Meatpacking District

 

The Meatpacking District owes its name and aesthetic to the industries that once called it home. Slaughterhouses, packing plants, and lamp oil factories were the neighborhood’s main claims to fame between the late 1800s and mid-20th century. The 1990s are generally considered the birth of the present-day Meatpacking District -- a time of cultural and residential resurgence in which now-classic restaurants such as Valbella and “it” clothing designers including Diane Von Furstenberg and Stella McCartney paved the way for a slew of high-end shops and eateries to follow and continue to define the district to this day.

 

The fast-paced, trendy neighborhood embodies the work-hard-play-hard lifestyle that brings so many people to NYC. Stylish lounges, designer boutiques, and posh housing options abound.

 

To call the Meatpacking District an entertainment “hot spot” would be an understatement. Block for block, the neighborhood’s abundance of destination eateries, fashion boutiques, swank hotel lounges and bars is one of the most concentrated in the nation.

 

When it comes to shopping, dining, and nightlife, there’s never a dull moment in the Meatpacking District.

 

From crowd-pleasing hotel bars and beer gardens to celebrity-approved night lounges, it’s a trendy spot to live and play.

 

In contrast to the bustling street level scene, The High Line -- which runs from Gansevoort to West 30th Street -- offers one of the most tranquil takes on center-of-it-all living. Once-defunct railway tracks have been re-seeded and reborn as a green walking path with a birdseye view of the streets below and public art installations and skyline as far as the eye can see.

 

The neighborhood’s central downtown location and convenience to both trains and the New Jersey waterfront keeps things bustling, no matter the time of day or day of the week. As opposed to more secluded-feeling neighborhoods such as the West Village or Hell’s Kitchen, big-named designers, celebrity restaurants, fashion models, and those like like to watch them rule the sidewalks here.

 

Because of the neighborhood’s largely landmark status, loft-style co-ops and emerging high-rise buildings are extremely hard-to-come-by and competitively priced.

 

Wide, walkable streets and trendy, modern-industrial architecture make the Meatpacking District a favorite among movie makers, tourists, and city locals out for a stroll. Apart from the buzz-worthy happenings and hangouts, the trendy pace of life makes for a destination neighborhood that those in the know would be excited to call home.