NoHO's comeback

Lupe Garcia sensed the economic wind shift in January at her NoHo Arts District furniture store. Gregory J. Wilcox in the Daily News.

"January was better than a normal January, which starts out slow. In this case it was busy from the start," said Garcia, co-owner of Magart Mexican Furnishings on Magnolia Boulevard.

After more than two years of tough economic times, it seems a turnaround is building in the district known for its concentration of mixed-use residential development, easy access to mass transit and a smattering of art and entertainment-related businesses.

Owners at two of the biggest apartment complexes in the district, for instance, say occupancy rates exceed 90 percent.