LocalMeanNew York

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SoHo

SOH-hoh

Boroughs & neighborhoodsClassic New York English

Local meaning

The Manhattan neighborhood name formed from “South of Houston Street,” associated with cast-iron buildings, loft history, shopping, galleries, and mixed uses.

SoHo is pronounced as one word and functions as a full neighborhood name, not merely an abbreviation. Its commonly understood boundaries vary, and the name has become a model for other compressed neighborhood labels in New York and elsewhere.

Example in context

  1. “They spent the afternoon walking around SoHo.”

How it is used

A well-established Manhattan neighborhood name south of Houston Street; exact edges depend on the map or speaker.

Tone

neutral, place-specific

Setting

directions, shopping, housing, architecture, tourism

Regional scope

A well-established Manhattan neighborhood name south of Houston Street; exact edges depend on the map or speaker.

Watch for

The name does not summarize the neighborhood’s full residential, industrial, artistic, and displacement history.

Spelling and scope

A well-established Manhattan neighborhood name south of Houston Street; exact edges depend on the map or speaker.

Search forms
SoHo NYC meaningSouth of Houston StreetSoHo neighborhood acronym

LocalMean keeps common search spellings discoverable without claiming that every borough, community, or generation uses one written form.

Frequently asked questions

What does SoHo stand for in New York?

It is commonly explained as South of Houston Street.

How is Houston pronounced in SoHo?

The Manhattan street is pronounced HOW-stun, not like the Texas city.

Read next

All words →
proper nickname; neighborhood nameNoHo

A Manhattan neighborhood name formed from “North of Houston Street,” located near Greenwich Village, the East Village, and SoHo.

initialism; place labelLES

The standard local initialism for Manhattan’s Lower East Side neighborhood, pronounced as separate letters.

adverb; adjective; nounDowntown

Toward the southern or lower-numbered-street direction in Manhattan; it can also refer to Lower Manhattan or other context-specific central areas.

Evidence and further reading

These sources support the regional association, dictionary sense, or broader spread. The entry remains open to correction from New York speakers and qualified reviewers.