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A New Year’s Hotspot

The Meatpacking District was a popular neighborhood for New Year's Eve revelers.
The Meatpacking District was a popular neighborhood for New Year’s Eve revelers.

The Meatpacking District—or to preservationists the Gansevoort Market Historic District—was the scene of many a New Year’s Eve party this past Monday night. But as the neighborhood’s most recent name suggests, this area has an interesting industrial past.  We here at Off the Grid thought we would post some historic images of the neighborhood, for a little post-New Year’s treat.

Gansevoort Street, No. 53, Manhattan, image by Berenice Abbott, 1936. Image courtesy of the New York Public Library.
Gansevoort Street, No. 53, Manhattan, image by Berenice Abbott, 1936. Image courtesy of the New York Public Library.

The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation successfully petitioned for landmark status of the neighborhood in 2003 because of the neighborhood’s incredible architecture and rich history. The area was developed with a mix of residential and industrial buildings, and early in its history featured a produce market and a poultry and meat market. It was in the 1950s that meat packers moved into the area now more known for its clubs, restaurants, and high end shops.

The corner of 9th Avenue and Little West 12th Street, with the High Line in the background. Image from a survey conducted by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.
The corner of 9th Avenue and Little West 12th Street, with the High Line in the background. Image from a survey conducted by the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation.

One response to “A New Year’s Hotspot

  1. Interesting that meatpackers only moved INTO the neighborhood in the 50s? So it’s only really been an actual Meatpacking District for a short part of its existence. Hm!

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