Meatpacking District, 14th Street at Ninth Avenue and Hudson Street

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………...………….. click to enlarge

Here is the third and largest Apple store to open in New York City.  At least it was the largest in 2007 when it opened, but just last month a brand new store opened on Broadway near Lincoln Center and I haven't been able to learn its size.  The first one opened in 2001 on Fifth Avenue and everyone knows about that one.  But did you know about the one in SoHo?  You wouldn't believe the building its in.  Actually, I only learned about the Broadway Apple from an out of town visitor at dinner tonight. 

I use a PC but I'm getting a Mac next time, I think.  Maybe.  I want to be able to go to their stores!  Not the only reason.

See map.

Meatpacking District, 14th Street at Ninth Avenue and Hudson Street

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………….. click to enlarge


We're looking at this skinny building from the north side of 14th Street.  That's Hudson Street on the left and Ninth Avenue on the right.  Remember, Ninth Avenue begins below 14th Street at Gansevoort Street.

At street level is Vento Trattoria, favorably reviewed in New York Magazine.  The building itself was built in 1849 as a factory, according to New York Songlines, which also reveals some other fascinating facts, such as, this is where Glenn Close's apartment was in Fatal Attraction.

See map.

Meatpacking District, 14th Street between Washington Street and Ninth Avenue

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………....………….. click to enlarge

Notice the cobblestone streets here toward the end of 14th Street.  Having once lived near historic old Alexandria, Virginia, when people in New York said cobblestone, I looked around for the stones, actual rounded stones which were once used for paving.  Here, too; not just Alexandria.  But they were replaced by these more easily traversed flat stones called setts, which were, in turn, replaced by asphalt, except in a few parts of old New York, like here.

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On another subject altogether, everyone stop right now and back up your files.  Yes, I had a little scare tonight, which turned out to be not a problem after all, but as soon as my computer started up, I backed up everything.  How long had it been?  Since May of this year.  That's bad, all right, and I hereby resolve to back up at least every month.

Just so you know, I always back up my photographs as they're edited.

Meatpacking District, 14th Street at Washington Street

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

I wonder if the sky was really that blue.  Kinda doubt it.

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Meatpacking District, Washington Street Between Little West 12th and 13th Street

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………….. click to enlarge

Here's another shot of the Standard, from yet another angle.  Not its most flattering one, perhaps?

Meatpacking District, Washington Street Between Little West 12th and 13th Street

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

Now, back on Washington Street, here is the beer garden at the Standard Hotel.  Or biergarten, as they call it.  Charmingly proletarian.  Depending on the prices.  Could be nice in warm weather. 

I'm going to be walking up Washington Street to 14th, then across to the 7th Avenue subway.

Meatpacking District, Little West 12th Street at West Street

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……………………….. click to enlarge

Now I'm heading back the way I came.  This is Nick.  Nick works in the meatpacking business and we had an intereesting conversation which I will report tomorrow.

Tonight I'm tired.  I know, it's only 12:30 and I'm usually up way later than this, but I have to get up at the ungodly hour of 8 a.m. to visit with my podiatrist.  The Manhattan Project requires one to take care of one's feet.

Meatpacking District, Little West 12th Street between Washington and West Streets

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………….. click to enlarge

And on the other side of the street. . . here's our old friend, the Standard Hotel.  Its official address is 848 Washington Street at 13th Street, and their beer garden is under the Highline and extends to Little West 12th.  I assume this small brick building is part of the garden.




Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

And next to that is . . . uh, this old stuff.





Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………….. click to enlarge

And next to the old stuff is an old building with a new bar on the corner, the Brass Monkey, about which, more later.

See map.

Meatpacking District, Little West 12th Street between Washington and West Streets

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

Lest we forget why it's called the Meatpacking District. 

Although where the packing part comes in, I don't know.

Meatpacking District, Washington Street at Little West 12th

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

Here's a view down Little West 12th Street, featuring Hector's Cafe and Diner.  That's the Highline above.  I was thinking about lunch and briefly considered Hector's, but only briefly.  TodayI wanted something more, well, more comfortable, or indulgent.  Someplace I could get an Irish Coffee.  Although I had dressed for the weather today, still, after a while, one gets to feeling chilled.

See map.

Meatpacking District, Washington Street at Little West 12th

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

Tomorrow a turn down Little West 12th.

Meatpacking District, Washington Street between Gansevoort and Little West 12th Streets

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

Old building, new stores.

See map.

Meatpacking District, Gansevoort Street Between Washington and West Streets

Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

On November 6, three weeks ago, I went down to the Meatpacking District to get my hair cut at Red Market Salon.  If you follow the link, you will see that this is a very trendy, happening salon for meatpacking types to get haircuts and drinks at night, just the kind of salon a girl like me does not willingly set foot into.  I prefer a low key sort of place for a haircut.  I'm fond of haircutters who confine their talking to matters of hair.

I went there all unknowingly because I had gotten a discount at LifeBooker, and I had neglected to visit Red Market's website.  I gotta tell you, it was one of the pleasantest haircutting experiences I've ever had.  Up three flights of stairs to a pretty room with wooden floors painted white and red chairs and sun coming through the windows.  One other customer.  A lovely, quiet haircutter.  Good coffee.  70's music on the soundtrack.  When is the last time you heard Creedence Clearwater whilst getting a haircut?  And a good haircut.  Perfect.  Except for the price, of course.  Yes, even with a discount, a bit pricy.

But all of that is neither here nor there concerning these photographs.  After I left Red Market, I decided to check the progress at Gansevoort Street where the Whitney is going to be building a branch.  I guess they're not in a hurry.  Compare to five months ago.




Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

Here at the end of the block is a phone booth.  Do they still call them that?





Mary Sargent © 2009 ………………….…………… ………………….. click to enlarge

The other side of the street.


See map.

The High Line, Washington Street/Tenth Avenue Between Gansevoort and 20th Street

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Mary Sargent © 2009 ……... click to enlarge




Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

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I realize that I've been talking about the High Line as though everyone knows what it is, but it's entirely possible you don't know even if you live in New York. So let's start at the beginning.

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In the beginning, say 1851, a railroad ran on the streets of New York, creating such peril for street traffic that 10th Avenue came to be nicknamed Death Avenue. And so it came to be that in 1929 (before or after the crash?) the City and State of New York and the New York Central Railroad agreed to the West Side Improvement Project, which included the High Line and added 32 acres to Riverside Park.

The High Line ran from 34th Street to Spring Street and was designed to go down the center of blocks rather than over the avenue to keep things tidy. Imagine. It ran through factories and warehouses and so could pick up and deliver freight without setting foot in the street. And we think we're so smart.

But, alas, the feds built the interstates in the 50's and trucking became competitive with freight trains, causing a drop in rail traffic. In 1980 the last train ran on the High Line carrying three cars of frozen turkeys. What an ignominious end.

The High Line was abandoned and as the months and years went by, nature took over. Wild grasses grew, and flowers. It was becoming a meadow. A few people noticed. They probably snuck up there. They thought it was way cool. Wow, this would make an awesome park, they probably said to themselves.

Oh, I forgot to say that in the 60's the southern part was demolished, whether all the way to Gansevoort or not, I don't know.

So then some people wanted it torn down, including Mayor Guiliani, and others fought to keep it. Friends of the High Line was formed.

Friends of the High Line won. A miracle.

The photos above show how the landscaping keeps elements of the High Line's abandonment period.

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The High Line, Tenth Avenue Between Gansevoort and 20th Street

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Mary Sargent © 2009 ……...............................….. click to enlarge




Mary Sargent © 2009 ……….. click to enlarge

We're up in the High Line now and everyone looks right at home. I was reminded of my cats when I saw these people on the benches. It's like when a box is delivered to me and it's there on the floor, they take one look and jump on it and settle down. Nice, a new place to lie on, they say to themselves.

I was going to go into the story of the High Line tonight, but if you'll look at what time it is, you'll understand when I say I'm just going to recommend you go to the High Line Images and Video website. It has historical photos showing trains running in the street before the High Line was built, and it shows it being built and then being used. Then there are contemporary photographs showing it overgrown with grasses and wild flowers. And more. Well worth taking a look.
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I'll have more to say tomorrow. For now, I still have to put sheets on my bed.

Meatpacking District, Washington Street at Gansevoort

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……….. click to enlarge

Okay, back to the High Line. This is the entrance at Gansevoort Street. Wait, but first, before getting into the High Line, let's consider The Standard – that gorgeous building looming ahead. You've already seen a long shot of it 3 nights ago.

If you're interested in new architecture, I have some links for you. The New York Times's Nicolai Ouroussouf calls it serious architecture. New York Magazine makes a case for The Standard's "interpreting the spirit" of the Meatpacking District, and then on the next page, you can read an account of what it's like to stay there. Did I forget to mention it's a hotel? Last, go here for a web cam shot that shows it in relation to the High Line, looking down on the High Line. You can also play with their 360° speeded up video.

Meatpacking District, Gansevoort Street Between Washington and West Streets

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Mary Sargent © 2009 ……….. click to enlarge





Mary Sargent © 2009 ……………….. click to enlarge

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

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These three shots are of the north side of this block, which is awaiting construction of a branch of the Whitney Museum. The design is by noted architect Renzo Piano. It will be impressive. In the meantime, this is what is here, with its own charm.

Go to the New York Times to read a mostly approving article by architecture critic Nicolai Ouroussoff.

Meatpacking District, Gansevoort Street Between Washington and West Streets

Mary Sargent © 2009 ……... click to enlarge

Here's the last block of Gansevoort Street with New Jersey in the distance. Awfully close, isn't it? As I walked to the end of the block, I was surprised to find there were some interesting shots to be had. Well, not that surprised.

But for now, I want to announce the Third Anniversary of The Manhattan Street Project. Yayy! Let's all have champagne. Or prosecco. Below are two maps; one is from July 3, 2006 and the second was shot today. I don't even know how to guess how much I've done, but any fool can see there's way more to do. But I'm up for it; it gives me a reason to go on living, after all.


See Google Map.



July 3, 2006.....................July 3, 2009

The reason the first map comes with streets already marked is that I had started the project before I started the blog. However, I've been rewalking those pre-blog streets because, as my obsession grows, I realize that they MUST be photographed.

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Meatpacking District, Washington Street at Gansevoort Street

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

Here we are at our destination – the High Line. And there's Myra. Out of the frame. But first I want to finish Gansevoort Street – there's only one more block to go. We all need a rest anyway after last night's discursive entry. We'll have plenty of time to talk about the High Line and that fabulous building straddling it.

The street view in Google Maps shows the High Line before it was worked on.

Meatpacking District, Gansevoort Street Between Greenwich and Washington Streets

Mary Sargent © 2009 …………………………………….. click to enlarge

My apologies for the non-post last night, an historic first for this blog. (Not counting vacations, of course.) I was just congratulating myself on that the other day. In almost three years, I've never missed a daily post, I said to Barbara. I'm impressed with myself, I said. See what happens when you say something like that out loud?

Last night I came home late, maybe just a touch looped, and realized this wasn't going to be like those other nights when I've come home late and just a touch looped, because tonight I needed to research the Meatpacking District and then write a coherent couple of paragraphs. Furthermore, it couldn't be put off because this was the only photo of historic buildings on this walk. Realizing all this took the last bit of brainpower I had left, so I said to myself, I'll just take a little nap and do this later. When I awoke at 10 a.m. this morning, it was clear that I couldn't call this last night.

But enough lamenting. Onward to the business at hand. I'm not going address the Meatpacking District as a whole, because another day, I will do a more District centered walk and talk about it then. (This one is more High Line centered.) But I came across the Gansevoort Market Historic District Designation Report of 2003 and found the detailed history of these buildings at 52-58 Gansevoort Street. You can imagine how thrilled I was. (The building at the left is Griffin Lounge as of April 2009, a more recent addition to the street, and not under discussion here.)

Nos. 54-56, the middle two of the building at the right, began life around 1850-54 as a carpenter shop and stable, and nos. 52 and 58 on the ends, were constructed as tenements in 1853. Yes, tenements are generally (always?) more than two stories, and these tenements were originally 3 and 4 stories tall. The carpenter shop and stable were operated by one family, William Hoe, his son James Hoe, and James's sons, William and George, from the beginning in 1853 until the company went bankrupt in 1933. In 1937, during the "last major phase of development of the district," according to the report, when new low rise buildings were built and other buildings altered and reduced in height for market uses, these buildings were reduced to two stories and connected to form a market building, with upstairs offices. The first tenants dealt in wholesale fruit and produce. In 1963, Ottman & Co. expanded its wholesale meat business into this space and the name is still visible on the end of the metal awning, but I can't find any evidence of the company's existence today.

The report concludes that this building contributes to the District, not only because of its market use, but because its brick and stone façade and metal canopy contributes to the visual cohesion of the district.

See map.