When I first moved to New York City, in order to attend NYU, I thought that NoHo was probably the coolest place in the world. MacDougal Street, Thompson Street, Bleeker Street... I was pretty much in awe. There were all kinds of shiny, flashing lights mixed in with beautiful brick and stone three to six story buildings, jazz clubs, hookah bars, and restaurants serving nationalistic cuisines I didn't know existed. Ethiopian food was pretty much a new concept to me at the time, and so was Jamaican. I mean, I know that they had food, I just had no idea what the hell it consisted of. At this point, I was also pronouncing Houston Street like the city in Texas, rather than the proper house-ton, so basically what I'm saying is that I was totally clueless but fascinated by everything. NoHo seemed like the center of the world. It is the area between Washington Square Park and Houston Street, aka North of Houston, which leads to NoHo. SoHo is named such for being South of Houston (but more about that tomorrow).
Still, I think of NoHo as an excellent night-time hang out neighborhood, or a great place to grab a cafe lunch and sit outside. There are so many options, all so close together. Plus, there are some excellent murals and little niche shops crammed in between the residential buildings and restaurants.
Just remember... TASTE THE DIFFERENCE.
Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
