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When Shelly Friedman gets into the elevator at 568 Broadway, it's not to visit one of the more than 20 art galleries housed in the century-old SoHa building. Instead, Mr. Friedman is headed for the corner office he has just leased for his law firm, Friedman & Gotbaum.
On his trip to the fifth floor, Mr. Friedman is as likely to encounter consultants, importers, toddlers headed for the pediatrician, and supermodels seeking the Bliss spa as he is to rub shoulders with art lovers. Long the domain of artists and ultra-avant-garde enterprises, the lofts of SoHo are becoming a magnet for office tenants of a decidedly mainstream cast.
These new tenants are elbowing in among architects, designers, film and TV producers, publishers and new media firms that have already established a strong presence in the neighborhood.
Mr. Friedman, who is moving his firm from midtown, says even his conservative clients from J.P. Morgan are looking forward to holding meetings and lunches in SoHo. "They don't mind being next to Uma Thurman or Yoko Ono at Balthazar in SoHo," he says.
The burgeoning popularity of the SoHo office market, which is a boon for landlords, is putting strains on existing tenants. Rents are rising quickly. Established firms are finding their ability to grow is hampered. And start-ups and of meat entrepreneurs, for whom SoHo has served...