Few neighborhoods in New York City have reinvented themselves as many times as Soho has. Once an industrial district of cast-iron warehouses, Soho (which stands for “South of Houston Street”) became a beacon for artists in the 1960s and ’70s. And while the neighborhood was never as synonymous with music as its neighbor Greenwich Village was and continues to be, it nevertheless played a pivotal role in downtown New York’s creative, combustible community.

 

Here are FIVE venues that put Soho on the musical map:

 

1.  112 Greene Street
The experimental, alternative artist-run space at 112 Greene Street (aka 112 Workshop) hosted everything from avant-garde jazz to Italian folk and beyond. After the original space ceased operations in 1978, it moved to a new home in the West Village. Now known as White Columns, it’s New York’s longest-running alternative arts space.

 

2. The Kitchen
The Kitchen began as an eclectic arts space in 1971 in Greenwich Village, before moving to its Soho location at 59 Wooster Street. It was a groundbreaking space for experimental music, video, art, and multimedia performances, presenting composers and genre-bending musicians connected to the downtown scene. It now holds events at its new location in Chelsea, currently under renovation.

 

3. Artist House
This multi-use space was located at 131 Prince Street, where legendary jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman converted the first floor of the building into a rehearsal and music venue. Coleman’s 1970 album Friends and Neighbors was recorded there.

 

4. Paradise Garage
Known as the “birthplace of the modern dance club,” this former Soho parking structure at 84 King Street became a beacon for dance, pop, DJ and LGBTQ+ culture. It ceased operation in 1987.

 

5. 10 Bleecker Street
In the 1970s, famed minimalist composer Philip Glass moved into the top floor of 10 Bleecker Street. His ensemble held intimate performances and rehearsed his acclaimed composition “Music in Twelve Parts” there.