SoHo, or south of Houston Street, was dominated in the early 20th century by sweatshops and factories. The large, open spaces left by these industrial giants drew artists looking for loft space in the time during and after the 1960s, and eventually, the hip, artistic crowd in-turn drew their own commerce consisting of art galleries boutique, designer and big-name shops. In recent years, the area is often flooded with everyone from tourists to celebrities, eager to shop at SoHo's many and varied retailers or to buy a knock-off item from vendors on the street. The neighborhood's unique architecture consisting of many cast-iron facades and still mainly loft space also makes it an attractive, albeit expensive, residential area.