{"id":8753,"date":"2026-03-03T13:10:46","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T13:10:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.thestorefront.com\/?p=8753"},"modified":"2026-09-08T14:08:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-08T14:08:34","slug":"soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/","title":{"rendered":"SoHo Shopping Guide: The Streets, the Stores and Taking Space in New York"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#SoHo_street_by_street\" title=\"SoHo street by street\">SoHo street by street<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Broadway_between_Houston_and_Canal\" title=\"Broadway, between Houston and Canal\">Broadway, between Houston and Canal<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Prince_Street_and_Spring_Street\" title=\"Prince Street and Spring Street\">Prince Street and Spring Street<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Greene_Mercer_Wooster_and_Crosby\" title=\"Greene, Mercer, Wooster and Crosby\">Greene, Mercer, Wooster and Crosby<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#West_Broadway\" title=\"West Broadway\">West Broadway<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Howard_Street_and_Grand_Street\" title=\"Howard Street and Grand Street\">Howard Street and Grand Street<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Lafayette_Street\" title=\"Lafayette Street\">Lafayette Street<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Why_SoHo_trades_the_way_it_does\" title=\"Why SoHo trades the way it does\">Why SoHo trades the way it does<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Getting_there\" title=\"Getting there\">Getting there<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Popping_up_in_New_York\" title=\"Popping up in New York?\">Popping up in New York?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Taking_space_in_SoHo\" title=\"Taking space in SoHo\">Taking space in SoHo<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#What_the_historic_district_means_for_a_shopfront\" title=\"What the historic district means for a shopfront\">What the historic district means for a shopfront<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#The_SoHo-NoHo_zoning_change\" title=\"The SoHo-NoHo zoning change\">The SoHo-NoHo zoning change<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#When_to_be_here\" title=\"When to be here\">When to be here<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Common_questions\" title=\"Common questions\">Common questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#What_is_SoHo_known_for\" title=\"What is SoHo known for?\">What is SoHo known for?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Where_is_SoHo_exactly\" title=\"Where is SoHo, exactly?\">Where is SoHo, exactly?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Which_street_in_SoHo_has_the_most_shops\" title=\"Which street in SoHo has the most shops?\">Which street in SoHo has the most shops?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Is_SoHo_good_for_shopping_on_a_weekend\" title=\"Is SoHo good for shopping on a weekend?\">Is SoHo good for shopping on a weekend?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#How_much_does_retail_space_in_SoHo_cost\" title=\"How much does retail space in SoHo cost?\">How much does retail space in SoHo cost?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Can_you_run_a_pop-up_shop_in_SoHo\" title=\"Can you run a pop-up shop in SoHo?\">Can you run a pop-up shop in SoHo?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/soho-neighborhood-guide-a-hive-of-creativity-in-new-york\/#Where_to_look_next\" title=\"Where to look next\">Where to look next<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div id=\"bsf_rt_marker\"><\/div>\n<p>SoHo is where New York goes shopping, and where brands go to be seen shopping in. Half a square mile between Houston Street and Canal Street, it holds the densest run of flagship stores downtown, and it turns those units over faster than anywhere else in the city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This guide covers the district street by street: what trades on each one, how they differ, and why Broadway and the cobbled street one block west are completely different propositions. If you are here to shop, that is the part you want. If you are here because you are thinking about taking space, the second half covers what that involves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"SoHo_street_by_street\"><\/span>SoHo street by street<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The single most useful thing to understand about shopping in SoHo is that it is not one place. The streets running north to south and the streets running east to west behave completely differently, and two addresses a block apart can be entirely different experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Broadway_between_Houston_and_Canal\"><\/span>Broadway, between Houston and Canal<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The highest-volume retail run in the district and the most mainstream. Large cast-iron ground floors occupied by national and international chains, trading on tourist and weekend volume. If you want the big names in one walk, this is the street. It is also the loudest and busiest, and it trades very differently from the cobbled streets one block west.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Worth knowing that Broadway is the one street cutting diagonally across the Manhattan grid, and it changes character completely along its length. Flagship retail through SoHo, a quieter mixed stretch in Tribeca, the theater district in Midtown. It is not one retail location. Live listings: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/search\/new-york\/soho\/broadway\/retail\">retail space on Broadway in SoHo<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prince_Street_and_Spring_Street\"><\/span>Prince Street and Spring Street<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The main east-west retail streets of SoHo, and the two that carry the highest pedestrian volumes in the district. This is where the crowds actually walk. Prince in particular is the street most people picture when they picture SoHo shopping: narrow sidewalks, street vendors, and a continuous run of fashion at every price point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are planning a walk through the district, start on Prince and cut down the cobbled streets as you go. Live listings: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/search\/new-york\/soho\/prince\/retail\">retail space on Prince Street<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Greene_Mercer_Wooster_and_Crosby\"><\/span>Greene, Mercer, Wooster and Crosby<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SoHo&#8217;s cobbled north-south streets, and the reason the district looks the way it does. They hold the cast-iron loft buildings the neighborhood is known for, and they are noticeably quieter than Broadway one block east. Wider frontages, higher ceilings, fewer people, more considered stores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For most shoppers these are the better streets: the same quality of brand, a fraction of the crowd. For brands they are the most sought-after addresses in the district. Live listings on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/search\/new-york\/soho\/greene-street\/retail\">Greene Street<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/search\/new-york\/soho\/mercer\/retail\">Mercer Street<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/search\/new-york\/soho\/wooster\/retail\">Wooster Street<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/search\/new-york\/soho\/crosby\/retail\">Crosby Street<\/a>. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/search\/new-york\/soho\/sullivan\/retail\">Sullivan Street<\/a> sits on the western edge and is quieter again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"West_Broadway\"><\/span>West Broadway<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Runs the length of SoHo and on into Tribeca, holding galleries and upper-end fashion on wider, quieter frontage than Broadway itself. The two are separate streets and are constantly confused. West Broadway is the calmer, more expensive one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Howard_Street_and_Grand_Street\"><\/span>Howard Street and Grand Street<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>At SoHo&#8217;s southern edge, and over the last few years one of the most closely watched runs in the city for independent designers and concept stores. If you are looking for what is next rather than what is established, this is where to spend the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Grand Street keeps going east from here, through Chinatown and Little Italy into the Lower East Side, and is one of the few genuinely cross-neighborhood retail streets downtown. Its character changes completely along the way, design-led at the SoHo end, dense food and wholesale trade further east. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/storefront-guide-to-pop-up-stores-and-galleries-in-the-lower-east-side-nyc\/\">Lower East Side guide<\/a> picks it up from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Lafayette_Street\"><\/span>Lafayette Street<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Running up through SoHo into NoHo, Lafayette holds a run of design-led independent stores in wide former warehouse frontages. Quieter than Broadway one block west, and a good counterweight to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/search\/new-york\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/soho.jpg\" alt=\"Shoppers on a SoHo street between Houston and Canal\" class=\"wp-image-29943\" style=\"width:801px;height:auto\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_SoHo_trades_the_way_it_does\"><\/span>Why SoHo trades the way it does<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The cast-iron buildings are not decoration, they are the reason the retail works. Cast-iron framing let nineteenth-century builders put far more glass and far less wall into a ground floor than masonry allowed. The result is unusually wide shopfronts with high ceilings, which is exactly what a flagship store or a brand activation wants and what a conventional shop unit cannot offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That is also why the district became an artists&#8217; quarter in the 1960s and 1970s, why the lofts above the shops are the size they are, and why SoHo carries more flagship and pop-up activity than any other Manhattan neighborhood. Brands take space here for visibility rather than for a resident catchment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Getting_there\"><\/span>Getting there<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>SoHo is served by the Broadway-Lafayette Street, Canal Street, Houston Street, Prince Street and Spring Street subway stations. Canal Street is the busiest of them and sits among the twenty-five busiest stations in Manhattan by annual ridership, which is a useful proxy for the through-traffic a ground-floor unit at that end of the district can expect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Canal Street itself is the dividing line between SoHo and Tribeca to the north and west and Chinatown to the east, and is a dense, heavily trafficked retail corridor in its own right.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"s2p-cta\" style=\"border:1px solid #DDDDDD;border-radius:14px;padding:22px 24px;margin:32px 0;font-family:inherit;background:#FFFFFF\">\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-size:11px;letter-spacing:.14em;text-transform:uppercase;font-weight:700;color:#4A494B\">For brands<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"margin:0 0 6px;font-size:19px;line-height:1.3;color:#1A1A1A\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Popping_up_in_New_York\"><\/span>Popping up in New York?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p style=\"margin:0 0 16px;font-size:14.5px;color:#4A494B;line-height:1.5\">Explore short-term spaces in New York with Storefront.<\/p>\n<a href=\"\/search\/new-york\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#5DD297;color:#1A1A1A;font-weight:700;font-size:15px;padding:12px 22px;border-radius:9px;text-decoration:none\">Explore New York spaces<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Taking_space_in_SoHo\"><\/span>Taking space in SoHo<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you are reading this because you are considering a pop-up or a short-term store rather than a shopping trip, this is the part that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SoHo is the highest-demand short-term retail district in New York, which means two things: the addresses are worth having, and they book up early. Availability moves week to week, so the useful thing is to look at what is actually free on your dates rather than work from a market view. Start with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/search\/new-york\/soho\/retail\">short-term retail space in SoHo<\/a>, then narrow by street using the links above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three things worth deciding before you shortlist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Which street, not just which district.<\/strong> Broadway buys volume, the cobbled streets buy considered footfall and a better-looking photograph. They are different products at different prices.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>What kind of space.<\/strong> A cast-iron ground floor and a loft above it are different propositions. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/selections\/loft-spaces-for-rent-new-york-soho\">Loft spaces in SoHo<\/a> suit showrooms and press days; a street-level unit suits retail.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>What the budget really is.<\/strong> If SoHo at full price is a stretch, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/selections\/cheap-retail-space-new-york-soho\">cheaper SoHo retail space<\/a> exists, and the block behind a prime run usually keeps most of the footfall. Raw space for a sample sale is a different search again: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/selections\/small-warehouse-new-york-soho\">smaller warehouse space in SoHo<\/a>. For a launch rather than a shop, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/selections\/event-space-with-kitchen-new-york-soho\">SoHo event space with a kitchen<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/selections\/rooftop-event-space-new-york-soho\">SoHo rooftop space<\/a> are separate categories.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>For how SoHo compares with the rest of the city, see our ranking of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/pop-up-shop-new-york-best-neighborhood\/\">the best neighborhoods for a pop-up shop in New York<\/a>, and for the whole process from permits to budget, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/pop-up-shop-new-york-guide\/\">guide to opening your first New York pop-up<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_the_historic_district_means_for_a_shopfront\"><\/span>What the historic district means for a shopfront<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>SoHo sits almost entirely inside the SoHo-Cast Iron Historic District, designated in 1973 and covering roughly 500 buildings across about 25 blocks. The cast-iron facades that give the ground floors their width and height are the reason the district was protected in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For a brand that means exterior changes are reviewed. Installing or replacing signage and lighting on a facade here needs approval from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/site\/lpc\/applications\/storefronts.page\">Landmarks Preservation Commission<\/a>, and that has to be planned for rather than discovered. If external branding is central to the concept, build the approval into the timeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"750\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2018-08-13-at-17.41.19-1024x750.png\" alt=\"Stunning pop up space in SoHo\" class=\"wp-image-8757\" style=\"width:666px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2018-08-13-at-17.41.19-1024x750.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2018-08-13-at-17.41.19-300x220.png 300w, https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2018-08-13-at-17.41.19-768x563.png 768w, https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2018-08-13-at-17.41.19-810x593.png 810w, https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2018-08-13-at-17.41.19-1140x835.png 1140w, https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/Screen-Shot-2018-08-13-at-17.41.19.png 1204w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_SoHo-NoHo_zoning_change\"><\/span>The SoHo-NoHo zoning change<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In 2021 the city adopted the Special SoHo-NoHo Mixed Use District over roughly 56 blocks. It widened the range of commercial uses permitted across the two neighborhoods and set <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nyc.gov\/content\/planning\/pages\/zoning\/zoning-districts-guide\/special-purpose-districts\">ground-floor frontage rules on designated streets<\/a>, with the stated aim of supporting the area&#8217;s arts, cultural and live-work role alongside retail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The practical effect for a short-term project is that what a ground floor may be used for is set street by street rather than district-wide, so it is a question to raise with the agent at shortlist stage rather than after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_to_be_here\"><\/span>When to be here<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>SoHo has two rhythms worth planning around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sample sale season.<\/strong> Sample sales cluster in spring and again in autumn as brands clear stock between seasons, and they are among the largest single uses of short-term retail space in the city. Demand for raw space in SoHo, Chelsea and the Garment District tightens noticeably in those windows. Good for shoppers, harder for anyone trying to book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The September refill.<\/strong> The American school year starts in late August or early September, later than in England, so the back-to-school trade sits in August and the city fills back up through the first half of September. That return is one of the sharpest upswings in the New York calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the full year, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/pop-up-shop-new-york-what-worked-in-2025\/\">what makes a New York pop-up work<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_questions\"><\/span>Common questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_SoHo_known_for\"><\/span>What is SoHo known for?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Cast-iron architecture, flagship fashion retail and galleries. The name is short for South of Houston Street. It began as a manufacturing district, became an artists&#8217; quarter in the 1960s and 1970s because the loft floors were cheap and enormous, and is now the densest concentration of flagship stores in downtown Manhattan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_is_SoHo_exactly\"><\/span>Where is SoHo, exactly?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Between Houston Street to the north and Canal Street to the south, roughly between Lafayette Street and West Broadway, though the retail spills past those edges in every direction. Tribeca is south and west across Canal, Chinatown is east, NoHo is directly north.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_street_in_SoHo_has_the_most_shops\"><\/span>Which street in SoHo has the most shops?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Broadway between Houston and Canal carries the highest volume and the biggest names. Prince Street and Spring Street carry the highest pedestrian volumes and the widest price range. The cobbled streets, Greene, Mercer, Wooster and Crosby, hold the more considered stores with far fewer people on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_SoHo_good_for_shopping_on_a_weekend\"><\/span>Is SoHo good for shopping on a weekend?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It is the busiest time, particularly on Broadway and Prince. If crowds are the problem, the cobbled north-south streets and West Broadway stay noticeably calmer, and weekday mornings are the quietest the district gets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_much_does_retail_space_in_SoHo_cost\"><\/span>How much does retail space in SoHo cost?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Too variable for a single figure, and it moves with the street as much as the size. A cobbled side street and a Broadway frontage are different markets. The honest way to size it is to price a real shortlist on your dates. Our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/pop-up-shop-new-york-budget-how-much-cost\/\">New York pop-up cost guide<\/a> sets out what to budget for beyond the rent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_run_a_pop-up_shop_in_SoHo\"><\/span>Can you run a pop-up shop in SoHo?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, and a great many brands do. It is the highest-demand short-term district in the city, so book early, and factor in that exterior signage needs landmarks approval because of the historic district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_look_next\"><\/span>Where to look next<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you came here to shop, walk Prince from Broadway west and cut down Greene or Wooster. That covers the range of the district in about an hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you came here about space, start with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/search\/new-york\/soho\/retail\">what is available in SoHo right now<\/a>. SoHo also appears in our ranking of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/best-shopping-streets-in-the-world\/\">the best shopping streets in the world<\/a>, alongside Bond Street, Fifth Avenue and the Champs-\u00c9lys\u00e9es.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"s2p-author\" style=\"display:flex;gap:16px;align-items:flex-start;border-top:1px solid #DDDDDD;margin:36px 0 0;padding:22px 0 0;font-family:inherit\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/soho.jpg\" alt=\"Aur\u00e9lie Roman\" width=\"64\" height=\"64\" style=\"width:64px;height:64px;border-radius:50%;flex:0 0 64px\"\/><div><p style=\"margin:0 0 4px;font-size:11px;letter-spacing:.12em;text-transform:uppercase;font-weight:700;color:#4A494B\">Written by<\/p><div style=\"margin:0 0 6px;font-size:17px;color:#1A1A1A;font-weight:700\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/author\/aurelie-roman\/\" rel=\"author\" style=\"color:#1A1A1A;text-decoration:none\">Aur\u00e9lie Roman<\/a><\/div><p style=\"margin:0 0 8px;font-size:14px;color:#4A494B;line-height:1.55\">Contributrice Storefront &#8211; Journaliste lifestyle &amp;amp; d\u00e9coration (Les Inrocks, Houzz, Elle, Deco, Figaro Madame) et sp\u00e9cialiste contenu depuis 2007 &#8211; Tv Host<\/p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/author\/aurelie-roman\/\" style=\"font-size:13px;color:#1A1A1A;font-weight:700;text-decoration:none\">More from Aur\u00e9lie Roman &rarr;<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SoHo street by street: what trades on Broadway, Prince, Greene, Mercer and Wooster, why they differ, and what taking short-term space in the district involves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":3235,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"qubely_global_settings":"","qubely_interactions":"","content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[324],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-neighborhood-guides"],"qubely_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5.jpg",1440,960,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5.jpg",1125,750,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5.jpg",480,320,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5-1024x683.jpg",1024,683,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5.jpg",1440,960,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5.jpg",1440,960,false],"qubely_landscape":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5.jpg",1125,750,false],"qubely_portrait":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5.jpg",480,320,false],"qubely_thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5.jpg",140,93,false],"yarpp-thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/loIpkF96QKqxUWfzeYD9_25473_5.jpg",120,80,false]},"qubely_author":{"display_name":"Nicholas Roberts-Moore","author_link":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/author\/nmoore\/"},"qubely_comment":0,"qubely_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/category\/neighborhood-guides\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Neighborhood Guides<\/a>","qubely_excerpt":"SoHo street by street: what trades on Broadway, Prince, Greene, Mercer and Wooster, why they differ, and what taking short-term space in the district involves.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8753\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thestorefront.com\/mag\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}