The Broadway and Lafayette station is in close proximity to various neighborhoods full of rich history and culture. It’s located at the heart of the NoHo District, which means “North of Houston” and is located between Greenwich Village and the East Village.

During the early 1900s, the NoHo area was mostly occupied by textile trades. ¹ It was the booming center of a garment industry that mass-produced clothing. Most of the buildings in the district were lofts specifically constructed for warehouse and manufacturing purposes. The Great Depression of the 1930s resulted in an astounding unemployment rate of 25%, and about thirteen to fifteen million workers were jobless. ² When putting food on the table became difficult, shopping for pretty dresses or spiffy suits was a luxury for most people. And eventually, factories were forced to find cheaper fabrics and cost-efficient methods of producing garments. Expensive materials were replaced with more affordable ones, and fashion in the 30s generally shifted from the extravagant designs of the previous decade to simpler outfits. ³ Popular magazines were also affected by the Depression. As ink became pricier, magazine ads showed less color. ⁴ 

Over time, the thriving textile industry in NoHo began relocating to other developing areas uptown. There was a gradual increase of vacancy in the lofts. Two reasons explain such a shift. First, owners of the garment industry wanted to be “closer to the major department stores in the Herald Square area.” ⁵ Second, the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire exposed the poor conditions in neighborhood factories. Located only two blocks from the NoHo district, Triangle lacked proper exits or any means of escape. It was common practice for employers to lock their workers and over 140 women employees died from the fire. After Triangle, officials created new requirements for safer and improved commercial buildings, and upgrading the old lofts was just too expensive. ⁶

During the Great Depression, the NoHo area also experienced a large number of foreclosures. ⁷ And most properties were retained by banks that held the mortgages. As the economy improved, industries like metal suppliers, wire manufacturers and low-end garment manufacturers “employing poorly paid immigrant workers” occupied the neighborhood. ⁸ But soon these manufacturers moved out in search of cheaper land and better connection to the highways. Young artists, who were attracted to the low rents of the deteriorating lofts, filled the spaces and lured more residents to the area. As the area population steadily grew, “these loft neighborhoods which had been known collectively as the ‘warehouse district’ were eventually renamed” ⁸

Written by Hye Min L.

Back