The 15 Best Things to do in NoHo NYC
As one of the smallest neighborhoods in New York City, NoHo is famous for having one of the greatest underground music scenes in American history. NoHo is very artsy and features impressive dining and nightlife options.
There is a lot going on in the tiny little area of NoHo. In this guide, you’ll find out what you shouldn’t miss while visiting the area bounded by Broadway to the west and Bowery to the east with an extension south from Astor Place all the way to Houston Street.
Top 5 Things to do in NoHo NYC
- Cooper Union – Cooper Union is a highly rated private college located in Manhattan, New York in the New York City Area. It is a small institution with an enrollment of 859 undergraduate students (7 East 7th Street New York, NY 10003, train to Astor Place).
- The Hole – A gallery on the Bowery that showcases eccentric and colorful artists with exhibitions to feature works by renowned NYC artist Kenny Scharf for example (Address: 312 Bowery, New York, NY 10012, to Broadway-Lafayette)
- Lafayette Grand Bakery – The best french café and bakery in the area from Chef Andrew Carmellini(380 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10003, to Broadway-Lafayette)
- KITH Store – KITH is a retail store based in NYC, founded by sneaker designer, Ronnie Fieg in 2010. With currently two New York locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, this is the place to buy the latest Hypebeast clothes (Address: 337 Lafayette, New York, New York 10012 to Broadway-Lafayette)
- Public Theatre – The Public Theater is a New York City arts organization founded as the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp (Address: 425 Lafayette Street, New York, NY 10012, to Broadway-Lafayette)
What does NoHo stand for?
NoHo also means North of Houston Street (Like SoHo, “South of Houston Street”). The area is landmarked and mostly an upper-class residential area. NoHo is very local and doesn’t have the typical tourists crowds.
Where is NoHo NYC located?
NoHo is bordered by the Houston Street to the south, Astor Place to the north, Broadway to the west, and Bowery Street to the east.
How to Get To NoHo
- Metro: To get to NoHo you should take the trains to Astor Place. Around that subway stop, you will find the main highlights NoHo has to offer.
- Hop on Hop Off Bus: Stop 7 of the downtown loop of BIG BUS or stop 8 of the downtown loop of Gray Line Sightseeing. Here you find more about Hop on Hop off in NYC.
My tip: the tickets for the buses are included in many of the New York City passes – which one is the best for you, you can see in my Pass Comparison for New York!
🥇 Look no further: That‘s the only New York Travel Guide you need (300+ pages and 700+ reviews on Amazon)
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The 15 Best Things to do in NoHo
NoHo in New York City is always up and coming and offers numerous things to do here. Dive deep into the art scene by visiting your favorite gallery, enjoy dinner at one of the many restaurants or catch a show at one of the many event venues.
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01
Stroll along Bleecker Street
Other Attraction in Greenwich Village
Bleecker Street is a pleasant change from the turbulent Herald Square or 5th Avenue. It is considered one of the best shopping streets in the world. Why? There are many small and hip designer stores, record stores and second hand stores and lesser known retail brands.
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02
Catch a show at the Public Theatre
Theatre in NoHo
Founded by Joseph Papp in 1954, the Public Theatre was originally called the Shakespeare Workshop. The building is comprised of five performance spaces – Anspacher Theater (which has a 275-seat capacity), LuEsther Hall (160 seats), Martinson Theater (199 seats), Newman Theater (299 seats) and the Shiva Theater (99 seats) and is a perfect location to catch an Off-Broadway Show. Joe’s Pub in the Astor Place venue is also being operated by the Public Theatre.
Public Theatre presents new and provocative plays year-round and also stages one of my favorite things to do in the Summer: Shakespeare in the Park.
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03
Go Shopping in NoHo
Shoe Store in NoHo
There will be a lot of local flavor in your shopping experience in NoHo. With an enormous number of art spaces, vintage clothes shops and tiny designer boutiques shopping in NoHo is so much fun. Check out the best boho-chic shopping outlets in NoHo and don’t miss out on famous Bleecker Street where the girls from Sex and the City went to buy their fancy dresses.
Are you looking for Hypebeast? Check out KITH that sells a range of its own apparel alongside footwear collaborations, as well as a number of renowned streetwear brands. Also Drake’s “October’s Very Own” (OVO) clothing line shines bright from their fancy store on Bowery.
Also, you will also find the best antique stores in NoHo. As well as book stores with a great collection and design stores. More shops in NoHo that you shouldn’t miss:
- Showfields
- KITH
- Boglioli
- City Hats
- Dienst + Dotter
- The Evolution Store
- October’s Very Own (OVO)
- Olde Good Things
- Dashwood Books
KITH is a retail store based in NYC, founded by sneaker designer, Ronnie Fieg in 2010. With currently two New York locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, this is the place to buy the latest Hypebeast clothes!
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04
Blue Man Group
Broadway Show in NoHo
The Blue Man Group in NYC is one of the most popular off-Broadway shows since 1991 and has already been watched by over 35 million spectators worldwide. The entertainment show is truly the only one of its kind in New York and fun experience for sure.
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05
Check out the best coffee shops and bakeries
French Restaurant in NoHoOur Highlight
Never leave NoHo without stopping by Lafayette Grand Bakery. Great vibes, authentic French scenery, plus amazing food will amaze you for sure. Lafayette is an everyday French restaurant bringing the spirit of French dining to the NoHo neighborhood. They are open in the morning, noon and night, so you can join them either for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
My favorite dishes (it’s very hard to only mention one) are the lemon pancakes, the chicken salad, and the egg sandwich. Oh, and their fruit tarts are very delicious as well.
Other than Lafayette Grand Bakery there are many other smaller coffee shops and bakeries in the area. Just by simply exploring the neighborhood, you will come across a few. Walk-in, join the locals and take a break from sightseeing. NoHo is the perfect place to do so.
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06
Enjoy the architecture of the Cooper Union building
Building in NoHo
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art commonly known as Cooper Union or The Cooper Union and informally referred to is a private college at Cooper Square on the border of the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, and NoHo.
Do people frequently ask if Cooper Union is an Ivy League: While walking around the area of NoHo make sure to check out the Cooper Union which has been ranked in the top ten of Money Magazine’s inaugural “The Best Colleges for Your Money” list.
Right behind MIT, Princeton, Stanford, and Harvard, Cooper ranks higher than the other Ivy League schools. On top of that, Cooper Union ranks higher as all the universities in New York City.
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07
Become artsy at one of the best galleries in the area
Gallery in NoHo
One of my absolute favorites is The Hole on Bowery which is a fun gallery with a great selection of artists and stunning contemporary art. Monthly, they present solo and group exhibitions with a focus on emerging art and thematic group exhibitions.
The Hole has two locations and represents 15 different emerging artists. They have also represented over 200 other artists, both locally and internationally. The Hole is located at 312 Bowery, and 86 Walker Street. They host two exhibits a month and also sell products in their shop that relate to their artists such as books, and art products. Furthermore they are heavily involved in the community, putting on events, and collaborating with local artists.
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08
Discover the best graffiti in Manhattan
Walking Tour in SoHo
This walking tour shows that there is also street art and graffiti worth seeing in Manhattan. You start your exploration in Soho, and then in two hours learn the stories behind the large and small works of art. Some of the graffiti is an impressive 20 meters high, so always have your cameras ready!
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09
Visit the Merchant's House Museum
Museum in NoHo
The Merchant’s House Museum is a preserved house of a wealthy merchant family from the 19th century (to be exact: 1832) with fully restored rooms. It shows in a rather unique way how it looked like in New York City at that time.
It has been an official museum of the City of NYC since 1936 and includes an exhibit of more than 3,000 items. In addition, there are tours of Noho, small concerts and performances, and virtual events.
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10
Head over to Soho - one of our favorite neighborhoods in NYC
Other Shopping in SoHo
The shopping paradise par excellence. Every shopping heart beats faster here!
Recommended: Shopping in Soho or the Best Things to Do in Soho NYC
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11
Grab two beers at New Yorks Oldest Ale House
Bar in East VillageOur Highlight
McSorley’s Old Ale House is a true legend. The pub is the oldest in town (opened in 1854) and best of all, not much has changed since then. Old wooden floors covered with sawdust, old newspaper articles and a bartender like from a Hollywood movie make McSorley’s a very relaxed place.
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12
Watch the hustle and bustle at Astor Place
Other Attraction in East Village
South of East 8th Street is Astor Place – the site of the Cooper Union – where many art schools, architecture offices and schools can be found today.
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13
BONDST: Enjoy the best sushi in town!
Japanese Restaurant in NoHoBONDST is a very exceptional Japanese restaurant that is one of the best in all of New York City. Here, fine dining meets high-class and creative sushi creations – all in a very relaxed atmosphere.
Located on three floors, BONDST is housed in a typical Soho-style building (Soho borders NoHo). A stylish lounge with its own sushi bar is located on the lower level. The Main Room is located on the first and second floor.
If you want to eat really good and authentic sushi in New York, there is hardly any way around BONDST. It’s definitely not cheap, but worth every penny.
By the way, the name is the only uncreative thing about BONDST in my opinion. Where does it come from? The Japanese restaurant has the address “6 Bond Street”.
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14
Visit the Zurcher Art Gallery
Gallery in NoHo
The Zurcher Gallery was founded by Bernard and Gwenolee Zurcher in 2009. They created the NY gallery based on their success at the Paris location they opened previously. They put on concerts, and art fairs, as well as sell books related to their artists.
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15
Enjoy the nightlife at Bleecker Street
Other Attraction in Greenwich Village
Bleecker Street is a pleasant change from the turbulent Herald Square or 5th Avenue. It is considered one of the best shopping streets in the world. Why? There are many small and hip designer stores, record stores and second hand stores and lesser known retail brands.
Best Attractions in Noho
There are not that many well-known New York attractions in Noho – if only because the district is quite small.
Nevertheless, both Lower Manhattan with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum or the One World Observatory are just as quickly reached on foot as the Flatiron Building in Midtown Manhattan.
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01 Hell's Kitchen
Grammy Award-winning artist Alicia Keys and Pulitzer Prize finalist playwright Kristoffer Diaz collaborate on the thrilling coming-of-age musical “Hell’s Kitchen” set to premiere at The Public Theater in NoHo this fall. Featuring music and lyrics by Alicia Keys, “Hell’s Kitchen” draws inspiration from the Grammy-winning singer’s own experiences growing up in the vibrant Manhattan neighborhood.
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02 Merchant's House Museum
The Merchant’s House Museum is a preserved house of a wealthy merchant family from the 19th century (to be exact: 1832) with fully restored rooms. It shows in a rather unique way how it looked like in New York City at that time.
It has been an official museum of the City of NYC since 1936 and includes an exhibit of more than 3,000 items. In addition, there are tours of Noho, small concerts and performances, and virtual events.
-
03 Public Theatre
Founded by Joseph Papp in 1954, the Public Theatre was originally called the Shakespeare Workshop. The building is comprised of five performance spaces – Anspacher Theater (which has a 275-seat capacity), LuEsther Hall (160 seats), Martinson Theater (199 seats), Newman Theater (299 seats) and the Shiva Theater (99 seats) and is a perfect location to catch an Off-Broadway Show. Joe’s Pub in the Astor Place venue is also being operated by the Public Theatre.
Public Theatre presents new and provocative plays year-round and also stages one of my favorite things to do in the Summer: Shakespeare in the Park.
-
04 The Cooper Union
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art commonly known as Cooper Union or The Cooper Union and informally referred to is a private college at Cooper Square on the border of the East Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, and NoHo.
Do people frequently ask if Cooper Union is an Ivy League: While walking around the area of NoHo make sure to check out the Cooper Union which has been ranked in the top ten of Money Magazine’s inaugural “The Best Colleges for Your Money” list.
Right behind MIT, Princeton, Stanford, and Harvard, Cooper ranks higher than the other Ivy League schools. On top of that, Cooper Union ranks higher as all the universities in New York City.
-
05 The Hole
One of my absolute favorites is The Hole on Bowery which is a fun gallery with a great selection of artists and stunning contemporary art. Monthly, they present solo and group exhibitions with a focus on emerging art and thematic group exhibitions.
The Hole has two locations and represents 15 different emerging artists. They have also represented over 200 other artists, both locally and internationally. The Hole is located at 312 Bowery, and 86 Walker Street. They host two exhibits a month and also sell products in their shop that relate to their artists such as books, and art products. Furthermore they are heavily involved in the community, putting on events, and collaborating with local artists.
-
06 Zurcher Gallery
The Zurcher Gallery was founded by Bernard and Gwenolee Zurcher in 2009. They created the NY gallery based on their success at the Paris location they opened previously. They put on concerts, and art fairs, as well as sell books related to their artists.
Budget Tip
Many of the attractions and tours in NYC are included in one of the New York City passes. So you can easily and quickly save up to 70% – how does it work?
You can see that in my ultimate 👉 New York Pass comparison, here you can see my personal 👉 New York Pass Reviews after more than 20 visits to New York and our free New York Pass Advisor answers the question: “Which New York Pass is the best?”
Best Guided Tours
There are no special walking tours just for this neighborhood. Instead, there is a huge selection of walking tours in the adjacent East Village, Nolita and Soho, which is very similar to Noho.
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01 New York Catacombs by Candlelight
You will be surprised how beautiful Basilica of St. Patrick’s Old Cathedral in Nolita is from the inside – and that it hides some secrets. The best way to find out what they are is to take a tour that takes you to different parts of the church, including the catacombs. It is one of the absolute insider tours in New York.
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02 Sidewalks and Skyscrapers: Street Art Is This Way
This walking tour shows that there is also street art and graffiti worth seeing in Manhattan. You start your exploration in Soho, and then in two hours learn the stories behind the large and small works of art. Some of the graffiti is an impressive 20 meters high, so always have your cameras ready!
If guided tours interest you, be sure to check out the Best Walking Tours NYC!
Get personal tips & tricks, specifically tailored to your trip!
We will provide you with individual tips & tricks as you prepare for your trip. How to plan, save money and make sure you experience the most of NYC are only some of the topics covered!
Best Restaurants in NoHo NYC
While NoHo’s neighbor SoHo has a high focus on shopping, NoHo is the exact opposite. Which are the best places to eat in NoHo? There are so many restaurants and bars in NoHo that it is really hard to choose sometimes.
To make your decision easier, you’ll find my favorite dinner places, brunch spots, and bars listed below:
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01 Lafayette Grand Café & Bakery
Never leave NoHo without stopping by Lafayette Grand Bakery. Great vibes, authentic French scenery, plus amazing food will amaze you for sure. Lafayette is an everyday French restaurant bringing the spirit of French dining to the NoHo neighborhood. They are open in the morning, noon and night, so you can join them either for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
My favorite dishes (it’s very hard to only mention one) are the lemon pancakes, the chicken salad, and the egg sandwich. Oh, and their fruit tarts are very delicious as well.
Other than Lafayette Grand Bakery there are many other smaller coffee shops and bakeries in the area. Just by simply exploring the neighborhood, you will come across a few. Walk-in, join the locals and take a break from sightseeing. NoHo is the perfect place to do so.
-
02 BONDST
BONDST is a very exceptional Japanese restaurant that is one of the best in all of New York City. Here, fine dining meets high-class and creative sushi creations – all in a very relaxed atmosphere.
Located on three floors, BONDST is housed in a typical Soho-style building (Soho borders NoHo). A stylish lounge with its own sushi bar is located on the lower level. The Main Room is located on the first and second floor.
If you want to eat really good and authentic sushi in New York, there is hardly any way around BONDST. It’s definitely not cheap, but worth every penny.
By the way, the name is the only uncreative thing about BONDST in my opinion. Where does it come from? The Japanese restaurant has the address “6 Bond Street”.
Best Hotels in NoHo NYC
Here are a few hotels in Noho or close to the area that are worth booking.
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01 Moxy NYC East Village
4 Stars | Such a stylish hotel! The Moxy NYC in the East Village is the sister hotel of the Moxy Chelsea NYC and is a boutique hotel at its best. The interior is a blast, the people super nice and the location top-notch. Can highly recommend!
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02 Crosby Street Hotel
5 stars | In my opinion, the design hotel “Crosby Street Hotel” is one of the most beautiful hotels in all of New York. Like “The Mercer”, it is located in trendy and exclusive SoHo in the direct vicinity of the Museum of Modern Art Design (MOMA). The area is perfect for going out, shopping and eating!
The 86 rooms and suites are super-stylish. The rooms are large, high, open and bright. The interior – for which Kit Kemp is responsible – offers a wonderful contrast to the loft-like windows, which are huge and reach down to the floor. Everything looks modern, but not without warmth. An absolute design highlight! The Crosby Bar & Terrace offers high standard food at any time of day – the cocktails in particular have a very good reputation.
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03 East Village Hotel
3 Stars | The spacious studios at the East Village Hotel are equipped with a kitchenette, dishwasher and cooker. So it’s great if you are on a budget and don’t want to constantly eat out. Astor Place underground station is a ten-minute walk from the hotel.
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04 ModernHaus SoHo
5 stars | The ModernHaus (formerly known as the James Hotel) is located in SoHo and only a few blocks from another popular hotel, The Dominick. Being located in SoHo, you’ll have access to some of the best stores in the world. The ModernHaus has a nice rooftop pool with amazing views.
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05 NoMo SoHo
4 stars | NoMo SoHo is a hotel that, as the tallest free-standing building in its area, offers great views of Manhattan from every possible angle.
Another really unique aspect of this hotel is that it really pulls from its surroundings to give you a one-of-a-kind experience! Located in Crosby Street, NoMo SoHo really leans into the creativity that is present all around. Everything at this hotel is artful, and a delightful mixture of old and new styles.
Recommended article: The Best Hotels in New York.
Neighborhoods Nearby
If you’re in NoHo, make sure to check out these nearby neighborhoods.
The 15 Best Things To Do in the East Village NYC
The 14 Best Things to do in SoHo
The 11 Best Things To Do in Little Italy NYC
Neighborhoods That are Similar
If you have enjoyed NoHo, then make sure to check out these neighborhoods below.
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