Neighborhoods around Broadway and Lafayette station is not the warehouse district it used to be. Now it has become and remains as a historic district with notable structures such as the Cable Building and the Joseph Papp Public Theater, where you can watch several productions by aspiring playwrights and artists. Not only that but “great bookstores like Mercer Street Books and Shakespeare & Co.” can be found as “NoHo’s loft-heavy residential offerings have been home to artists and writers”. ¹ For more culture, one can visit Angelika Film Center located at the corner of Houston Street and Mercer Street to view independent films. Or the Astor Place Theatre at Lafayette Street for off-Broadway shows.

The Cable Building. VIa (http://newyorkdailyphoto.com/nydppress/?p=1263)

Astor Place Theatre. Via (http://aytch.mnsu.edu/URBS110/Romantic%20Era/)

Neighborhoods surrounding the Broadway and Lafayette station are also one of the best shopping areas in the city. Some of the stores you can find in SoHo include H&M, Bloomingdale’s, Chanel Boutique, D&G Dolce&Gabbana, French Connection, Uniqlo, Zara, Marc Jacobs, and TopShop. It remains as one of the most popular destinations for not only New Yorkers but for tourists around the world.

TopShop in Soho. Via (http://ljacobs26.wordpress.com/2011/06/19/ethnography-part-1-soho-the-transformer/)

Bloomingdales in SoHo. Via (http://sohostroll.wordpress.com/page/2/)

A little walk from the station leads you to two completely different neighborhoods of unique cultures. First is Little Italy. Restaurants in the area offer an authentic Italian dining experience and many stores carry imported Italian groceries. Also, St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral is a must-see destination of the area. The breathe-taking cathedral attracts many visitors because of its appearance in the movie The Godfather. For those who desire a more intimate encounter with the Italian immigrants in Little Italy, he/she can attend San Gennaro festival, which takes place every fall.

Little Italy, NYC. Via (http://thenyknow.com/2011/02/best-of-chinatown-in-nyc/)

St. Patrick's Cathedral. Via (http://www.sunlituplands.org/2012/03/new-yorks-st-patricks-cathedral-to-be.html)

Adjacent to Little Italy is Chinatown. Chinatown in Manhattan is expanding and offers a variety of rich cultural experiences. A wide range of affordable Asian dining experiences is available as well as street vendors that carry all kinds of different items. Chinatown is both a commercial and a residential area. It is primarily compromised of crowded tenement apartments that endured the test of time. The streets are very crowded but there is much see. Great tea for “devotees of Chinese and Japanese tea” will be highly satisfied by the tea collection in the heart of Chinatown. ² Another great cultural experience is the Asian Lunar New Year Festival, which takes place around Broadway and Bowery.

Crowded streets of Chinatown, NYC. Via(http://thenyknow.com/2011/02/best-of-chinatown-in-nyc/)

Written by Hye Min L.

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