| Neighborhood
at risk: NoHo
When the Commission designated the
NoHo Historic District in June 1999, 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.
NoHo has a rich history, expressed
in a wide variety of building styles and types, yet it retains a
cohesive sense of place. Row houses, tenements, store and loft buildings,
factory buildings and even stables all comprise this unique area
of Manhattan. 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 original boundaries of the district
were developed to preserve NoHo in its entirety and protect the
area’s distinctive residential, commercial and manufacturing
buildings. Without designation of the entire proposed extension,
the NoHo Historic District remains incomplete. 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 become
developed. Contextual development of these sites would greatly reinforce
the district’s character by ensuring that new construction
along its edges would be appropriate. We applaud the Landmarks Commission
for taking the initial steps to protect the NoHo neighborhood. The
time has come to complete the district so that the entirety of historic
NoHo is equally protected under the Landmarks Law.
Also see NoHo featured in HDC's Expanding
Historic District Boundaries project
For more information, visit:
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