that frequently started in them). Some historic buildings succumbed to the wrecking ball, but preservationists fought hard to save many others, and in the 1960s and 1970s artists of various stripes discovered they could set up lofts in the old industrial spaces quite cheaply. Now, of course, Soho is very expensive; in fact, it nearly rivals Madison Avenue on the Upper East Side for posh designer shops. Below I make note of my favorite buildings along this stretch of Broadway, but there are many others worth a look and a photo.
First, at #462, see the International Culinary Center on your right, along with its Michelin-honored student restaurant, L’Ecole. The building in which they’re housed dates from 1879 and takes its architectural cues from the French Renaissance. Narrow #472, an apartment building, has lovely lacelike ironwork. Impressive #478–482 (a clothing boutique) has intricate work between its pilasters and windows. The building at #486 is made of red brick but has attractive darker banding on the top floors.
Continue along Broadway, crossing Broome Street, and gaze at #488, a feast of pillars and arches. The building at #504 is likewise an arch festival (with a Bloomingdale’s!), while #508 and #510 have elegant moldings at their rooflines, both topped with rounded pediments. After you pass Spring Street, #532 has opulent Beaux Arts touches. Narrow #540 has vaguely Celtic flourishes around the windows; also note the “1867” at the roof. Next door, at #540–542, there are three caryatids to catch your eye, each slightly different, near the roof. Across the street, massive #555 reads CHARLES BROADWAY ROUSS. Charles Baltzell Rouss operated a department store here in the 1890s; a Virginia native and self-made millionaire, Rouss honored the city that gave him his fortune by changing his middle name to Broadway. Next door, at #557, is the headquarters of Scholastic, the educational publisher. The building, from 2001, only looks old. (When the last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, came out, Scholastic—which published the series in the US—held a block-long street fair and was swamped with fans.)
At #561, the “Little Singer Building” (nicknamed to distinguish it from the sewing machine company’s now-demolished skyscraper farther downtown) has wonderful ironwork and textured terra-cotta pieces all over. Finally, don’t overlook #583, the 1897 Astor Building. For some time, the New Museum of Contemporary Art was located here, but now it’s residential. Perhaps best described as Beaux Arts gone wild, it has lavishly decorated bay windows sandwiched between Corinthian columns, plus terra-cotta gewgaws everywhere they’ll fit: cartouches, arches, gargoyles, you name it.
At Houston Street, turn right and walk to Lafayette Street to see the Puck Building, which once housed the printing facilities for Puck, a humor magazine published from 1878 to 1916 and named for the imp from A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This redbrick Romanesque Revival building from the 1880s has two gold-leaf statues of the magazine’s mascot to admire. Catch the train at the Broadway–Lafayette Street station at Houston Street.
POINTS OF INTEREST
Capitale (Old Bowery Savings Bank) capitaleny.com, 130 Bowery, 212-334-5500
The Bowery Ballroom boweryballroom.com, 6 Delancey St., 212-260-4700
Judith Charles Gallery judithcharlesgallery.com, 196 Bowery, 212-219-4095
The Bowery Mission bowery.org, 227 Bowery, 212-674-3456
New Museum newmuseum.org, 235 Bowery, 212-219-1222
Sperone Westwater speronewestwater.com, 257 Bowery, 212-999-7337
Soho Contemporary Art sohocontemporaryart.com, 259 Bowery, 646-719-1316
Garis & Hahn garisandhahn.com, 263 Bowery, 212-228-8457
University Settlement at the Houston Street Center hsc.universitysettlement.org/hsc, 273 Bowery, 212-475-5008
The Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral oldcathedral.org, 263 Mulberry St., 212-226-8075
Elizabeth Street Garden elizabethstreetgarden.org, bounded by Mott, Elizabeth, Prince, and Spring Streets
Lombardi’s Pizza firstpizza.com, 32 Spring St., 212-941-7994
Parisi Bakery parisibakery.com, 198 Mott St., 212-226-6378
Nolitan Hotel nolitanhotel.com, 30 Kenmare St., 212-925-2555
FDNY Engine 55 363 Broome St.
Italian American Museum italianamericanmuseum.org, 155 Mulberry St., 212-965-9000
Ferrara ferraranyc.com, 195 Grand St., 212-226-6150
Alleva allevadairy.com, 188 Grand St., 212-226-7990
International Culinary Center/L’Ecole Restaurant lecolenyc.com, 462 Broadway, 212-219-3300
ROUTE SUMMARY
1 Walk west on Grand Street from Chrystie Street.
2 Walk right on Bowery.
3 Walk left on Houston Street.
4 Walk left on Mott Street, dipping in and out of Prince Street to the right.
5 Walk left on Broome Street, then head in the other direction across Mott Street.
6 Walk left on Mulberry Street.
7 Go left on Grand Street to Mott Street, then double back on Grand.
8 Walk right on Centre Market Place.
9 Turn left on Broome Street, then left on Centre Street.
10 Make a right on Grand.
11 Walk right on Broadway.
12 Go right at Houston Street to the subway.
CONNECTING THE WALKS
Walk 9 (Central Greenwich Village) begins at West Houston Street and Broadway, just before you turn on Houston to reach the subway. To reach the start of the West Village tour (Walk 10), walk about eight blocks west on Houston to Varick Street.
Slow your stroll to appreciate the charming touches that abound on Soho’s buildings.
