Manhattan's Newest Historic District Protects 10 Blocks of SoHo

SOHO, NY — New York City’s Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the Sullivan-Thompson Historic District on Tuesday morning, a huge victory for local preservationists who wanted the area protected from hungry real-estate developers.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation, in particular, has been pushing for the 10 blocks between Houston, MacDougal, Watts and West Broadway — located in western SoHo, just south of Greenwich Village — to be landmarked for years. The area is home to almost 160 beautiful old buildings, many of which were built between the early 19th century and 1920.(Map below.)

This will be NYC's 140th historic district.

“With developers including Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner buying up properties in the area and tearing down historic buildings, landmark protections cannot come a moment too soon," the society’s executive director, Andrew Berman, said the day before the vote.

Related: City to Vote on Expanding Greenwich Village Historic District

This new landmarked area rounds out the three-part South Village Historic District, in the works for a full decade now. The other two parts are located above Houston, and have already been approved.

GVSHP, the South Village community, will hold a community celebration tonight from 6-7 p.m. at the Film Forum at 209 W. Houston St. Residents are invited to toast the South Village and this preservation victory with drinks and light snacks. RSVP is required and can be done so here.

Images courtesy of the Landmarks Preservation Commission