Re: [Leica] NYC this weekend - SOHO

[Rei Shinozuka <shino@ubspw.com>]

andy,

thanks for the great info.  i'm ashamed that though i was born in manhattan
and lived or worked here for a total 26 years and counting, i don't know
squat about most of the city... particularly south of midtown.  my dad
was a prof at columbia and i also got my degrees there, so my
neighborhood was more like 120th street and amsterdam ave.  my NYU friends
always seemed to have much cooler hangouts.

there's always so much stuff to photograph in NYC.  for months i drove past
the 911 victim's wall on the west side highway and 52nd street 6am
every morning.  at the traffic light, i'd look over to the right and think
about photographing it.  but now of course, the wall is gone.

good luck on your project.  and when the weather is nicer i'll check out
the neighborhood.

- -rei


> From: Andrew Schroter <schroter@optonline.net>
> 
> I have been taking a lot of pictures in SOHO lately and highly recommend it
> as a photography destination, especially before 10:30AM when the pedestrians
> start to fill the streets.  There are several views as to the boundaries of
> the SOHO District.  All views agree that SOHO is bounded by Houston St on
> the North and Canal St on the South.  The SOHO Historical Cast Iron District
> defines the West Boundary as West Broadway and the East Boundary as Crosby
> Street, one block East of Broadway.  Another definition (See
> http://www.nyc.com/list.aspx?c=9&e=neighborhoodID&s=526&v=259)  move the
> west boundary a couple of blocks west to Avenue on the Americas (6th Avenue)
> and the eastern boundary to Broadway.  The SOHO Partnership's
> (http://www.sohonyc.org/)  definition is more inclusive in that it moves the
> eastern boundary to Lafayette.  The area is in a state of rapid change, some
> not all that good.  Many global brands are now establishing downtown a
> presence in this neighborhood, including Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel and
> the like.  Most of them respect the existing architecture, but some tear
> down the old structure and put in a new one that is not necessarily
> reflective of the neighborhood's character.  A number of buildings have been
> or are being converted into Condominium lofts.  Commercial Rental space,
> according to one local resident I ran into in a coffee shop, is reaching
> $40,000 to $50,000 per month.  The rise in rents has driven many artists and
> art galleries (especially, the ones that need lots of space) out of the
> neighborhood.
> 
> The Cast Iron District Buildings date back to the late 1800s and drew their
> inspiration from the Crystal Palace in England.  Some of the buildings in
> SOHO have beautiful, ornate facades and are worth a look.  There must be 500
> establishments in SOHO with flags, banner and shingle type signs, a rather
> unusual concentration, I must say.  As I've never seen anything like this in
> any of my travels I thought it was unique in that respect.  However, one
> passerby have said that Dublin has something similar.  Another person said
> that they are beginning to appear in London, England.  I've been
> photographing all of these signs for a documentary project titled "Signs of
> the Times, SOHO 2001-2002".  If the work turns out to be good enough a may
> be able to publish a book.  Any coaches out there?

> ...

> Regards,
> 
> Andy
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