In 1978, a ragtag band of artist residents of Soho‘s 45 Crosby Street won what the New York Times called “an impressive victory.” The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development had granted the former industrial building’s title to its residents in exchange for merely the “sweat equity” of getting it up to code (estimated cost: $164,000), making it the city’s first loft building exclusively set aside for low-income artists. Now, a 2,100-square-foot loft co-op in the building, which has been home to artists ever since, is asking $3 million.

Times change, the loft remains a classic

You wouldn’t need to worry about where to get away this summer if you lived in this ultra-luxurious Soho penthouse, which comes with a stunning 40-foot lap pool and two landscaped roof terraces. Part of an overall building renovation by COOKFOX, this glamorous six-bedroom, 6,900-square-foot unit at 62 Wooster Street comes with all the best modern amenities—and a price tag to match! The residence is currently available to rent for $75,000 a month.

Get the full tour

Listing photos by Tim Waltman for Compass; photo of Bethenny Frankel via Wiki Commons

Bethenny Frankel, one of the original cast members of “The Real Housewives of New York City” and founder of Skinnygirl, has just relisted her Soho apartment for $4,375,000, a price chop from the 2017 asking price of $5,250,000 and an optimistic move after listing it as a $13,000/month rental (h/t New York Post). Despite the 17 percent price reduction, Frankel still stands to make a small profit on the unit, which she bought for $4.2 million in 2014. Located on a cobblestone block in the neighborhood’s historic cast-iron district, the residence at 22 Mercer Street is a roomy 2,392-square-foot two-bedroom outfitted with chic designer furnishings.

Take a look inside

$7.995 million might seem steep for this grand 3,600-square-foot cast iron loft at 148 Greene Street, but the Soho co-op property comes with some great perks in addition to keyed elevator access, 13-foot ceilings, and 12 massive windows. First, the space contains two units, giving you the flexibility to use it for live/work purposes or reconfigure it for one sprawling full-floor home. More benefits: There are no tax or maintenance fees. Also, owners in the building benefit from proceeds of the commercial lease space on the ground floor.

More loft loveliness, this way

Photo courtesy of Compass. Photo credit: Donna Dotan.

The interiors of this fifth-floor co-op at 12 Greene Street in Soho bring to mind a perfectly redesigned deco-era London terrace house or a dreamy country estate more than the average Manhattan penthouse. To top it off, three levels of private roof terrace gardens wouldn’t be out of place in either, complete with mature trees and a reflecting pool. As unusual as it is expensive–it’s asking $9.95 million–this three-bedroom downtown oasis boasts a renovation that spared no luxury and considered every angle, from a rustic loft-like kitchen and a fabulous array of bespoke floor tiles to the aforementioned gardens.

Take the tour

Image: Trump Soho; Donald Trump via Wikimedia Commons

After a prolonged economic slump and a not-so-subtle rebranding, Soho’s Dominick Hotel—formerly known as the Trump Soho—has experienced a formidable increase in revenue, as Bloomberg reports. The revenue per available room rose more than 20 percent from last year. The hotel’s average nightly rate increased by $51 (a 20 percent increase compared to just 2 percent among the hotel’s competitors) and had 7,000 more bookings in 2018 than in 2017.

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A rare find, this quintessential Soho artist’s loft in original condition has hit the market for the first time in 40 years, seeking $4,250,000. Located at 133 Wooster Street in the heart of Soho’s Cast-Iron Historic District, the sprawling 3,300-square-foot space has no shortage of pre-war details. The sunny corner unit boasts 17 oversized windows with southern and eastern exposures, 10-foot tin ceilings, and original cast-iron columns. Currently the home and studio of a painter, the space is configured with two bedrooms and one-and-a-half baths, but the open, angular layout offers a lot of flexibility for future owners.

Peek inside

McNally Jackson bookstore on Prince Street. Image by Carl Mikoy via Flickr.

Bad news took a U-turn at the start of this year when beloved independent bookstore McNally Jackson announced that it would not be closing its doors on Prince Street in Soho after all. The news came a few months after after owner Sarah McNally, who opened the store in 2004, announced the store would be moving out of the neighborhood due to a 136 percent rent increase (from $350,000 to $850,000). The flagship location of the bookstore is not merely staying open; it will be launching new branches in Williamsburg and Laguardia Airport, and as New York Magazine reports, is on an expansion binge of sorts with stores planned for South Street Seaport and Downtown Brooklyn‘s new City Point complex.

More books for everyone

Image: Steven Pisano via Flickr.

The Department of City Planning, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer and City Council Member Margaret Chin announced today the launch of a six-month public engagement process addressing the future of NYC’s Soho and Noho neighborhoods. The series of public meetings and consultation with local stakeholders are an early phase in outlining a vision for the future of those neighborhoods; the city’s plans include updating what many consider outdated zoning laws, including the removal of rarely-enforced restrictions on ground floor retail tenancy and Soho’s Artist In Residence law.

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