Explore the rich history and beautiful cast iron architecture of New York City’s TriBeCa and SoHo neighborhoods with this detailed guidebook and walking tour.

The result of a textile merchant industry that prospered in downtown Manhattan from 1850 – 1890, New York’s SoHo and TriBeCa neighborhoods hold the largest concentration of cast iron facades in the world and some of the City’s greatest architectural gems.

This Approach Guide is full of high-resolution images and detailed descriptions that define the characteristics of the five prevailing styles of cast iron facades (Italian: Roman, Venetian, and Sperm Candle; and French: Second Empire and Neo-Grec). Also included in the guide is a 1-2 hour walking tour of 11 of the most impressive cast iron buildings in SoHo and TriBeCa.

FROM THE AUTHORS:As long-time residents of TriBeCa, we have created a guidebook that is deeply personal and inspires tourists and locals to look up and discover a unique asset of downtown Manhattan. With our guide, readers will come to appreciate the history and stylistic principles that gave form to New York’s magnificent cast iron building legacy.

See the facades of the eleven buildings profiled in this guide’s walking tour:

  1. 130 Greene Street, SoHo
  2. 72-76 Greene Street, SoHo
  3. 433 Broome Street, SoHo
  4. 488-492 Broadway, SoHo
  5. 478-482 Broadway, SoHo
  6. 45 Greene Street, SoHo
  7. 71-73 Grand Street, SoHo
  8. 28-30 Greene Street, SoHo
  9. 87 Walker Street, TriBeCa
  10. 86-88 Franklin Street, TriBeCa
  11. 85 Leonard Street, TriBeCa

See the buildings profiled in this guide on Approach Guides’ map of cast iron architecture in SoHo and TriBeCa.

See our blog post on 478-492 Broadway for a sample how this guidebook profiles buildings along its walking tour.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: One of the benefits of ebooks is that we can easily update content and release new editions of our guidebooks. These updates are FREE for existing customers. Please visit for a list of recently updated guides and instructions on downloading the new version to your device.