SoHo

In addition to nonstop shopping in SoHo (South of Houston), make sure to walk down Broadway and admire the neighborhood’s cast-iron buildings, as SoHo showcases the world’s largest collection of this type of architecture. Plus, you can check out the work of talented local and international artists in the galleries that pop up around the area. If you want to explore further, Greenwich Village, Little Italy, and Chinatown are all within walking distance.

Tours of downtown Manhattan and New York City, including hop-on hop-off bus tours, include stops throughout SoHo. Wine-tasting and other walking tours dive deeper into the neighborhood’s distinct offerings.

• SoHo is a must for shopaholics and trend-seekers visiting New York City.

• Wear comfortable shoes if you plan to walk around the uneven cobblestone streets.

• Keep in mind that New York’s Houston is pronounced “house-ton,” not like the city in Texas.

• Some shops and streets in SoHo are accessible to wheelchair users, but steps and cobblestones can make access tricky.

SoHo—bordered by Canal Street to the south, Sixth Avenue to the west, Crosby Street to the east, and West Houston Street to the north—is easily accessible by subway. The A, C, and E trains stop at Spring and Canal Streets; the B, D, F, and M trains stop along Houston Street at Broadway-Lafayette; the 6 stops just north of SoHo at Bleecker and Canal streets; the R and W trains stop at Prince Street; and the J, N, Q, and R stop at Canal Street.

New York City is both amazing and crowded year-round. SoHo is the busiest with shopping tourists and locals during weekends and the holiday season; to avoid the throngs, visit the neighborhood in the early morning. There is typically a swell of visitors into SoHo during the Feast of San Gennaro, which takes place over 11 days in mid-September in nearby Little Italy.

In the late 1800s, Italian immigrants settled in this New York neighborhood, bringing with them their customs and, of course, cuisine. Although the area has shrunk over the years, mainly confined to several blocks of Mulberry Street now, Little Italy is still filled with restaurants serving Italian staples and desserts like cannoli and gelato. Its annual Feast of San Gennaro, which celebrates the patron saint of Naples, is one of the oldest street fairs in the city.