128-605: The New York and Harlem Railroad (now the Metro-North Railroad 's Harlem Line ) was one of the first railroads in the United States , and was the world's first street railway . Designed by John Stephenson , it was opened in stages between 1832 and 1852 between Lower Manhattan Island to and beyond Harlem . Horses initially pulled railway carriages, followed by a conversion to steam engines, then on to battery-powered Julien electric traction cars. In 1907,
256-620: A Julien electric traction car , was run on September 17, 1888 on the line to 86th Street . The line went back to using horses for a time, but switched to a "below-grade third rail " (commonly called a " conduit ") in 1897. On July 1, 1896, the Metropolitan Street Railway leased the streetcar lines. The New York City Railway , which leased the Metropolitan, and hence also these lines, went into receivership on September 24, 1907. The receivers returned operation of
384-569: A complete overhaul as part of the Enhanced Station Initiative and would be entirely closed for up to 6 months. Updates would include cellular service, Wi-Fi, USB charging stations, interactive service advisories, and maps. The Harlem and Hudson lines and the Park Avenue mainline to Grand Central were previously owned by Midtown TDR Ventures LLC, who bought them from the corporate successors to Penn Central. The MTA had
512-622: A diesel train powered by Brookville BL20-GH locomotives. Electric service on the Hudson and Harlem lines uses M3 and M7 MU cars. The New Haven Line is unique in that trains use both third rail and 12.5 kV AC from overhead catenary . The line from Grand Central Terminal to Mount Vernon East uses third rail, while the section from Pelham east to New Haven State Street, which is 58 miles (93 km), uses overhead catenary. These electrification systems overlap between Mount Vernon East and Pelham stations and trains change power systems from one to
640-590: A half-dozen neighborhood groups, led by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation , put forth a "community alternative plan" which they claimed would create more affordable housing without any major new development, and a report attacking the city's plan, a claim that was challenged by the city and other civic organizations. Carl Weisbrod , former chairman of the New York City Planning Commission said
768-545: A higher rate of college-educated residents than the rest of the city. The vast majority of residents age 25 and older (84%) have a college education or higher, while 4% have less than a high school education and 12% are high school graduates or have some college education. By contrast, 64% of Manhattan residents and 43% of city residents have a college education or higher. The percentage of SoHo and Greenwich Village students excelling in math rose from 61% in 2000 to 80% in 2011, and reading achievement increased from 66% to 68% during
896-666: A joint agreement between MTA and CTDOT, with the agencies paying for 33.3% and 66.7% of costs respectively. CTDOT pays more because most of the line is in Connecticut. The New Haven Line has three branches in Connecticut: the New Canaan Branch , Danbury Branch and Waterbury Branch . At New Haven, CTDOT runs two connecting services, the Shore Line East connecting service continues east to New London , and
1024-442: A larger neighborhood tabulation area called SoHo-TriBeCa-Civic Center-Little Italy. Based on data from the 2010 United States Census , the population of SoHo-TriBeCa-Civic Center-Little Italy was 42,742, a change of 5,985 (14%) from the 36,757 counted in 2000 . Covering an area of 581.62 acres (235.37 ha), the neighborhood had a population density of 73.5 inhabitants per acre (47,000/sq mi; 18,200/km ). The racial makeup of
1152-775: A lease extending to the year 2274 and an option to buy starting in 2017. The MTA exercised their option to buy what was now Argent Ventures' rail assets on November 13, 2018. Under the terms of the deal, the MTA purchased Grand Central Terminal, as well as the Hudson Line from Grand Central to a point 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Poughkeepsie, and the Harlem Line from Grand Central to Dover Plains. Most services running into Grand Central Terminal are electrically powered. Diesel trains into Grand Central use General Electric P32AC-DM electro-diesel locomotives capable of switching to
1280-534: A lively theater and shopping district and the entertainment center of New York; as usual with such areas, it was home to many brothels as well, and the side streets off of Broadway became the city's red-light district . As this change in character drove out the middle-class, their place was taken by small manufacturing concerns, including cabinet-makers and the lumberyards that supplied them, brass and copper firms, makers of china and glassware, locksmiths, snuff manufacturers and book publishers. This dramatic shift in
1408-639: A pure electric mode. These locomotives have contact shoes compatible with Metro-North's under-running 750 V DC third rail power distribution system. Shoreliner series coaches are used in push-pull operation. On the Hudson Line, local trains between Grand Central and Croton–Harmon are powered by third rail. Through trains to Poughkeepsie are diesel powered and do not require a change of locomotive at Croton-Harmon. The Harlem Line has third rail from Grand Central Terminal to Southeast and trains are powered by diesel north to Wassaic . At most times, passengers between Southeast and Wassaic must change at Southeast to
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#17327726857011536-400: Is 0.0095 milligrams per cubic metre (9.5 × 10 oz/cu ft), more than the city average. Sixteen percent of SoHo and Greenwich Village residents are smokers , which is more than the city average of 14% of residents being smokers. In SoHo and Greenwich Village, 4% of residents are obese , 3% are diabetic , and 15% have high blood pressure , the lowest rates in the city – compared to
1664-563: Is 38% in SoHo and Greenwich Village, compared to the boroughwide and citywide rates of 45% and 51% respectively. Based on this calculation, as of 2018 , SoHo and Greenwich Village are considered high-income relative to the rest of the city and not gentrifying . SoHo and Lower Manhattan are patrolled by the 1st Precinct of the NYPD , at 16 Ericsson Place. The 1st Precinct ranked 63rd safest out of 69 city precincts for per-capita crime in 2010. Though
1792-814: Is a suburban commuter rail service operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), a public authority of the U.S. state of New York . Metro-North serves the New York Metropolitan Area , running service between New York City and its northern suburbs in New York and Connecticut , including Port Jervis , Spring Valley , Poughkeepsie , Yonkers , New Rochelle , Mount Vernon , White Plains , Southeast and Wassaic in New York and Stamford , New Canaan , Danbury , Bridgeport , Waterbury , and New Haven in Connecticut. Service in Connecticut
1920-577: Is an archetypal example of inner-city regeneration and gentrification , encompassing socioeconomic , cultural, political, and architectural developments. The name "SoHo" derives from the area being "South of Houston Street ", and was coined in 1962 by Chester Rapkin, an urban planner and author of The South Houston Industrial Area study, also known as the "Rapkin Report". The name also recalls Soho , an area in London 's West End . Almost all of SoHo
2048-679: Is bounded by Crosby Street on the east, and Sixth Avenue to the west. These are the same boundaries shown by Google Maps . However, the AIA Guide to New York City gives the western boundary of SoHo north of Broome Street as being West Broadway, and New York magazine gives the eastern boundary as Lafayette Street and the western boundary as the Hudson River . The map at the Community Board 2 profile page on New York City's official website has "SOHO" written near Broadway in
2176-781: Is diesel only. Power is collected from the bottom of the third rail as opposed to the top, used by other third rail systems, including the Long Island Rail Road and New York City Subway. This system is known as the Wilgus-Sprague third rail, and the SEPTA Market–Frankford Line in Philadelphia and Metro-North are the only two systems in North America that use it. It allows the third rail to be completely insulated from above, thus decreasing
2304-473: Is higher than the median life expectancy of 81.2 for all New York City neighborhoods. Most inhabitants are adults: a plurality (42%) are between the ages of 25 and 44, while 24% are between 45 and 64, and 15% are 65 or older. The ratio of youth and college-aged residents was lower, at 9% and 10% respectively. As of 2017, the median household income in Community Districts 1 and 2 (including
2432-666: Is included in the SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District , which was designated by the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission in 1973, extended in 2010, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places and declared a National Historic Landmark in 1978. It consists of 26 blocks and approximately 500 buildings, many of them incorporating cast-iron architectural elements. Many side streets in
2560-416: Is now traveled by NYCT Bus 's M1 bus . The Murray Hill Tunnel now carries a lane of roadway, but not the buses. Metro-North Railroad [REDACTED] Map of the entire Metro-North Railroad system. This schematic is not to scale. The Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company ( reporting mark MNCW ), also branded as MTA Metro-North Railroad and commonly called simply Metro-North ,
2688-875: Is operated under contract with the Connecticut Department of Transportation . Metro-North works under contract with New Jersey Transit for the west-of-hudson lines located in New Jersey and New York in Metro-North also provides local rail service within the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and the Bronx . Metro-North is the descendant of commuter rail services dating back as early as 1832. By 1969, they had all been acquired by Penn Central . MTA acquired all three lines by 1972, but Penn Central continued to operate them under contract. Service
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#17327726857012816-413: Is served by two New York City Fire Department (FDNY) fire stations: Preterm births are more common in SoHo and Greenwich Village than in other places citywide, though teenage births are less common. In SoHo and Greenwich Village, there were 91 preterm births per 1,000 live births (compared to 87 per 1,000 citywide), and 1 teenage birth per 1,000 live births (compared to 19.3 per 1,000 citywide), though
2944-674: The Bellevue Hospital Center and NYU Langone Medical Center in Kips Bay , and NewYork-Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Hospital in the Civic Center area. SoHo is within two primary ZIP Codes . The area north of Broome Street is in 10012 while the area south of Broome Street is in 10013. The United States Postal Service operates two post offices near SoHo both in ZIP 10014: SoHo and Greenwich Village generally have
3072-579: The Financial District and Tribeca ) was $ 144,878, though the median income in SoHo individually was $ 124,396. In 2018, an estimated 9% of SoHo and Greenwich Village residents lived in poverty, compared to 20% in all of Manhattan and 20% in all of New York City. One in twenty-five residents (4%) were unemployed, compared to 7% in Manhattan and 9% in New York City. Rent burden, or the percentage of residents who have difficulty paying their rent,
3200-611: The Hartford Line service continues north to Hartford , and Springfield, Massachusetts . Amtrak operates inter-city rail service along the New Haven and Hudson Lines. The New Haven Line is part of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor . Amtrak's Northeast Regional runs from New Rochelle to New Haven, while Stamford and New Haven are also served by the high-speed Acela . At New Haven, the New Haven Line connects to
3328-614: The Hartford and New Haven Railroad , which provided routes to Hartford , Springfield, Massachusetts, and eventually Boston . The two roads merged in 1872 to become the NYNH&;H, growing into the largest passenger and commuter carrier in New England. In the early 20th century, the NYNH&H came under the control of J.P. Morgan . Morgan's bankroll allowed the NYNH&H to modernize by upgrading steam power with both electric (along
3456-591: The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad into Manhattan. It is now part of the Metro-North Railroad system, and the only Manhattan trackage of that system. As of 2017, Metro-North operates commuter passenger service from Grand Central Terminal, via Southeast (change from electric to diesel power), to Wassaic. The trackless right-of-way from Wassaic to Chatham is being converted to the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. The New York and Harlem Railroad
3584-1042: The Pascack Valley Line . The Port Jervis Line is accessed from two NJ Transit lines, the Main Line and the Bergen County Line . The Port Jervis Line terminates in Port Jervis, New York, and the Pascack Valley line in Spring Valley, New York, in Orange and Rockland Counties, respectively. Trackage on the Port Jervis Line north of the Suffern Yard is leased from the Norfolk Southern Railway by
3712-538: The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), the city's largest real estate trade organization, had shown no interest in a rezoning of SoHo and NoHo. The proposal was immediately contentious; while most major candidates in the Democratic mayoral and Manhattan borough president primaries endorsed the plan, at least in principle, candidates for the city council district were more divided. A group of
3840-474: The 1850s and 1860s, was originally part of the Erie's mainline from Jersey City to Buffalo, New York. The Pascack Valley Line was built by the New Jersey and New York Railroad , which became a subsidiary of the Erie. Trains that service Port Jervis formerly continued to Binghamton and Buffalo, New York (today used only by freight trains), while Pascack Valley service continued to Haverstraw, New York . In 1956,
3968-439: The 1950s, the area had become known as Hell's Hundred Acres , an industrial wasteland, full of sweatshops and small factories in the daytime, but empty at night. It would not be until the 1960s, when artists began to be interested in the tall ceilings and many windows of the empty manufacturing lofts, that the character of the neighborhood began to change again. SoHo boasts the greatest collection of cast-iron architecture in
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4096-664: The Amtrak New Haven–Springfield Line . The Hudson Line is part of the Empire Corridor , and the Yonkers, Croton-Harmon, and Poughkeepsie stations are all served by Amtrak as well as Metro-North. Freight trains operate over Metro-North lines, though the company itself does not operate freight services. The Hudson Line connects with the Oak Point Link and is the main route for freight to and from
4224-586: The Boston and Albany to Albany , Boston , Vermont , and Canada . On April 1, 1873, the New York and Harlem Railroad was leased by Cornelius Vanderbilt , who added the railroad to his complex empire of railroads , which were run by the NYC. Grand Central Depot, built in 1871, served as the southern terminus of NYC's Harlem and Hudson Divisions; it would be replaced by Grand Central Station in 1900, and by Grand Central Terminal in 1913. The Boston and Albany came under
4352-626: The Bowery) for northbound trains. Southbound trains continued to use the old route. In 1864 or 1865, a branch was added for trains between downtown and the East 34th Street Ferry Landing , running along 32nd Street , Lexington Avenue and 34th Street . This was the start of separate horse car service, running between Astor House and the ferry. Grand Central Depot opened just north of 42nd Street in October, 1871, and intercity passenger trains from
4480-544: The Bronx and Long Island. Freight railroads CSX , CP Rail , P&W , and Housatonic Railroad have trackage rights on sections of the system. See Rail freight transportation in New York City and Long Island . Metro-North provides service west of the Hudson River on trains from Hoboken Terminal , New Jersey, jointly run with NJ Transit under contract. There are two branches: the Port Jervis Line and
4608-635: The District. During the colonial period, the land that is now SoHo was part of a grant of farmland given to freed slaves of the Dutch West Indies Company , and the site of the first free Black settlement on Manhattan island. This land was acquired in the 1660s by Augustine Hermann, and then passed to his brother-in-law, Nicholas Bayard. The estate was confiscated by the state as a result of Bayard's part in Leisler's Rebellion , but
4736-678: The Erie Railroad began coordinated service with rival Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad , and in 1960 they formed the Erie Lackawanna . Trains were rerouted to the Lackawanna's Hoboken Terminal in 1956–1958. Passenger rail in the United States began to falter after World War II. Commuter services historically had always been unprofitable, and were usually subsidized by long-distance passenger and freight services. As these profits disappeared, commuter services usually were
4864-605: The Fourth Avenue line back to the Metropolitan Street Railway on July 31, 1908. The lease was terminated on January 31, 1920, with operation returned to the NY&;H. On October 10, 1932, it was leased again, this time to the New York Railways Corporation , with the right to convert the line to bus operation . The stockholders voted to do this on February 19, 1934. An approximation of the route
4992-457: The GVSHP's report was "misleading and disingenuous", and a spokesman for the mayor's office described the "community alternative plan" as "an exercise in magical thinking". In July 2021, the area's community board voted to reject the proposal, although the vote was ultimately non-binding. In September 2021, Manhattan Borough president Gale Brewer expressed concerns about the plan, particularly
5120-617: The Harlem, Hudson and New Haven Lines on January 1, 1983 and merged them into the Metro-North Commuter Railroad. Metro-North took over the former Erie Lackawanna services west of the Hudson and north of the New Jersey state line. Since those lines are physically connected to NJ Transit, operations were contracted to NJ Transit with Metro-North subsidizing the service and supplying equipment. In preparation for
5248-420: The Hudson River between New York City's lower Manhattan west side and Albany, backed mostly by wealthy Poughkeepsie manufacturers and merchants. (It was completed to Albany on October 3, 1851, after a great amount of costly blasting, filling and tunneling the craggy eastern shore of the Hudson River.) The Harlem Valley's directors started to worry that Boston would have a competitive advantage over New York City for
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5376-553: The Hudson River in New York are owned and operated by Metro-North, except Suffern , which is owned and operated by NJ Transit. In partnership with NY Waterway, Metro-North also provides ferry service across the Hudson River to Ossining station and Beacon station , with the Haverstraw–Ossining Ferry and Newburgh–Beacon Ferry respectively. Most of the trackage east of the Hudson River and in New York State
5504-551: The Hudson River. The SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District is contained within the zoned SoHo neighborhood. Originally ending in the west at the eastern side of West Broadway and to the east at the western side of Crosby Street, the SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District was expanded in 2010 to cover most of West Broadway and to extend east to Lafayette and Centre Streets. The boundary lines are not straight, and some block-fronts on West Broadway and Lafayette are excluded from
5632-637: The LIRR. The New Haven Railroad's trustees initially opposed New York Central's takeover of the New Haven Line, as they felt that the $ 140 million offer for the New Haven Line was too low. After some discussion, the trustees decided to continue operating the New Haven Line, but only until June 1967. In 1968, following the Erie Lackawanna's example, the NYC and its rival the Pennsylvania Railroad formed Penn Central Transportation with
5760-539: The M1-5a and M-5b districting was established to permit visual artists, certified as such by the Department of Cultural Affairs, to live where they worked. In 1987, non-artists residing in SoHo and NoHo were permitted to grandfather themselves, but that was the only extension to non-artists and was a one-time agreement. The area received landmark designation as the SoHo–Cast Iron Historic District in 1973. In 2005,
5888-420: The MTA also entered into a long-term lease of Penn Central's Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines. Penn Central continued to operate the now-subsidized lines under contract to the MTA. In April 1970, Rockefeller proposed that the state take over the Hudson and Harlem Lines, and the next month, he signed a bond issue that provided $ 44.4 million in funding to these lines. The MTA and ConnDOT took over ownership of
6016-506: The MTA and the United Transportation Union (UTU) broke off, Metro-North employees went on strike. Commuters were left to carpool or use shuttle buses running to subway stations in the Bronx. Metro-North wanted to eliminate minimum staffing requirements and wanted the complete freedom to assign crews–a demand that the employees would not agree to. This was the first strike to shut down the New Haven, Harlem, and Hudson at
6144-470: The MTA's "Mail&Ride" program where monthly passes are delivered by mail. There is a discount for buying tickets online and through Mail&Ride. A surcharge is added if a ticket is purchased on a train. Ticket types available include One-way, Round-trip (two One-way tickets), 10-trip, Weekly (unlimited travel for one calendar week), Monthly (unlimited travel for one calendar month), and special student and disabled fare tickets. MetroCards are available on
6272-408: The MTA, but NJ Transit owns all of the Pascack Valley Line, including the portion in Rockland County, New York . Most stops for the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines are in New Jersey, so NJ Transit provides most of the rolling stock and all the staff; Metro-North supplies some equipment. Metro-North equipment has been used on other NJ Transit lines on the Hoboken division. All stations west of
6400-434: The MTA. Three lines provide passenger service on the east side of the Hudson River to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan : the Hudson , Harlem , and New Haven Lines . The Beacon Line is a freight line owned by Metro-North but is not in service. The Hudson and Harlem Lines terminate in Poughkeepsie and Wassaic , New York, respectively. The New Haven Line is operated through a partnership between Metro-North and
6528-429: The NY&H from using steam power south of 42nd Street , due to complaints by persons whose property abutted the right-of-way . Before that, the steam locomotives had run to 32nd Street . When the ordinance took effect, the NY&H had not done anything. After much debate, including an injunction issued preventing the city from enforcing the ordinance, the courts struck down the injunction on July 30, 1858. In 1864,
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#17327726857016656-460: The NYC, the NYNH&H, and the Erie Lackawanna had to maintain service on these lines. Mergers between railroads were seen as a way to curtail these issues by combining capital and services and creating efficiencies. In February 1965, New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller and Connecticut Governor John N. Dempsey jointly suggested that operations of the New Haven Line, the New Haven Railroad 's struggling commuter rail operation, be transferred to
6784-518: The New Haven Line in January 1971. In May 1972, the MTA also gained ownership of the Hudson and Harlem Lines. Penn Central continued to operate all three routes under contract. As part of its plan to modernize the commuter lines, the MTA ordered high-speed "Cosmopolitan" railcars for the New Haven Line as well as for the Hudson and Harlem Lines. After a series of delays and derailments in mid-1972, which involved Penn Central trains near Grand Central Terminal, Chairman Ronan expressed his disapproval of
6912-400: The New Haven Line) and diesel power (branches and lines to eastern and northern New England). The NYNH&H saw much profitability throughout the 1910s and 1920s until the Great Depression of the 1930s forced it into bankruptcy. Commuter services west of the Hudson River, today's Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines, were initially part of the Erie Railroad . The Port Jervis Line, built in
7040-405: The New Haven Line, including the New Canaan, Danbury, and Waterbury branches, was owned by the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (NYNH&H). These branches were started in the 1830s with horse-drawn cars, later replaced by steam engines, on a route that connected Lower Manhattan to Harlem . Additional lines started in the mid-19th century included the New York and New Haven Railroad and
7168-436: The New York Central Railroad as part of a plan to prevent the New Haven Railroad from going bankrupt. If the operational merger occurred, the proposed Metropolitan Commuter Transit Authority (MCTA; now Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA) and the existing Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) would contract with New York Central to operate the New Haven Line to Grand Central Terminal. Due to growing debts,
7296-453: The New York State Department of Transportation announced that the Newburgh–Beacon Shuttle would be developed in conjunction with Metro-North, running from the Beacon station on the Hudson Line to the Newburgh park-and-ride on Route 17K . Metro-North spent the better part of its early days updating and repairing its infrastructure. Stations, track, and rolling stock all needed to be repaired, renovated, or replaced. The railroad succeeded and by
7424-428: The State of Connecticut. The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) owns the tracks and stations within Connecticut, and finances and performs capital improvements. MTA owns the tracks and stations and handles capital improvements within New York State. MTA performs routine maintenance and provides police services for the entire line, its branches and stations. New cars and locomotives are typically purchased in
7552-449: The appeal of lofts as living spaces, its architecture, and its reputation as a haven for artists all contributed to this change. The pattern of gentrification is typically known as the "SoHo Effect" and has been observed elsewhere in the United States. A backwater of poor artists and small factories in the 1970s, SoHo became a popular tourist destination for people seeking fashionable clothing and exquisite architecture, and home to some of
7680-401: The cast iron. An American architectural innovation, cast iron was cheaper to use for facades than materials such as stone or brick. Molds of ornamentation, prefabricated in foundries, were used interchangeably for many buildings, and a broken piece could be easily recast. The buildings could be erected quickly; some were built in four months. Despite the brief construction period, the quality of
7808-451: The cast-iron designs was not sacrificed. Bronze had previously been the metal most frequently used for architectural detail. Architects found that the relatively inexpensive cast iron could provide intricately designed patterns. Classical French and Italian architectural designs were often used as models for these facades. Because stone was the material associated with architectural masterpieces, cast iron, painted in neutral tints such as beige,
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#17327726857017936-410: The chances of a person being electrocuted by coming in contact with the rail. It also reduces the impact of icing in winter. The Hudson, Harlem and New Haven lines and the New Canaan branch and all passenger rolling stock is equipped with cab signalling , which displays the appropriate block signal in the engineer's cab. All rolling stock is equipped with Automatic Train Control (ATC), which enforces
8064-486: The city in the 1970s. The upper floors of many of these buildings had been built as commercial Manhattan lofts , which provided large, unobstructed spaces for manufacturing and other industrial uses. These spaces attracted artists who valued them for their large areas, large windows admitting natural light and low rents. Most of these spaces were also used illegally as living space, despite being neither zoned nor equipped for residential use. This widespread zoning violation
8192-593: The citywide averages of 24%, 11%, and 28% respectively. In addition, 5% of children are obese, the lowest rate in the city, compared to the citywide average of 20%. Ninety-six percent of residents eat some fruits and vegetables every day, which is more than the city's average of 87%. In 2018, 91% of residents described their health as "good", "very good", or "excellent", more than the city's average of 78%. For every supermarket in SoHo and Greenwich Village, there are 7 bodegas . The nearest major hospitals are Beth Israel Medical Center in Stuyvesant Town , as well as
8320-467: The coalition put forward a rezoning plan that would produce 3,400 additional housing units, nearly 700 of which would be affordable, and later that month the city officially proposed a similar plan that envisaged the creation of 3,200 new residential units and up to 800 affordable units. Observers suggested that the coalition's campaign for a residential rezoning had spurred a previously reluctant mayor to act, noting that even real estate industry groups like
8448-412: The cold water used to extinguish fire. In 1899, a building code mandating the backing of cast-iron fronts with masonry was passed. Most of the buildings that stand today are constructed in this way. It was the advent of steel as a major construction material that brought an end to the cast iron era. In the 1960s, the SoHo area was to have been the location of two enormous elevated highways that comprised
8576-435: The construction of residential buildings on empty lots in the historic district was permitted. Nevertheless, with no enforcement of the new zoning laws by the city, beginning in the 1980s, in a way that would later apply elsewhere, the neighborhood began to draw more affluent residents. Due to rent protection and stability afforded by the 1982 Loft Law , in addition to the fact that many of the artists owned their co-ops, many of
8704-417: The district are paved with Belgian blocks . SoHo is part of Manhattan Community District 2 and its primary ZIP Codes are 10012 and 10013. It is patrolled by the 1st and 5th Precincts of the New York City Police Department . Because of the nature of neighborhoods in New York City, different sources will often give different boundaries for each one. In the case of SoHo, all sources appear to agree that
8832-406: The eastern side of Manhattan Island, convinced that it would never be able to compete with steamboat traffic on the Hudson River. The first section, along Bowery from Prince Street north to 14th Street , opened on November 26, 1832. After that, the following sections opened: Between 1847 and 1856, a track was built in Grand Street between Centre Street and Bowery (along with one block on
8960-466: The enlarged windows. The strength of cast iron permitted high ceilings with sleek supporting columns, and interiors became expansive and functional. During cast iron's heyday, many architects thought it to be structurally more sound than steel. It was also thought that cast iron would be fire-resistant, and facades were constructed over many interiors built of wood and other flammable materials. When exposed to heat, cast iron buckled, and later cracked under
9088-449: The expanding "western trade." An easier and less-costly inland route, also to be named "Harlem Valley", was thus created. The company was incorporated on April 25, 1831 as the New York and Harlem Railroad, to link New York City with suburban Harlem . Among the company's founders was John Mason , a wealthy banker and president of Chemical Bank who was among the largest landowners in New York City. They decided to build their railroad on
9216-427: The federal government, the same year. Many of the other Northeastern railroads, including the Erie Lackawanna, followed Penn Central into bankruptcy, and so they had been merged into Conrail. However, the handover to private owners did not happen. In March 1981, the administration of President Ronald Reagan suggested that struggling Conrail commuter operations across five states be transferred to state agencies. At
9344-438: The first to be affected. Many railroads began to gradually discontinue their commuter lines after the war. By 1958, the NYC had already suspended service on its Putnam Division, while the newly formed Erie Lackawanna, in an effort to make a successful merger, began to prune some of its commuter services. Most New Yorkers still chose the train as their primary means of commuting, making many of the other lines heavily patronized. Thus
9472-500: The hope of revitalizing their fortunes. In 1969 the bankrupt NYNH&H was also combined into Penn Central by the Interstate Commerce Commission . However, this merger eventually failed, due to large financial costs, government regulations, corporate rivalries, and lack of a formal merger plan. In 1970 Penn Central declared bankruptcy, at the time the largest corporate bankruptcy ever declared. The same year,
9600-438: The importance of the artery to the city. Nevertheless, through the efforts of Jane Jacobs , Tony D'Apolito, Margot Gayle , and other local, civic, and cultural leaders, as well as SoHo artist residents themselves, the project was derailed. After the abandonment of the highway scheme, the city was left with a large number of historic buildings that were unattractive for the kinds of manufacturing and commerce that survived in
9728-418: The island, but which had become polluted and rank and a breeding ground for mosquitoes. A canal was built to drain the pond into the Hudson, and the canal and pond were both later filled in using earth from nearby Bayard's Hill. Once Broadway was paved and sidewalks were built there and along Canal Street, more people began to make their homes there, joining earlier arrivals such as James Fenimore Cooper . By
9856-571: The mainly residential and commercial present-day reality of the neighborhood. A coalition of nearly two dozen housing and social organizations, led by pro-housing advocacy group Open New York , and including the Citizens Housing and Planning Council , the Regional Plan Association , and Habitat for Humanity , seized on the idea of a rezoning as a means of alleviating the city's housing shortage . In October 2019,
9984-498: The mid 90s gained both respect and monetary success, according to the MTA's website. 2006 was the best year for the division, with a 97.8% rate of on-time trains, record ridership (76.9 million people), and a passenger satisfaction rating of 92%. In December 2017, the MTA announced that the Metro-North Railroad stations at White Plains , Harlem–125th Street , Crestwood , Port Chester , and Riverdale , would receive
10112-521: The mid-19th century, the early Federal - and Greek Revival -style homes were replaced by more-solid structures of masonry and cast iron, and along Broadway, large marble-skinned commercial establishments began to open, such as Lord & Taylor , Arnold Constable & Company and Tiffany & Company , as well as grand hotels such as the St. Nicholas and the Metropolitan. Theatres followed in their wake, and Broadway between Canal and Houston Streets became
10240-509: The most expensive real estate in the country. SoHo's chain outlets are clustered in the northern area of the neighborhood, along Broadway and Prince and Spring Streets . The sidewalks in this area are often crowded with tourists and with vendors selling jewelry, T-shirts, and other works. SoHo is known for its commercialization and eclectic mix of boutiques for shopping – although in 2010, it had twice as many chain stores as boutiques and three times as many boutiques as art galleries. Despite
10368-568: The nature of the neighborhood continued to drive out residents, and between 1860 and 1865 the Eighth Ward, which included the SoHo area, lost 25% of its population. After the Civil War and the Panic of 1873 , in the 1880s and 1890s, large manufacturers began to move into the area, especially textile firms, and the area became the mercantile and wholesale dry-goods trade center of the city, and
10496-513: The neighborhood was 66.1% (28,250) White , 2.2% (934) African American , 0.1% (30) Native American , 22.2% (9,478) Asian , 0% (11) Pacific Islander , 0.4% (171) from other races , and 2.6% (1,098) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.5% (2,770) of the population. The entirety of Community District 2, which comprises SoHo and Greenwich Village, had 91,638 inhabitants as of NYC Health 's 2018 Community Health Profile, with an average life expectancy of 85.8 years. This
10624-470: The next few years commuter lines under the control of Conrail were gradually taken over by state agencies such as the newly formed NJ Transit in New Jersey, the established SEPTA in southeastern Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in Boston. In March 1982, the MTA announced it would take over the Harlem, Hudson, and New Haven Lines as long as there was no extra operating cost involved. The MTA and ConnDOT officially took control of
10752-537: The north of Peekskill, such as Poughkeepsie, were considered to be long-distance services. The other major commuter line was the Putnam Division running from 155th Street in upper Manhattan (later from Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx ) to Brewster, New York . Passengers would transfer to the IRT Ninth Avenue Line for midtown and lower Manhattan . From the mid-19th century until 1969,
10880-544: The north were ended there. Freight trains continued to operate along the tracks south of Grand Central, as did streetcars (still turning off at 42nd Street). As in other early railroads , the dominant propulsion in the railroad's early years was horse power. In 1837, steam engines were introduced, but their use was limited to areas outside of the heavily settled parts of the city, which was then north of 23rd Street . The New York City Common Council passed an ordinance on December 27, 1854, to take effect in 18 months, barring
11008-464: The northern boundary is Houston Street , and the southern boundary is Canal Street , but the location of the eastern and western boundaries is disputed. In 1974, shortly after SoHo first came into existence, The New York Times described the boundaries as "stretching from Houston to Canal Streets between West Broadway and Lafayette Street " – a definition it continued to hold to in 2016 – but The Encyclopedia of New York City reports that SoHo
11136-645: The number of crimes is low compared to other NYPD precincts, the residential population is also much lower. With a non-fatal assault rate of 10 per 100,000 people, SoHo's rate of violent crimes per capita is less than that of the city as a whole. The incarceration rate of 100 per 100,000 people is also lower than that of the city as a whole. The 1st Precinct has a lower crime rate than in the 1990s, with crimes across all categories having decreased by 86.3% between 1990 and 2018. The precinct saw 1 murder, 23 rapes, 80 robberies, 61 felony assaults, 85 burglaries, 1,085 grand larcenies, and 21 grand larcenies auto in 2018. SoHo
11264-528: The only official reporting marks registered and recognized on AEI scanner tags is 'MNCW'. Rolling stock owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation bears the CTDOT seal and either the New Haven ("NH") logo or the MTA logo and is identified using the reporting mark 'CNDX'. Metro-North offers many different ticket types and prices depending on the frequency of travel and distance of
11392-641: The original pioneering artists remained despite the popular misconception that gentrification forced them to flee. Many residents have lived in the neighborhood for decades. In the mid-1990s, most of the galleries moved to Chelsea, but several galleries remain as of 2013, including DTR Modern Galleries, William Bennett Gallery, Martin Lawrence Galleries , Terrain Gallery , Franklin Bowles Gallery, and Pop International Gallery. SoHo's location,
11520-401: The other while running between the stations. Multi-system M8 railcars equipped with third rail shoes and pantographs are used for electric service on the line. The New Canaan Branch also uses overhead catenary. The Danbury Branch was electrified, but became a diesel line in 1961. The Waterbury Branch, the only east-of-Hudson Metro-North service which has no direct service to Grand Central,
11648-531: The ownership of NYC in 1914. NYC's four-track Water Level Route paralleled the Hudson River, Erie Canal, and Great Lakes on a route from New York to Chicago via Albany. It was fast and popular due to the lack of any significant grades. The section between Grand Central and Peekskill, New York , the northernmost station in Westchester County , became known as the NYC's Hudson Division, with frequent commuter service in and out of Manhattan. Stations to
11776-492: The passenger railroad system totaling 385 miles (620 km) of route . It is the second busiest commuter railroad in North America in terms of annual ridership, behind the Long Island Rail Road and ahead of NJ Transit (both of which also serve New York City). As of 2018 , Metro-North's budgetary burden for expenditures was $ 1.3 billion, which it supports through the collection of taxes and fees. In 2023,
11904-627: The possibility that the occupied space might be needed for the return of manufacturing to New York City. Pressured on many sides, and organizations such as the Artist Tenant Association and later the Soho Artist Association, the city abandoned attempts to keep the district as strictly industrial space, and in 1971, the Zoning Resolution was amended to permit Joint Live-Work Quarters for artists, and
12032-537: The potential for the plan to incentivize commercial development rather than residential, a criticism echoed by some of the housing advocates who had initially pushed for the plan. In 2022, a team of over 2,000 players constructed a recreation of Soho in the sandbox game Minecraft , as part of the COVID-19 Build the Earth movement. For census purposes, the New York City government classifies SoHo as part of
12160-489: The railroad $ 1.3 million. Richard Ravitch, the MTA Chairman, asked President Reagan to seek legislation to place the dispute under the law of New York State. Even though Metro-North was a state agency, the workers remained under federal law because Conrail was a federal agency. Reagan had turned down a request by Governor Mario Cuomo to intervene, but indicated that he would listen if a congressionally approved proposal
12288-557: The railroad was extended further, it provided a rail route for people and commerce northward to Albany , Boston , and towns in Vermont and Canada . The completion of the Harlem Valley Railroad also resulted in the availability of products transported by rail directly to New York City, rather than depending on river transport via Poughkeepsie . In 1831, when the New York and Harlem Railroad received its charter , it
12416-744: The railroad was purchased by Cornelius Vanderbilt , who consolidated it five years later with the Hudson River Railroad to form the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad: a precursor of the much larger New York Central Railroad . On July 2, 1870, horsecars started to run not only to the 34th Street Ferry but to 73rd Street via Madison Avenue . These trains ran through the Murray Hill Tunnel and turned west on 42nd before going north on Madison (northbound cars used Vanderbilt Avenue to 44th Street ). The line
12544-529: The railroad would have to cease operating passenger trains on the New Haven Line if nothing was done. A joint report from both agencies, released in September of that year, recommended that the line be leased to New York Central for 99 years, with the MCTA and CTA acting as agents for both states. In October, the MCTA found that the New Haven Line's stations and infrastructure were even more decrepit than those of
12672-586: The reverse side of the Round-trip, Weekly, and Monthly tickets. Prince Street (Manhattan) SoHo , short for "South of Houston Street ", is a neighborhood in Lower Manhattan , New York City. Since the 1970s, the neighborhood has been the location of many artists' lofts and art galleries, and has also been known for its variety of shops ranging from trendy upscale boutiques to national and international chain store locations. The area's history
12800-424: The ride. While the fare policies of the east of Hudson and west of Hudson divisions are essentially the same, west of Hudson trains are operated by NJ Transit using its ticketing system. Tickets may be bought from a ticket office at stations, ticket vending machines (TVMs), online through the "WebTicket" program or through apps for iOS and Android devices, or on the train. Monthly tickets may be bought through
12928-592: The same time period. SoHo and Greenwich Village's rate of elementary school student absenteeism is lower than the rest of New York City. In SoHo and Greenwich Village, 7% of elementary school students missed twenty or more days per school year , less than the citywide average of 20%. Additionally, 91% of high school students in SoHo and Greenwich Village graduate on time, more than the citywide average of 75%. There are no New York City Department of Education schools in SoHo, although there are several just outside its borders, including: The Montessori School in SoHo
13056-488: The same time since January 1961. The UTU also went on strike against NJ Transit, which took over Conrail lines in New Jersey, and against SEPTA in Philadelphia. Two weeks into the strike, Metro-North President Peter Stangl estimated that it lost $ 80,000 a week due to the strike. The chairman of the MTA's finance committee, Stephen Berger, feared that Metro-North would lose 5% of its pre-strike ridership of 90,000–costing
13184-408: The significant change in the neighborhood's character in the previous decades, by the end of the 2010s the area's zoning still reflected its industrial heritage; any new residential development required special permits. As such, in 2019 the city began a public consultation process called "Envision SoHo/NoHo" to plan for future growth and manage change, and ultimately to bring land use rules in line with
13312-508: The space roughly equidistant between Houston Street and Canal Street. In the 1990s, real estate agents began giving an adjacent neighborhood below West Houston Street various appellations, with no general agreement on whether it should be called (or included as part of) West SoHo, Hudson Square or the South Village . The AIA Guide calls that neighborhood "An intersection of brick and glass, searching for an identity", and refers to
13440-614: The speed dictated by the cab signal by a penalty brake application should the engineer fail to obey it. There are no intermediate wayside signals between interlockings: operation is solely by cab signal. Wayside signals remain at interlockings. These are a special type of signal, a go, a slow or a stop signal. They do not convey information about traffic in the blocks ahead – the cab signal conveys block information. Metro-North began upgrading its Operations Control Center in Grand Central Terminal in 2008. All control hardware
13568-434: The system had a ridership of 60,569,700, or about 235,300 per weekday as of the third quarter of 2024. The MTA has jurisdiction, through Metro-North, over railroad lines on the western and eastern portions of the Hudson River in New York. Service on the western side of the Hudson is operated by NJ Transit under contract with the MTA. Additionally, connecting ferry service is operated by NY Waterway , also under contract with
13696-446: The takeover, Metro-North was created as a division of the MTA, with Peter Stangl as president. Once under the MTA's control, the agency planned to phase in capital improvements over the following five years. As part of the transition, the MTA needed to negotiate new labor contracts with the 17 unions representing 5,000 Conrail employees who would become MTA employees and had to negotiate the transfer of most of Conrail's assets. Much work
13824-415: The teenage birth rate is based on a small sample size. SoHo and Greenwich Village have a low population of residents who are uninsured . In 2018, this population of uninsured residents was estimated to be 4%, less than the citywide rate of 12%, though this was based on a small sample size. The concentration of fine particulate matter , the deadliest type of air pollutant , in SoHo and Greenwich Village
13952-483: The then leaseholders of the line, New York City Railway , a streetcar operator, went into receivership. Following a further receivership in 1932, the New York Railways Corporation converted the line to bus operation . The Murray Hill Tunnel now carries a lane of road traffic, but not the buses. The line became part of the New York Central Railroad system with trackage rights granted to
14080-487: The threat to other historic structures, challenged the plans because of the threatened loss of a huge quantity of 19th-century cast-iron buildings. When John V. Lindsay became mayor of New York City in 1966, his initial reaction was to try to push the expressways through, dubbing the project the Lower Manhattan Expressway, depressing some of the proposed highway in residential areas and stressing
14208-495: The time, Conrail was being floated by the federal government as a private for-profit freight-only carrier. Even with state subsidies, the federal government did not want Conrail to take on the operating costs of the commuter lines, which it was relieved from by the Northeast Rail Service Act of 1981 . Thus, it became essential that state-owned agencies both operate and subsidize their commuter services. Over
14336-619: The two branches of the Lower Manhattan Expressway , a Robert Moses project that was intended to create an automobile and truck through-route connecting the Manhattan Bridge and Williamsburg Bridge on the east with the Holland Tunnel on the west. The young historic preservation movement and architectural critics, stung by the destruction of the original Pennsylvania Station in 1963 and
14464-448: The way Penn Central was running its railroads. He said that the proportion of trains running on schedule had declined after Penn Central had inherited the Hudson, Harlem, and New Haven Lines in 1968. In 1976, Congress awarded the MTA "temporary" funding so the LIRR and Penn Central commuter routes could be handed over to local private operators. The bankrupt Penn Central's commuter routes were taken over by Conrail , an entity created by
14592-533: The western section of it as "The Glass Box District". Unlike Hudson Square, the South Village has traditionally appeared on maps of Community District 2, centered near the intersection of Houston Street and Avenue of the Americas. The more recent map of Community District 2 contains both the South Village and Hudson Square, with the latter written in the area below Houston Street, between Hudson Street and
14720-477: The world. Approximately 250 cast-iron buildings stand in New York City, and the majority are in SoHo. Cast iron was initially used as a decorative front over a pre-existing building. With the addition of modern, decorative facades, older industrial buildings were able to attract new commercial clients. Most of these facades were constructed during the period from 1840 to 1880. In addition to revitalizing older structures, buildings in SoHo were later designed to feature
14848-488: Was an early commuter railroad connecting Harlem with lower Manhattan (New York City). Early in the 1840s, the Harlem Valley Railroad was extended northward into Westchester County , and then was authorized by the New York State Legislature to be further extended northward in order to create a connection with Albany. On May 12, 1846, a new competitor received its charter to build a railroad alongside
14976-561: Was first built from the original Grand Central Terminal on 23rd Street in New York City to suburban Harlem . Opposition to the charter was voiced by steamboat proprietors, whose service was successfully competed against by the new railroad; to avoid steamboat competition on the Hudson River, the tracks were laid on the east side of Manhattan Island, away from the Hudson. The railroad was extended an additional 125 miles (201 km) northward, reaching Chatham, New York in 1852. When
15104-535: Was forced to mortgage some of the property, which was divided up into lots, but even then there was very little development in the area, aside from some manufacturing at Broadway and Canal Street. Serious development of the area did not begin until the Common Council, answering the complaints of landowners in the area, drained the Collect Pond , which had once been an important source of fresh water for
15232-404: Was ignored for a long period of time, as the artist-occupants were using space for which there was little demand due to the city's poor economy at the time, and would have lain dormant or been abandoned otherwise. Nevertheless, as the artist population grew, the city made some attempts to stem the movement, concerned about the occupation of space that did not meet residential building codes, and
15360-558: Was issued. The strike lasted six weeks, and ended on April 18 when the two sides agreed to binding arbitration. The first major project undertaken by Metro-North was the extension of the third-rail electrification on the Harlem line from North White Plains to a new station at Brewster North (since renamed Southeast ). This was completed in 1984. During the late 1980s and early 1990s, all wayside signals that did not protect switches and interlockings north of Grand Central were removed and replaced by modern cab signaling . In October 1998,
15488-617: Was needed in reorganization, as significant business success would not appear for at least two decades, following the faltering railroad industry in the 1970s. Conrail and later Metro-North had decided to trim whatever services they felt were unnecessary. A significant portion of the old New York Central Central Harlem line between Millerton and Chatham , New York was abandoned by Conrail, leaving northeastern Dutchess and Columbia counties with no rail transportation. Most commuter lines were kept in service although they were in much need of repair. On March 7, 1983, after labor negotiations between
15616-872: Was replaced and software upgrades were performed. The new OCC at Grand Central opened over the weekend of July 18, 2010. Most of the rolling stock on west-of-Hudson lines consists of Metro-North owned and marked Comet V cars, although occasionally other NJ Transit (NJT) cars are used as the two railroads pool equipment. The trains are also usually handled by EMD GP40FH-2 , GP40PH-2 , F40PH-3C , Alstom PL42AC , or Bombardier ALP-45DP locomotives, although any Metro-North or NJ Transit diesel can show up. Metro-North owned and marked equipment operated by NJ Transit can also be seen on other NJ Transit lines. The Metro-North Railroad uses an electric fleet of M3A , M7A , and M8 electric multiple units . Multiple diesel locomotives and push-pull coaches are in use as well. Although Metro-North uses many abbreviations (MNCR, MNR, MN, etc.)
15744-546: Was returned to him after the sentence was annulled. In the 18th century natural barriers – streams and hills – impeded the growth of the city northward into the Bayard estate, and the area maintained its rural character. During the American Revolution , the area was the location of numerous fortifications , redoubts and breastworks . After the war, Bayard, who had suffered financially because of it,
15872-522: Was soon extended to 86th Street and then to Harlem . On April 1, 1873, the NY&H leased its freight lines to the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad , but the horsecar line south of Grand Central remained separate. This eventually became the New York Central Railroad and then part of Penn Central and Conrail . Metro-North Railroad took over the line in 1983. The first electric streetcar open to passengers in New York City ,
16000-582: Was the subject of significant real-estate speculation. This phase came to an end by the close of the 19th century, and as the center of the city continued to move uptown , the quality of the area declined. After World War II , the textile industry largely moved to the South, leaving many large buildings in the district unoccupied. In some buildings they were replaced by warehouses and printing plants, and other buildings were torn down to be replaced by gas stations, auto repair shops and parking lots and garages. By
16128-528: Was transferred to Conrail in 1976, when it absorbed most of Penn Central's railroad functions after Penn Central's bankruptcy. The system took its current form in 1983, when the MTA took over direct operation of Conrail's commuter services in the northern portion of the Tri-State Area and formed Metro-North to run them. There are 124 stations on Metro-North Railroad's five active lines, which operate on more than 787 miles (1,267 km) of track, with
16256-581: Was under the control of the New York Central Railroad (NYC). The NYC initially operated three commuter lines, two of which ran into Grand Central Depot (now Grand Central Terminal ). Metro-North's Harlem Line was initially a combination of trackage from the New York and Harlem Railroad and the Boston and Albany Railroad , running from Manhattan to Chatham, New York in Columbia County . At Chatham, passengers could transfer to long-distance trains on
16384-451: Was used to simulate stone. There was a profusion of cast iron foundries in New York, including Badger's Architectural Iron Works, James L. Jackson's Iron Works, and Cornell Iron Works. Since the iron was pliable and easily molded, sumptuously curved window frames were created, and the strength of the metal allowed these frames considerable height. The once-somber, gas-lit interiors of the industrial district were flooded with sunlight through
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