Description

An established artist community is expanding and improving, with 25 new spaces just added! Encompassing the best features experienced in similar studios here at YoHo , these spaces have been carefully renovated while preserving their turn-of-the-century integrity and charm. If you have always wanted to be a part of an exclusive group of artists – with a price low enough that you can afford – this is your chance!

In the late nineteenth-century a passerby of the Alexander Smith and Sons Carpet Company Mills would have been awed by its monstrosity. Hordes of workers filed into the 40-building complex each workday, some manufacturing Moquette and tapestry power looms and others using these looms to weave their share of some 26,000 yards of carpet daily. The company maintained a good reputation and solid success until the end of World War II, when, after a number of employee strikes, the city’s largest employer began opening plants in cities where workers were not unionized. In the mid-1950’s the Yonkers plant shut down entirely, leaving a massive complex vacant and an estimated 5,000 workers without jobs.

The buildings were not left to deteriorate, as many were sold off over the next several years to a variety of manufacturers and developers. The City of Yonkers eventually staked their claim on one of the buildings as well, in which they poured millions of dollars in renovations with plans to interest new businesses. Today, the historic buildings are well-preserved and anything but abandoned, with hundreds of business tenants operating there currently.

Perhaps most influential of all tenants is a community of over 75 producing artists – Westchester’s largest – that has made a name for itself in Yonkers’ growing artist scene. This is Yonkers’ SoHo, or The YoHo Artist Studios. The community’s contribution to both the Yonkers Art Rennaissance and the revitalization of the community has earned for itself official recognition by New York State Senator Andrea Stewart Cousins, who deemed April 18, 2009 “YoHo Artist Studios Day.” In addition, the Mayor of the City of Yonkers Philip A. Amicone has issued a Proclamation recognizing YoHo’s role in the growing artist community.

Located just 20 miles north of Manhattan and easily accessible via Route 9A or Interstate 87, 540 and 578 Nepperhan Avenue can serve as affordable alternative to the high rents found in Manhattan. Yonkers’ high percentage of public transit commuters currently ranks 8th in the country. Access to and from Manhattan can be obtained via the Hudson Line Metro North Railroad (the Glenwood and Greystone stations are just a couple miles away), express service operated by the MTA and Bee-Line bus systems (a bus stop is located in front of the YoHo building), as well as the New York Water Taxi. Artists no longer have to pay exorbitant monthly rates to create alongside like-minded neighbors, when they can rent their workspace just outside of the city for rents starting as low as $330 a month (*if available).

YoHo Artist Studios have been providing inspiration for a growing number of members since 2005. The group of creative people occupying space at YoHo find incredible comfort and practicality in their private studios. The benefit of having a designated area to concentrate on their work is exemplified by the quality of art they are producing there. Bright light emanates from the enormous windows, and the shared corridors come alive with the various colors and forms of resident artist displays. For members entering after daylight, sufficient illumination gleams onto white walls from modern fixtures strategically installed overhead.

Features of Our NEW Studios:

• 14-foot Ceilings
• Massive Factory Style Windows
• Gallery-Like Ambiance
• Located in a Five-Story High Profile Building, Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
• Variety of Options to Fit Your Style and Budget
• Established Group of Highly Respected Artists, Westchester’s Largest
• Open Studio Events
• Inviting Environment and Communal Atmosphere
• Studios Starting at Just $300 Per Month, All Utilities Included
• 24/7 Access, Camera Security Systems, and Management On Site

When asked about YoHo, members enthusiastically describe what their personal space at Nepperhan Avenue means to them. It is here that they are truly free to create to their hearts’ content, and mingle with others who take joy in doing the same. Now that this reputable artist community is expanding by 25 more affordable studios, it is now your turn to anchor a space and make it your own.