The SoHo Playgroup was started by a group of neighborhood parents. Two local building owners, Charles and Fritz, donated a basement space on the corner of Prince and Wooster (under the restaurant FOOD). The Playgroup parents cleaned out the basement, put down tiles, and painted the walls. Once the Playgroup moved into its own space, it became a bit more structured and organized. Cynthia, a teacher, was hired for $50 cash per week and the parents paid $20 per child per week and were required to “work” one day per week. The Playgroup operated weekday mornings, and each morning a group of three parents would help Cynthia look after the fifteen children, thus giving the children a fun place to play and socialize while the other parents had some free time.