Then and Now: Meatpacking District, New York City

Meatpacking District

West 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, NYC, in 1976. 

Manhattan is a place of change, but the change often doesn't involve the buildings as much as it does the essence of a place. There are few neighborhoods in Manhattan which have changed more than the Meatpacking district. This is an area on the west side of Manhattan that is located on and to the south of 14th Street. Back in the day, it was a rough area, full of rough streets, rough buildings, and some pretty rough customers. When I saw the above picture of 14th Street from 1976, I grew curious as to how much that block has changed in the last 40+ years. So, I decided to do a comparison of West 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues from 1976 to 2018.

West 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, NYC, in August 2018 (Google Street View).

Our first goal is to make sure that we have the right spot. The north side of 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues has changed more than the south side. Many of the buildings on the south side of the street are still recognizable from the 1970s. We can tell that the above photo matches the same location from 1976 because of the distinctive low-slung building in the center of the scene and the larger building at the end of the block which retains the same ornamentation on the roof. Let's take a little closer view.

West 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, NYC, in August 2018 (Google Street View).

This photo shows a little more clearly the distinctive roof of the building at the end of the block (on 9th Avenue) and the three-story building a little nearer to us. We have the same spot, all right.

West 14th Street at 9th Avenue, NYC, in August 2018 (Google Street View).

Moving a little further to the east, we can see that the red building on the far side of 9th Avenue - the one under the massive water tower - is still there. However, at some point, the owners added a few floors on top. One must admit, they did a pretty good job trying to match the earlier style, but comparing the 1976 photo with the current view shows pretty clearly what was done.

West 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, NYC, in August 2018 (Google Street View).

Turning around and looking back toward where the original photographer stood in 1976 shows how much the north side of the street (where he or she was standing) has changed. Until around the last 20 years, there was a low overhang that ran over the street to help shield the workers. The streets were cobblestone, though at some point the city made some attempt to pave them over. The High Line railway, visible in the distance, was still in operation in 1976. Now, of course, it is a park and a "destination." The entire block has gone from being grimy warehouses and a Spanish supermarket (great prices!) to little boutiques and such. I knew a photographer who had his studio in the top floor of one of those buildings on the right, we took a freight elevator to get to his studio (if you see the Robert Redford film "The Hot Rock" - one like that). A great bar, Hogs n' Heifers, was around the corner to the left, and there were gay clubs down by the river. All of that is gone now, it is now a chic little spot where you can get a nice gown for the party at the gallery next week.

West 14th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues, NYC, in August 2018 (Google Street View).

A lot the buildings along this stretch of 14th Street remain the same. There haven't been any skyscrapers put in or anything, just some renovations of perhaps questionable taste. Someone suddenly transported from 1976 to 2019 would recognize where they were - though they would be shocked at how clean and neat and tidy it was, especially the north side of the block. However, the spirit and essence of the neighborhood have changed. It is not quite the Upper East Side yet, but it definitely is trendy and being reworked. Money obviously is pouring into the area and gentrification is in full swing. Whether all that change is positive or negative is up to you to decide.

Thanks for stopping by this entry in our "the more things change, the more they stay the same" series. The Meatpacking District no longer has much meatpacking, so it's nice that it has been repurposed at the cost of its grimy, squalid splendor. Please visit some of our other entries in this series!

2019