If you have your Picture This Photography Calendar this is your March 2024 collection of images “Stunning Streets of SoHo”
SoHo is an acronym to note the area South of Houston (How-ston) which sits below Greenwich Village, above Tribeca and west of Nolita/Little Italy on the map where Houston is Houston Street that runs East to West to divide the neighbourhoods. There are varying reports of where SoHo ends, I recognise it as Houston (North) Canal (South) West Side Highway (West) and Lafayette (East), technically south/west also blurs into a sub neighbourhood called Hudson Sq. Tri-bec-a is the Triangle Below Canal (St) and No-li-ta is North of Little Italy; New Yorkers are always short on time so everything is abbreviated!!
Now we have cleared that up these are the picture-perfect, iconic Cast-Iron, Belgian block streets of SoHo captured in all its glory around the beautiful Broome St & Greene St, my favourite intersection! I lived in SoHo for over 12 years so have a great affinity for this stunning neighbourhood as I have explored & photographed it morning, noon & night in all seasons!
SoHo boasts the greatest distinctive collection of cast-iron architecture in the world. Approximately 250 cast-iron buildings stand in New York City, and the majority are in SoHo. It is a beautiful neighbourhood to walk around admiring the cast iron details & address plaques at ground level but be sure to stop and look up at the ornate cornice detailing, its beautiful!
Fire escapes began to appear on NYC buildings in the 1860s after numerous fatal fires in tenements. Building codes were significantly increased after the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, requiring fire escapes to be made of wrought iron and to be attached securely to buildings.Most buildings stipulate that fire escapes are just that and not to be used as balconies, storage, seating areas etc however many tenants find them useful for plants, a/c’s and even drying laundry! FDNY’s residential safety guide says that the fire escape should be kept free from obstructions at all times and this is enforced regularly.
📷Location - Broome St, Grand St, Greene St, Mercer St SoHo
Time of Day- Early to Mid morning
Camera Settings- Hand Held, 55-210 zoom lens at 110-125mm, f/11, 1/250, ISO 200
Insider Tip-The prettiest blocks are Broome & Grand around Greene however this is prime shopping district so go before 10am to avoid crowds or at sunrise to see the golden glow!
Even though I since moved I always love strolling around the neighbourhood streets no matter the weather as they really are “Stunning Streets of SoHo.”