SoHo – New York’s former red light district, current artist haven, and absolute retail mecca…
It’s got art at its heart
Fashion is definitely an art form, and many of the best designers are inspired by physical artwork and the creative types associated with it. This artsy district is the ideal place to pick up some style inspiration – both from the trendy artists themselves who are living in SoHo, and a variety of awesome art galleries located in the area. A short shopping intermission for a gallery visit or two will be a welcome break for your wallet as well!
Flagship heaven
SoHo is home to many amazing flagship stores so even if you’re just window shopping it makes for an impressive retail experience. Shopping in a flagship store gets you just about as close to the original designer as you can get. These locations are usually used to test out new merchandise and the designer/ owner is often directly involved in the design, layout and operation of their flagship. For fashion lovers, it’s a chance to see products the way they were meant to be seen, and it’s a pretty great experience that you can only find in select cities and neighbourhoods.
Style for every budget
Unlike a trip to Madison Avenue you can definitely spend your day in Soho and leave with a bunch of colourful bags to swing on your arms like Carrie Bradshaw – without selling an internal organ to fund your transactions. Of course, SoHo has the high fashion staples that New York is known for, but for us fashionistas on a budget you can count on your favourite commercial chains like H&M, and even some international budget-friendly favourites like Uniqlo.
Size matters
The area of SoHo is a national historic landmark with the greatest collection of cast-iron buildings in the world. It’s also huge – 26 blocks and 500 buildings mean lots of space to wander and shop the hours away. And those buildings and blocks aren’t just your typical city sights either – lofts galore, cobblestone streets and that unique cast-iron architecture bring the cool factor to new levels with an old-world European twist on the NYC classic scene. Not only can you find the coolest clothes in SoHo, but buying them in the coolest buildings around just makes every purchase that much more rewarding.
Boutiques
The artsy crowd are the experts on hand made, one of a kind, lifelong treasures. Pieces that you pass down to future generations, or that inspire you to change your whole style just to better match your new favourite purchase. Those kinds of iconic pieces are waiting for you in the numerous little boutiques in SoHo.
Cronuts, and more epic eats
Shopping can be exhausting and is best paired with a few food breaks, and when you’re in New York you should never settle for mediocre eats. As the home of the holy cronut, aka the croissant-doughnut fusion that has taken North America by storm, SoHo has tons of variety for grabbing a quick bite or a fancy lunch, and hey, if you’re already in the area it would be silly NOT to grab a cronut (or seven) before you go…
Home décor – because everyone wants a trendy loft
Many of us grew up watching Friends, Gossip Girl or Sex and the City, fantasizing endlessly about having a downtown loft apartment with huge windows and that NYC signature eclectic mix of décor. Now that you’re an adult with the ability to decorate your own space, why not make that fantasy a reality? You can absolutely bring a little New York loft flavour into your home by picking up some accessories in the home of trendy lofts and fabulous stores. And when it comes to home décor stores, SoHo has a ton of them – and some great ones too. So when everyone asks where you got that adorable conversation piece on your coffee table, you can tell them it was a trendy shop in NYC – it will never get old.
