"During the 1960's and 1970's in New York City, young artists exploited an industrial wasteland to create spacious studios where they lived and worked, redefining the Manhattan area just south of Houston Street. Its use fueled not by city planning schemes but by word-of-mouth recommendations, the area soon grew to become a world-class center for artistic creation--indeed, the largest urban artists' colony ever in America, let alone the world"--Provided by publisher.