7.1 out of 10

Thompson St, SoHo

Ranked 7th best street in SoHo
40.7248154385612 -74.0026751630138
Great for
  • Public Transport
  • Childcare
  • Eating Out
  • Internet Access
  • Medical Facilities
Not great for
  • No ratings yet
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Who lives here?
  • Singles
  • Professionals
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists

Reviews

4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Parking 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"Scenic SoHo Street"

This scenic slice of SoHo, with picturesque red brick town houses and plenty of green foliage, is among downtown's more pleasant streets. With its wooden facades - home to plenty of arty boutiques and all-organic restaurants - it is a welcome respite from the all-too-modern concrete blocks that fill up some nearby streets. There's plenty to do and see here: the Thompson Cafe is a popular spot for locals to drink lattes or cappuccinos and people-watch, while the French-Moroccan Country Cafe is an elegant piece of cross-cultural fusion. Shops and boutiques along this street include the delectable Kee's Chocolate, the Meg Cohen Design Shop, L'Artisan Parfumeur, Cartesian Graphics, and more. The end of the street provides some welcome parkland in the form of Juan Pablo Duarte Square, but the major attractive of this charming, if pricey, street is its "village" feel - it combines the elegance of New York's best with some much-needed peace and quiet in the big city. At least until the lights go off...this area's nightlife can prove hectic if unmanaged.
Pros
  • Good people watching
  • a lot of history
  • lively nightlife
Cons
  • crowded at night
  • Noisy
Recommended for
  • Singles
  • Trendy & Stylish
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 3/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 2/5
  • Eating Out 3/5
  • Nightlife 3/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 3/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Cost of Living 1/5
2yrs+

"Considering the area, Thompson is kinda uneventful"

For a street that sprawls two very high density neighborhoods, there isn't much going on by the way of Thompson Street. It starts at Washington Sq Park, which is nice, but a lot of streets do. Right at Thomps and Wash Sq South there are two churches across the street from one another. This kind of amuses me because one of them is a Catholic Church and the other one is notoriously liberal (i.e. helps people with drug problems, abortion issues, provided sanctuary for rioters).
There are a couple of chess shops on this street which I find kind of weird. Of all the little streets surrounding Wash Sq Park, it's interesting that two Chess shops are on the same one.
There's a bar called The Dove on Thompson at Bleecker that I love. It's a really cozy bar that always has a great vibe. It was an Italian Place for nearly 100 years before that. It's the place where Cher gets proposed to in Moonstruck. John Patrick Shanley was a frequent customer. And, apparently, Dylan Thomas had his first meal there. Obviously, it's not the same place; but, it's still such a cool place.
Once you get south of Houston, this is a pretty Italian street. It has a ton of mobster blood all over the sidewalks and roofs (people were often strangled and dropped in this area. Some really famous Mob coups happened on Thompson. There are a few little stores and a ton of apartments. But, other than that, it's relatively quiet . . . . for downtown New York.
Pros
  • Good people watching
Cons
  • Crowded
  • Noisy
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
  • Tourists
  • LGBT+
  • Students
  • Trendy & Stylish
3/5
2yrs+

"Runs Through SoHo"

You'll find some jumbo rats walking these streets past midnight, but during the daylight you'll find top-rated restaurants, unique clothes and jewelry shops, and quaint cafes. The street has a charm that shines through whether its sunny or snowing, and it's proximity to parks, subways, major shopping centers, and the holland tunnel makes it a great place to either live by or get away to. Check out the Thompson Hotel, with rooftop bar A60. A great place to wind down on summer nights with great views and fancy cocktails.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
3/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 2/5
  • Pest Free 2/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 3/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 3/5
  • Internet Access 3/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Parking 2/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 3/5
  • Schools 3/5
  • Childcare 3/5
2yrs+

"Got game somewhat"

You've heard of the Washington Square Park chess scene, right? The southwest corner tables are usually populated by chess hustlers, who do a lot of shouting and thinking out loud to distract you, plus their gullible victims who think they're too too clever, plus the amused onlookers and random Washington Park crazies. If you'd like to get hustled on the main playing field, and maybe take down one of these cheap chess-masters yourself, you can first get in some practice at Chess Forum or The Village Chess Shop, both on Thompson Street. Both establishments have a gorgeous selection of chess boards on display in the windows and also for sale, as well as books and other chess paraphenelia. There are always people loitering around these places to play a couple of matches with, so you might end up getting informal lessons. Two other important spots on this street: Generation Records for the avid music fan, and the Smoke Shop, where you can get exotic cigarettes from all over the world, and a nice assortment of rather tacky, ornate hookahs. I also love Stella Vintage for one-of-a-kind dresses and such. Thompson Street hasn't quite survived the NYU student invasion, but some of the important landmarks remain.
Pros
  • lively nightlife
  • a lot of history
  • Good people watching
Cons
  • dirty
  • Crowded
  • Noisy
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Tourists
  • Hipsters
  • Students
3/5
2yrs+

"Move in the right directions"

Suduko and brain training games may be increasing in popularity these days but for some people, chess will always be king of the brain training games and these people will be delighted with Thompson Street, the beating heart of the Chess District in New York. Whether it’s to observe others or perhaps get involved personally, this is a charming area and you can reach it from any direction.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 4/5
  • Safe & Sound 4/5
  • Clean & Green 4/5
  • Pest Free 4/5
  • Peace & Quiet 4/5
  • Eating Out 4/5
  • Nightlife 4/5
  • Parks & Recreation 4/5
  • Shopping Options 4/5
  • Gym & Fitness 4/5
  • Internet Access 4/5
  • Lack of Traffic 4/5
  • Cost of Living 4/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 4/5
  • Public Transport 4/5
  • Medical Facilities 4/5
  • Schools 4/5
  • Childcare 4/5
2yrs+

"Lots of restuarants, shopping"

Thompson Street in Soho and the East Village is a long line of restaurants like Naked Lunch and Cuba Restaurant. Anywhere in Soho is teaming with tourists on the weekends – and I mean teaming; they file in and walk extremely slow past all of the street vendors (usually offering fashionable wares), so don’t walk through here if you’re in a hurry. However, if you are a tourist with hours to burn (and you also love to shop and eat), and this street is part of the Soho experience.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
3/5
2yrs+

"On Thompson Street"

Thompson Street starts at Washington Square Park and stops at Canal St. There is plenty of places to go for drinks and foods. However, I find it a little anonymous, and I hardly go there. It is a quiet street to take a walk to the downtown part of Manhattan, without the noise and crowd of the bigger avenues and the main Soho streets.
5/5
2yrs+

"New York Loves Chess So Much They Have a Chess District"

Historically New Yorkers have loved chess. They love it so much they created a Chess Distric. The distric is located in Greenwich Village on Thompson Street between Canal St. and Washington Square Park. This is a quiet street lined with 35 different establishments many of which you can always espect to find a lively game of chess. More specifically Thompson St. is the home of Chess Forum and the Village Chess Shop two of the most comprehensive chess stores in Manhattan.
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles
  • Families with kids
  • Retirees
4/5 rating details
  • Neighborly Spirit 5/5
  • Safe & Sound 3/5
  • Clean & Green 3/5
  • Pest Free 3/5
  • Peace & Quiet 3/5
  • Eating Out 5/5
  • Nightlife 5/5
  • Parks & Recreation 5/5
  • Shopping Options 5/5
  • Gym & Fitness 5/5
  • Internet Access 5/5
  • Lack of Traffic 3/5
  • Cost of Living 3/5
  • Resale or Rental Value 3/5
  • Public Transport 5/5
  • Medical Facilities 5/5
  • Schools 5/5
  • Childcare 5/5
2yrs+

"Thompson St - drinks/dinner/dancing..."

Right, so if you've been lazing in the sun at Washington Square Park and you're keen for a drink, but don't wanna hang out with the Uni kids at MacDougall St?? Come down Thompson St. It's a great street with cool bars, great food and plenty of funky places to pick up a Manhattan bargain (do they exist?)... You're also close to the park, Soho, and a 10 min walk to the East Village - all in all, your in a pretty good position to walk and explore most of downtown Manhattan... Take a look, you won't fall in love with this street to begin with, but it will grow on you.. trust me!
Recommended for
  • Professionals
  • Singles

Best Streets in SoHo

1

MacDougal St

4.5/5
"The Heart of The Village"
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2

Spring St

4/5
"Famous food and other delights"
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3

Prince St

3.5/5
"Stylish but crowded"
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4

Sullivan St

3.5/5
"Cute street with a lot to eat. "
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5

Charlton St

3.5/5
"Avoid the corners"
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6

West Broadway

3.5/5
"Something for Everyone"
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7

Thompson St

3.5/5
"New York Loves Chess So Much They Have a Chess District"
40.7248154385612 -74.0026751630138
8

Mercer St

3.5/5
"Gallerinas and Coffee-junkies "
40.7230558394357 -73.9999207219989
9

Vandam St

3.5/5
"Cute with a lot to do"
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10

Greene St

3.5/5
"Love the vibe!"
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