NoHo, named for its location just 'NOrth of HOuston', is a small historically commercial district wedged between the Bowery and Broadway. The northern border is traditionally Astor Place, while the southern extent of the neighborhood ends at Houston Street. NoHo is also sandwiched between the Bowery on the East and Boradway on the West. 

Despite development in the 1970s and 1980s, the neighborhood has preserved its distinct 19th-century architecture. Today, NoHo is still a bustling commercial hub especially along Broadway and Lafayette, featuring many reknowned boutiques as well as the distinctive alternative Angelika Film Center. The efforts of the New York Landmarks Preservation Commission, the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation and a number of other, local community and smaller preservation groups have combined to produce a beautiful and unified cityscape of architectural style, marble, limestone, and terracotta facades. An additional portion of the neighborhood was designated the NoHo East Historic District in 2003. All told, the landmarked buildings comprise a contiguous area somewhat in excess of 21 city blocks.