NoHo, Historic district in Lower Manhattan, United States.
NoHo is a compact district in southern Manhattan that runs from Houston Street to East 8th Street, framed by Mercer Street on the west and Bowery on the east. The streets are lined with multistory buildings featuring cast-iron facades dating mainly from the 19th century, now home to lofts, shops, and performance spaces.
In the mid-18th century the site held Jacob Sperry's botanical garden, until John Jacob Astor transformed the area into an upscale residential district in the early 19th century. As Manhattan expanded northward, the district evolved into a commercial and warehouse zone with cast-iron facades before reverting to residential use in the late 20th century.
The three blocks between Broadway and Bowery still carry names like Great Jones Street and Bond Street, reminders of the area's aristocratic beginnings. Former warehouses and commercial buildings now house art galleries, design studios, and small theaters that give the district its creative character.
The district sits between two major thoroughfares and can be crossed on foot from east to west in a few minutes. Several subway lines stop at Astor Place and Broadway-Lafayette Street stations, providing connections to other parts of Manhattan.
At the intersection of Lafayette Street and Astor Place stands a rotating steel sculpture named Alamo, installed in 1967 and turned by hand by students and visitors. The work weighs several tons but moves easily on a bearing and has become an informal meeting point.
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