NoHo and NoHo East Historic Districts and Proposed extension

NoHo’s historic architecture represents the neighborhood’s successive waves of population and use changes. While NoHo’s appearance is dominated by commercial and manufacturing architecture, the neighborhood as a whole contains many vestiges of each period of its development. Close inspection of NoHo reveals remarkable diversity; Federal and Greek Revival residences, Italian Renaissance cultural institutions, Romanesque Revival manufacturing structures, and cast-iron commercial palaces can be seen side by side. NoHo, more than many other neighborhoods, is about the evolution of a neighborhood through time. Its essential character is eclectic and varied but constant, and therein lies its strength.

The Landmarks Preservation Commission has designated two districts in NoHo: the NoHo Historic District, designated in 1999, and the NoHo East Historic District, designated in 2003. When the Commission designated the first NoHo Historic District, the community greeted the new district with mixed feelings. On one hand, the designation included much of a neighborhood with a rich cultural and architectural history. On the other hand, nearly one-third of the district that the Friends of NoHo Architecture, HDC and other groups had originally recommended was omitted. It was only with the understanding that a second phase of designation would soon include the remaining area that the concept of phasing had any support at all.

When the Commission designated the second phase of the NoHo neighborhood in 2003, however, a core section of proposed district–that part bounded by East 4th Street and Bond Street, the Bowery and Lafayette Place–still remained unprotected. The low-scale buildings along these blocks are some of the most significant, yet fragile remnants of early 20th century commercial buildings in the neighborhood.

Development pressures in NoHo are great. Within the non-designated area are a number of soft sites, and since 1999, many prominent corner sites have been developed. More recently, several large new developments on Bond Street and Great Jones Street have threatened the character of the neighborhood. Contextual development of these sites would greatly reinforce the district’s character by ensuring that new construction along its edges would be appropriate. The Historic Districts Council continues to advocate along with the Friends of NoHo Architecture and the NoHo Neighborhood Association to extend the designated area in NoHo to include the blocks west of the Bowery, east of Lafayette, north of Bleecker and south of West 4th Street.

Also see NoHo featured as one of HDC's Neighborhoods at Risk

Other Case Studies