Glad tidings from the neighborhood blog Soho Politics:
At a recent meeting in SoHo, the not-so-silent minority in Downtown politics celebrated a small success at the Pomegranate Gallery. The focus of the this mini-celebration was the fact that a local shop, Greene Street Antiques, had taken up residence at 76 Wooster Street - the location where multiple bar/restaurants have attempted to set up shop. There were a number of applicants who fought to ensconce themselves in this quintessential SoHo location but were turned down at the Community Board or were fought vigorously in the courts. From upscale restaurants to art bars-cum-nightclub/lounges, the applicants kept coming and the SoHo irregulars fought them off.Other positive old-tyme Soho indicators cited by the blog:
1) Just "roughly 50%" of Jean Nouvel-designed 40 Mercer units have sold to date
2) The development slated for the parking lot at 311 West Broadway has stalled. "Parking is still available at that site."
3) Whoa—plans for the Ian Schrager hotel at 350 West Broadway are reportedly in trouble. Local word has the property on the block, asking $60 million for the site. "That's up from about $25 million less than a year ago. Well, you know, it's New York, its inflation, its SoHo baby, you gotta be in it to win it."
Next, we foresee the art galleries rolling back in, followed by the artists taking over the suddenly decaying castiron buildings. That's to be followed ten years' hereafter by the bulldozing of the slums of southern Soho to build an expressway across Manhattan. Get in while there's still time.
· State of Soho [Soho Politics]