The Meatpacking District

When hearing the name, the meatpacking district, a person can not help to think about animals, meat, butchers, blood and other associations that have to do with meat. However, the meatpacking district in New York City is not like most meatpacking districts around the country, or even around the world . Most of what you see in the meatpacking district does not resonate with its name. A person will see the occasional butcher with his apron, but meat is not what people come to the meatpacking district for nowadays. What was once a place renowned for meat, is now a place renown for its shopping, nightlife, and tech company headquarters. Fancy stores are opening up all over the place. Top brand fashion stores such as Alexander McQueen, Carlos Miele, Vince, Louis Vuitton , Theory are opening in locations where the only thing on display was meat  not so long ago . On the sidewalks you have women and children with shopping bags in both hands, and I can tell you one thing, there sure isn’t meat in those bags. The very few butchers and meat producers stand on the side walks, scorning at this new wave of people walking on the streets that their families have been walking on for decades.

Meatpacking District nightlife

At night, a crowd of young and middle aged New Yorkers fill the streets and sidewalks excited for the night a head of them. A young man and women holding hands, both clearly intoxicated are waiting to gain entry into one of many prime time clubs in the meatpacking district. Google, is creating the worlds next new invention in a building that was once the home of a famous meat producing company. Tech companies and venture capitalists are beginning to build huge offices on top of these old time butcher and meat producing houses.

Meatpacking District in the 1800’s

The meatpacking district did not get its name for nothing, it used to actually be known for its meat. The meatpacking district was at first residential, but markets existed there since 1840. In the 1820’s people moved into the tenements in the meatpacking district to flee disease and poverty. The High Line rail track was used to transport meat and produce to and from the District. In 1900, 250 slaughterhouses and processing plants occupied the district. The city zoned the area for this industry, and was very eager to keep the city’s easy access to fresh meat, as well as the jobs it created. The city for these reasons decided to subsidize the industry . For most of the 20^th century the meatpacking district was an area primarily used for the selling and processing of meat. At a point, the district was the nations third largest producer of dressed meats. The districts meat businesses stayed steady up until the 1960’s.

Meatpacking District in the 1980’s

During the 1960’s these famous meat producers were beginning to fail, and a new wave of people moved in.  With the increased use of supermarkets and frozen food, people felt like there was no need to travel to an area just to get meat. People began buying their meat in local supermarkets and forgot about the longtime meat producers in the district. In the 1980’s, Drug dealing, sex clubs and prostitution began to take root in the meatpacking district. The meatpacking district was one the first locations in New York city for underground gay bars and clubs. The district was beginning to attract a crowd, that promoted crime and drugs. Knowing what the meatpacking district used to be and its future potential, city officials decided to make shutting down these prostitution and drugs rings their main priority. Through law enforcement and regulations, the city was able to drive out this crowd, and begin the revitalizing the meatpacking industry.

Example of some of the new and expensive condo’s in the District

After the crime filled time period, the Meatpacking district began transforming into something far different from meat and crime. Starting in the 1990’s new high end stores began opening up around the district. These new expensive stores attractive a younger wealthier crowd to the district. In a blink of an eye, the meatpacking district became a social center for the wealthy and the elite. It was no longer an area of meat and crime. The district was morphing into one of the most exclusive areas in Manhattan. The New York magazine called it “the most fashionable neighborhood in New York”. Furthermore, the district began transforming into a prominent residential neighborhood, where the elite not only wanted to shop, but also live. This created a demand for more luxurious apartment buildings and hotels to cater to the wealthier wave of people coming in. Beautiful condos and hotels began developing all over the district, and continue to do so .  Boutique hotels like the one recently opened by the high-end retailer Restoration Hardware are opening up all over the district. The hotel is a small 14-bedroom hotel, being built in a building that was once home to the eatery Pastis, a restaurant that was located in the meatpacking district since the 90’s. This is one the many examples of small restaurants and businesses being replaced by larger businesses.

Google’s Headquarters in the District

Aside from high end stores, restaurants, and living quarters, large tech companies saw the meatpacking district as location for there headquarters.  Google has its headquarters in the meatpacking district, and owns nearly 2 million square feet, 40% of the neighborhoods office space. Many venture capitalist and other tech companies are beginning to open up shop in the district.   According to Meatpacking Business Improvement District within the next five years about 600,000 square feet of new commercial space will open in the district.  In an interview, Stuart Romanoff, said “Companies want the opportunity to recruit the best young talent today, who are looking for the kind of workplace that the meatpacking district offers”. Romanoff’s company is constructing a ten story office and retail building on Washington street. The district’s new style is attracting a workforce these companies are looking for.

Example of new advertisement banners in the District

In addition to the district changing physically, the district is now beginning to rebrand itself. Recently, the Meatpacking Business Improvement District hired Base Design, a branding agency, to figure out how to change public perception of district. People know how the district changed from the past, but officials wanted to totally change the brand. The district was just given a new logo, and advertisement in form of banners around the district. On these banners you have the numerous popular attractions of the meatpacking district. From its high end shopping, to its fine dinning and luxurious hotels. In addition, the website was changed completely. The website is more user friendly, and appealing to the eye. The website, described by the creator “looks like it belongs in a fashion magazine”. 

While the revamped meatpacking district is beneficial and exciting to some, it is also hurting the original dwellers of the meatpacking district.  Only 7 of 200 meat companies are still operating. These are the last 7 meat companies in this once incredible market. Each of these companies tries to specialize in different areas in meat, to avoid competition with one another.  These numbers become less and less every year . The decreasing availability of space, are ramping up rent prices. Every new and trendy business wants to open up in the district, however, there’s just not enough room for everyone, especially the smaller, older businesses.

Hogs & Heifers

There are many examples of businesses and homes lost to the revitalization of the Meatpacking District.  Hogs & Heifers is an example of a business that just recently closed because of the high rent prices. This business has been around for 23 years and became a major tourist attraction. The owner of the building was asking for 60,000 a year for rent, and owner Michelle Dell simply could not afford this rent increase.  Dell said in an interview “There is no room for the small, independent business in New York, This is a city that is throwing its history to the curb.” Many real-estate agents are saying that this trend will continue, and that people will start loosing their businesses because they can not pay the high rent. The high rents are also effecting people that lived in the district way before its makeover. High rents and prices are forcing families to move out of their homes. Barika Williams , deputy director of the Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development, said “The huge loss in rent-regulated units, paired with an influx of luxury rentals, leaves families with few options to stay in their community”. These people simply can not afford to live in this new upper class neighborhood.

Overall, the meatpacking district went through a long and huge transformation. It went from being a market solely devoted to selling meat, to an area plagued by drug and crime in the 60’s, and now to one the the trendiest neighborhoods in the city. The meatpacking district in unique in so many ways. It has become a center for tourism, especially with the recent opening of the beautiful Whitney Museum.  There are not so many places in New York, let alone the country, where you can have a grimy meat warehouse and a top designer brand store on the same block.