Photos of the shops are displayed in the power point above.
Census information is listed in the word document above.
SoHo: Between Spring St. and Wooster St.
Lower Manhattan is well-known for being one of those artsy parts of New York City where artists rent out lofts and studios to dwell in while dedicating their lives to their craft. Recently, the lower side has picked up another stereotype of being one of the greatest areas to shop at. Places like SoHo, for example, which may not be as popular as 5th Avenue for shopping sprees, but has become one of the key places that New Yorkers shop in. Many new boutiques and thriving shops are constantly sprouting all over the SoHo area. One of the most peculiar parts of SoHo lies between Spring St. and Wooster St. The perfectly tiny, well-lit block, holds 17 stores that all seem to be contributing to the reputation that SoHo has for being a must-visit shopping district.
Between Spring St. and Wooster St. is a miniature version of a normal Manhattan block. It’s almost a cute kind of quaint area that one would probably see in a small, suburban town. There are never-ending glass windows on both sides of the block displaying the newest fashions. Folks are going in and out of the only café on the block, Le Petit Café, for a cup of coffee. Walking past the café, I noticed lingering customers peeking through the front window looking for an open spot. The only other place to eat on the block, called Boom, was closed due to some Hurricane Sandy damage. If it wasn’t for that, I’m sure that restaurant would have been packed too. The block is small, but vibrant to say the least. I recognized that mostly couples were walking around window shopping. Overall, the block was buzzing since Spring St. is so easy to get to from Canal St. and Tribeca, which makes it easily accessible to visitors and tourists.
Most of the stores are fairly new and barely pass a 10 year anniversary date. The clothing stores seemed busier than any other type of retail store on the block. On the other hand, when I would lift the price tag on something I may potentially buy, the numbers were pretty high with classic Manhattan prices. It honestly had no effect on the customers because it’s expected for going shopping in a place as famous and known about as SoHo, New York. Everyone’s still in business despite the pricing! The stores are doing very well; I would have to weave through a group of shopping customers to get to the front desk in just about every store. The district is definitely prospering and has so much potential to become more popular if they would only advertise more. Most of these stores are privately owned and one can only find them if they come across this area. Commercial or not, Spring St. seems to be doing great and looks like it will only get better. Many shoppers are already venturing out into this area to purchase luxury clothing items from their favorite brand names.
Yasmin Noor
