SoHo changes fast. If you walked down Broadway ten years ago, the vibe was different, but 555 Broadway has always been a sort of anchor for the neighborhood's commercial soul. It's a massive, stunning example of cast-iron architecture that somehow manages to feel both historic and aggressively modern at the same time. Most people just know it as "that big building with the Hollister or the Sephora," but there is a lot more going on behind those massive windows than just retail therapy.
Honestly, 555 Broadway is one of those rare New York City addresses that defines an entire corridor. It’s located between Prince and Spring Streets. That is basically the "Times Square" of SoHo, if you catch my drift. It’s crowded. It’s loud. It’s where every tourist ends up eventually. But for real estate nerds and architecture buffs, this building represents the pinnacle of the late 19th-century department store era.
The Architecture of 555 Broadway That Nobody Notices
Look up. Seriously. Most people walking past 555 Broadway are looking at their phones or the mannequins in the windows, but the facade is a masterclass in pre-war design. It was designed by George H. Griebel and completed around 1890. What makes it special? It’s a "through-block" building. It stretches all the way from Broadway back to Mercer Street.
This creates two totally different personalities. The Broadway side is grand, polished, and meant to impress. The Mercer side? It feels more industrial, more "Old SoHo." It's got those classic cobblestones and a bit more grit.
The building is technically known as the Rogers Peet Building. Back in the day, Rogers Peet & Co. was a huge deal in men's clothing. They weren't just selling suits; they were innovators in the industry. They were one of the first companies to use "tag pricing," which meant the price on the tag was the price you paid—no haggling. It sounds normal now, but in the 1890s, that was a revolution. 555 Broadway was their flagship. It was designed to look like a palace of commerce, and it still holds that weight today.
The cast-iron elements here aren't just for show. In the late 1800s, cast iron was the "tech" of the building world. It allowed for these massive, expansive windows because the iron could support the weight that traditional masonry couldn't. This flooded the interior with natural light, which was essential before high-quality electric lighting became standard.
Retail Shifts and the SoHo Identity Crisis
Today, 555 Broadway is a beast of a retail space. We're talking about over 150,000 square feet of space. That is an insane amount of square footage for SoHo. Because the floor plates are so large, it attracts the big fish.
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For a long time, Hollister occupied a massive chunk of this building. You remember the vibe—dark, loud music, heavy cologne. It was a polarizing use of such a historic space. Recently, the building has transitioned to reflect the current state of "high-street" retail. Sephora took over a significant footprint here, moving from a smaller location nearby to this massive flagship.
Why does this matter? Because 555 Broadway basically dictates the rent prices for the rest of the block. When a landlord like Union Investment (who bought the retail portion of the building years ago for a staggering amount of money) secures a long-term, high-paying tenant, it sets a floor for the neighborhood.
But there’s a tension here. SoHo started as an artists' colony. In the 60s and 70s, these buildings were full of lofts where people actually made things. Now, 555 Broadway is a machine for global brands. Some people hate that. They think the "soul" is gone. Others argue that without these massive global brands, these expensive cast-iron buildings would fall into disrepair because nobody else can afford the astronomical property taxes and maintenance costs.
What’s Actually Inside the Upper Floors?
While the ground floor is all about the "New York shopping experience," the upper floors are a different world. 555 Broadway isn't just a store; it’s an office hub.
Because of the huge windows and high ceilings—some are 12 to 15 feet high—the office spaces are incredibly sought after. Tech companies and creative agencies love this building. It has that "loft" feel but with modern elevators and fiber-optic internet.
The building has seen tenants like GroupM and various fashion showrooms over the years. It’s a weird ecosystem. You have thousands of teenagers buying makeup on the first floor, while three floors up, executives are making million-dollar media buys.
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One thing people often get wrong is thinking these buildings are just shells. They aren't. They are living, breathing pieces of infrastructure. Maintaining a building like 555 Broadway is a nightmare. You have to deal with the Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) for basically everything. Want to change a window pane? You need a permit. Want to paint the facade? You better make sure that color is historically accurate.
Navigating the 555 Broadway Experience
If you're actually planning to visit or do business here, there are a few things you should know. It’s not your average office or retail building.
- The Entrance Confusion: The retail entrances are on Broadway, but the office entrance is often tucked away or handled via the Mercer Street side. If you’re meeting someone for a business appointment, don't walk into the Sephora expecting a lobby.
- The Subway Factor: The Prince Street (N, R, W) and Spring Street (6) stations are literally steps away. This makes it one of the most accessible buildings in the city, but also one of the most congested.
- The Morning Window: If you want to actually see the architecture without dodging 5,000 people with shopping bags, go at 8:00 AM on a Tuesday. The light hits the cast iron beautifully, and the street is relatively quiet.
There's a specific kind of energy at 555 Broadway that you don't get at the Hudson Yards or the malls in Midtown. It feels heavy. It feels permanent. Even as the stores change—from Rogers Peet to Hollister to Sephora—the building itself remains this immovable object in the middle of a shifting neighborhood.
Real Estate Value and the "Billion-Dollar" Block
Let's talk numbers for a second, but not the boring kind. 555 Broadway is part of a real estate portfolio that is worth more than some small countries' GDPs. When Union Investment bought the retail condo back in 2015, they paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $400 million.
Think about that. $400 million for just the bottom floors of one building.
That price tag wasn't just for the bricks and mortar. It was for the "feet on the street." The amount of foot traffic passing 555 Broadway is among the highest in the world. It’s a "billboard building." Even if a store doesn't make a profit from the sales at this specific location, the brand exposure of having your name on 555 Broadway is worth millions in marketing.
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However, the retail landscape has shifted. The "retail apocalypse" that everyone was screaming about a few years ago hit SoHo hard. For a while, there were a lot of empty storefronts. 555 Broadway stayed relatively stable because of its size and prime location, but it wasn't immune to the trend of shorter leases and pop-up culture.
The building is a survivor. It survived the decline of the garment industry, the near-bankruptcy of NYC in the 70s, the gentrification of the 90s, and the pandemic. It’s still here.
The Logistics of 555 Broadway
If you are a delivery driver or a contractor, 555 Broadway is a boss fight.
Loading on Broadway is basically illegal or impossible during the day. Everything has to happen via Mercer Street. Mercer is a narrow, one-way street often clogged with garbage trucks, construction crews, and influencers taking photos against the brick walls.
The basement of 555 Broadway is also a labyrinth. Most of these old SoHo buildings have sub-basements that extend out under the sidewalk (vaults). These vaults are a legal headache for owners because they are technically city property, but the building is responsible for maintaining them. If you’ve ever walked over those purple glass tiles in the sidewalk in SoHo, you’re walking over a vault. 555 Broadway has its fair share of history hidden beneath the pavement.
Actionable Insights for the SoHo Visitor or Professional
Don't just walk past 555 Broadway. If you’re a fan of history, retail, or urban design, there’s a lot to learn from this single address.
- Check the Mercer Street side for a glimpse of the building's industrial roots. It’s much quieter and gives you a better sense of the scale of the through-block construction.
- Look for the "Rogers Peet" marks. Sometimes you can still find subtle nods to the building’s original identity if you look closely at the metalwork and historical markers.
- Study the floor-to-ceiling heights. If you are looking for office space in NYC, 555 Broadway is the gold standard for what "creative loft" space should look like.
- Monitor the retail mix. Watching who moves into 555 Broadway is the best way to understand where the global economy is heading. When fast fashion moves out and luxury or beauty moves in, it tells you exactly who has the money in 2026.
This building isn't just a place to buy a lipstick or a sweatshirt. It’s a 130-year-old witness to the evolution of New York City. It’s a monument to the idea that if you build something with enough iron and enough style, it can reinvent itself forever.
Next Steps for Deepening Your Knowledge:
- Visit the NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission digital archives and search for "555 Broadway" to see the original blueprints and historical photos from the late 1800s.
- Walk the length of Broadway from Canal to Houston and compare 555 Broadway to the newer "glass box" constructions; you'll immediately see why cast-iron is so much more texturally interesting.
- Research the current retail tenants' flagship strategies to understand why they chose this specific SoHo block over 5th Avenue or the Meatpacking District.