VIBE

You might not guess it from scoping the scores of chichi boutiques that line its streets (à la Diane von Furstenberg, Stella McCartney, Christian Louboutin, et al), but the Meatpacking District has not always been such an upscale hangout. Back in the 19th century, this is where the city’s gristly butchering and meatpacking got done (thus the name), and its already bloodied reputation darkened further during the 20th century with the arrival of drugs, prostitution, and dereliction (good thing it already had a name by then…). Then along came the 1990s, when the cool crowd cottoned on to the allure of its cheap rents and started converting the former warehouses into hot nightclubs. It wasn’t long before the fashionable hotels (à la Hotel Gansevoort and The Standard), edgy-posh boutiques, and trendy restaurants followed. These days the Meatpacking District’s reputation remains ever en vogue–this is an ideal spot to source cutting-edge fashions or to top off an afternoon of retail therapy with a night of club hopping.

USE A PURCHASE FROM HERE FOR

Hip clubbing get-up or edgy designer casuals

WHY WE LIKE IT

It’s relaxing by day and happening by night. This is a good spot for a leisurely stroll, retail therapy, and dining alfresco, and the place to see and be seen as you dance the night away.

GOOD TO KNOW

If you need a break from hitting the shops, check out the recently opened High Line, an elevated park which runs right through (or should we say above) the neighborhood. Or take a walk through Chelsea Market, an indoor food bazaar that occupies the block from 15th to 16th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, with offerings from lobster rolls to handmade ice pops. Alternatively, slide into Biergarten at The Standard for a drink before dinner.

CLOSEST COMPS

East Village/Lower East Side (New York); Notting Hill (London); Robertson Boulevard (Los Angeles); Le Marais (Paris)

Click here for our full-form mobile travel guide, The Purple Passport to New York City.