DK Travel : New York : SoHo and TriBeCa

Until recently, the area named for its shape (TRIangle BElow CAnal) consisted mostly of abandoned warehouses. Then Robert De Niro set up his Tribeca Film Center, stylish restaurants began to open, and the big loft spaces started to draw celebrity residents. Now TriBeCa is one of New York’s hottest neighborhoods, the center of the city’s movie industry with a TriBeCa Film Festival and plenty of nightlife. SoHo (South of Houston) has also come full circle. The empty loft spaces first drew artists, then galleries, then crowds of browsers and the restaurants to serve them. The new chic image quickly drove up rents and drove out many galleries. Some remain, and the streets are lined with designer clothing and home furnishing boutiques, maintaining SoHo’s lure as the city’s favorite Sunday brunch-and-browse neighborhood. Both areas boast the cast-iron architecture that is a New York specialty.

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A Stroll Around SoHo and TriBeCa

Morning

The Bleecker Street subway stop is a good starting point to explore Soho’s shops and galleries. Galleries worth a visit are Deitch Projects, No. 59; Peter Blum, No. 99; and Spencer Brownstone at 39 Wooster St; and David Beitzel at 102 Prince St. Greene Street has a number of interesting boutiques, such as Plein Sud, Helmut Lang, and Vivienne Tam. Galleries worth a visit in this area are Beizel, No. 102, Kent, No. 67 Prince Street, and Haller, No. 560, and Ross, No. 568 Broadway.

The Drawing Centerp43) exhibits work from emerging artists and is great for poetry readings. This is also a prime area for photography galleries. The most interesting are Janet Borden, June Bateman, and Staley Wise, all located at 560 Broadway. Afterwards, stop for a pancake lunch at Palacinka, 28 Grand Street, between 6th Avenue and Thompson Street.

Afternoon

Drop in on designer boutiques Miu Miu, 100 Prince Street, and Anna Sui, 113 Greene Street, before proceeding to TriBeCa. Take a stroll along White and Harrison streets to view the historic architecture and stop for a drink at the Church Lounge .

Spend the rest of the afternoon taking in the exhibits at the Apex Art Gallery, 291 Church Street, and the Ace Gallery, 275 Hudson Street, a cavernous space showing large-scale art. Make your way to Dylan Prime for an early evening cocktail then head to TriBeCa to a leading restaurant, such as Danube, Nobu, Bouley, or Montrachet.
Balthazar

As close to a Parisian bistro as you’re likely to find in SoHo, Balthazar’s only problem is its popularity. A buzzing scene.
Bouley

David Bouley can’t go wrong when it comes to food. The room isn’t memorable, but the New French cuisine is heavenly.
Canal Street

The end of SoHo, the beginning of TriBeCa, and a world of its own, no street better shows the contrasts of New York. Canal Street is crowded with peddlers selling fake Rolex watches and Gucci bags, electronics that may or may not be new, and bargain stores offering sneakers, jeans, and flea-market finds. Keep walking east into Chinatown, and the sidewalk goods shift to vegetables and displays of fish.
Church Lounge

Almost the entire ground floor of the hotel is devoted to this popular bar with plush seats and a dramatic eight-story atrium.
Danube

Light as air “nouveau Austrian” food at David Bouley’s warm and wonderful TriBeCa restaurant.
Dylan Prime

An extensive cocktail menu, and an attractive space with lofty ceilings help make this a current hotspot.
Grand Bar

Like its sister TriBeCa Grand, the SoHo Grand is a neighborhood nightlife mecca, comfortable, softly lit, with food if you want it, and filled with beautiful people.
Greene Street

Cast-iron architecture flourished in New York in the late 19th century, as a way to produce decorative elements such as columns and arches and create impressive buildings inexpensively. Greene Street, between Canal and Grand streets, and between Broome and Spring streets, has 50 of these beauties, rows of columned façades creating a striking streetscape.
Hampton Chutney Co.

Perfect for an inexpensive snack of dosas: crêpes stuffed with creative combinations.

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Restaurant price categories

For a three-course meal for one with a glass of house wine, and all unavoidable charges including tax.
- under $25
- $25-$50
- $50-$80
- over $80