Travel: Quick Weekend Getaways: The Meatpacking District, NYC
Overall vibe: Understated cool, with a hint of industrialism.
What to do/see: Shop, shop, shop, and when you’re not shopping, eat and drink. The Meatpacking District is a magnet for stylish restaurants, clubs and designer boutiques; most recently, Stella McCartney (429 West 14th Street; 212-255-1556), Alexander McQueen (417 West 14th Street; 212-645-1797) and Catherine Malandrino (652 Hudson Street; 212-929-8710) moved in, joining the likes of über-hip trendsetter Jeffrey New York (449 West 14th Street; 212-206-1272). Have late-night drinks at Lotus (409 West 14th Street; 212-243-4420); Level V (675 Hudson Street; 212-699-2400), in the basement of Stephen Hanson’s new trattoria Vento; or the members-only SoHo House (29 Ninth Avenue; 212-627-3647), if you can score an invite.
Where to eat: For Far Eastern comfort food, head to Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Spice Market (403 West 13th Street; 212-675-2322), where the model sightings are as satisfying as the Thai fried chicken wings. Pastis (9 Ninth Avenue; 212-929-4844) serves French bistro classics—steak frites, salade Niçoise, mussels in a Pernod broth—and lots of atmosphere at rustic, butcher-paper-covered tables. Ono (18 Ninth Avenue; 212-660-6766), Jeffrey Chodorow’s new Japanese bar and restaurant at the Hotel Gansevoort, serves up traditional Japanese fare as well as robatayaki, a cuisine that involves grilling over an open flame and recalls elements of American barbecue and Spanish tapas.
Where to stay: The new, minimally chic boutique Hotel Gansevoort (18 Ninth Avenue, 212-206-6700; rooms start at $295, suites at $725) brings modern luxury to the Meatpacking District, with 187 guest rooms, a heated outdoor rooftop pool, and the Ono restaurant. Room amenities (and design coups) include plasma and LCD TVs, Wi-Fi, plush feather beds, 400-thread-count Egyptian cotton linens, faux mink throws, and spacious marble and ceramic bathrooms. The more budget-conscious Maritime Hotel (363 West 16th Street, 212-242-4300; rooms from $395) has a ship theme and cool cocktail lounge, Hiro.
Travel Time: 1:47
