Nolita

Why go

The grid between Houston Street, the Bowery, Broome Street and Lafayette Street is manageable as part of a wider Lower Manhattan walk. St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral and the Puck Building give the area interest beyond browsing. Those landmarks help distinguish it from neighboring shopping streets and from Midtown’s similarly named cathedral.

What to look for

• St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral anchors the Mulberry, Mott and Prince Street area.
• The ornate Puck Building stands at Houston and Lafayette Streets.

The full story

The area was long considered part of Little Italy. Nolita, meaning north of Little Italy, became established during the 1990s as boutiques, restaurants and changing property values encouraged a separate neighborhood identity. The label follows SoHo’s abbreviated geographic naming pattern, but the older buildings show that this was not a newly created place. St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral opened in 1815 and was rebuilt after a fire in the nineteenth century. It served as New York’s Catholic cathedral before the new building on Fifth Avenue opened in 1879. Its presence explains an important distinction for visitors: the downtown church and Midtown cathedral are separate sites. The Puck Building, built in 1885 for the magazine of that name, adds a publishing landmark to the neighborhood. Together they give a historical framework to streets now associated with smaller shops and cafés.

Useful to know

• Use the Old Cathedral and Puck Building as reference points for a neighborhood walk.
• Combine Nolita with SoHo to the west or Little Italy to the south.

Your next visit

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