning still reflected its industrial heritage; any new residential development required special permits. As such, in 2019 the city began a public consultation process called "Envision SoHo/NoHo" to plan for future growth and manage change, and ultimately to bring land use rules in line with
10152-501: The space roughly equidistant between Houston Street and Canal Street. In the 1990s, real estate agents began giving an adjacent neighborhood below West Houston Street various appellations, with no general agreement on whether it should be called (or included as part of) West SoHo, Hudson Square or the South Village . The AIA Guide calls that neighborhood "An intersection of brick and glass, searching for an identity", and refers to
10260-415: The teenage birth rate is based on a small sample size. SoHo and Greenwich Village have a low population of residents who are uninsured . In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 4%, less than the citywide rate of 12%, though this was based on a small sample size. The concentration of fine particulate matter , the deadliest type of air pollutant , in SoHo and Greenwich Village
10368-643: The terra-cotta St. George's Syrian Catholic Church . After years of advocacy, in January 2009, the LPC held a hearing about the landmark designation of the Melkite church, which did succeed. However, under Chairman Robert Tierney, the LPC had declined to hold hearings on the Downtown Community House or 109 Washington Street. Community and preservation groups — including the "Friends of the Lower West Side" and
10476-476: The threat to other historic structures, challenged the plans because of the threatened loss of a huge quantity of 19th-century cast-iron buildings. When John V. Lindsay became mayor of New York City in 1966, his initial reaction was to try to push the expressways through, dubbing the project the Lower Manhattan Expressway, depressing some of the proposed highway in residential areas and stressing
10584-473: The three buildings together would tell a coherent story of an overlooked, but important ethnic neighborhood. In addition to national Arab-American organizations, Manhattan Community Board 1 and City Councilperson Margaret Chin have also advocated for the LPC to hold a hearing on the Downtown Community House . According to the Wall Street Journal , however, the LPC argues that "the buildings lack
10692-593: The two branches of the Lower Manhattan Expressway , a Robert Moses project that was intended to create an automobile and truck through-route connecting the Manhattan Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge on the east with the Holland Tunnel on the west. The young historic preservation movement and architectural critics, stung by the destruction of the original Pennsylvania Station in 1963 and
10800-521: The western section of it as "The Glass Box District". Unlike Hudson Square, the South Village has traditionally appeared on maps of Community District 2, centered near the intersection of Houston Street and Avenue of the Americas. The more recent map of Community District 2 contains both the South Village and Hudson Square, with the latter written in the area below Houston Street, between Hudson Street and
10908-477: The world. Approximately 250 cast-iron buildings stand in New York City, and the majority are in SoHo. Cast iron was initially used as a decorative front over a pre-existing building. With the addition of modern, decorative facades, older industrial buildings were able to attract new commercial clients. Most of these facades were constructed during the period from 1840 to 1880. In addition to revitalizing older structures, buildings in SoHo were later designed to feature
11016-522: Was forced to mortgage some of the property, which was divided up into lots, but even then there was very little development in the area, aside from some manufacturing at Broadway and Canal Street. Serious development of the area did not begin until the Common Council, answering the complaints of landowners in the area, drained the Collect Pond , which had once been an important source of fresh water for
11124-404: Was ignored for a long period of time, as the artist-occupants were using space for which there was little demand due to the city's poor economy at the time, and would have lain dormant or been abandoned otherwise. Nevertheless, as the artist population grew, the city made some attempts to stem the movement, concerned about the occupation of space that did not meet residential building codes, and
11232-533: Was returned to him after the sentence was annulled. In the 18th century natural barriers – streams and hills – impeded the growth of the city northward into the Bayard estate, and the area maintained its rural character. During the American Revolution , the area was the location of numerous fortifications , redoubts and breastworks . After the war, Bayard, who had suffered financially because of it,
11340-469: Was the publisher of Artforum magazine from the mid-1960s until the early-1980s. He graduated from Stanford University in the early-1960s and originally operated the magazine in 1965 from Los Angeles , California . By 1967, he moved Artforum to Manhattan. His family was also connected to publishing via the Cowles Media Company . During its years of operation from April 1980 through July 2009
11448-578: Was the subject of significant real-estate speculation. This phase came to an end by the close of the 19th century, and as the center of the city continued to move uptown , the quality of the area declined. After World War II , the textile industry largely moved to the South, leaving many large buildings in the district unoccupied. In some buildings they were replaced by warehouses and printing plants, and other buildings were torn down to be replaced by gas stations, auto repair shops and parking lots and garages. By
11556-811: Was unlikely to be controversial. As a result, several prominent buildings were destroyed in the first several years of the LPC's existence, such as the Singer Building and the New York Tribune Building . Other structures, such as the Villard Houses and Squadron A Armory , were saved only partially. The LPC was headquartered in the Mutual Reserve Building from 1967 to 1980, and in the Old New York Evening Post Building from 1980 to 1987. The original legislation enabled
11664-502: Was used to simulate stone. There was a profusion of cast iron foundries in New York, including Badger's Architectural Iron Works, James L. Jackson's Iron Works, and Cornell Iron Works. Since the iron was pliable and easily molded, sumptuously curved window frames were created, and the strength of the metal allowed these frames considerable height. The once-somber, gas-lit interiors of the industrial district were flooded with sunlight through
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