SoHo Pioneer Bites the Dust

Ad Hoc, one of the pioneer retailers of New York's SoHo, will close later this month after 20 years in business.

The seller of industrial-style housewares, which opened in 1982 when, for retailers, the area was primarily an artist's neighborhood south of Houston Street, ended up being a victim of the area's retail boom.

Its location at West Broadway and Spring Street became too expensive for the independent store-owners. When, in 2000, the landlord was unwilling to negotiate on the rent, the proprietors — Judith Kress Auchincloss and Julia McFarlane — relocated to less-busy Wooster Street. The original location is now an Emporio Armani.

The store was, like many around it, a victim of the after-effects of September 11, when foot traffic and tourism fell off for the neighborhood. Observers also remarked that the distinctive merchandise was, in time, co-opted by the likes of Bloomingdale's, Macy's, Bed Bath and Beyond and Restoration Hardware.