The Meatpacking District embodies a quintessential New York City story. From grit and grunge to glamour, trendy eateries and avant-garde architecture, the neighborhood has seen it all. Originally the redoubt of slaughterhouses, the neighborhood evolved into an area where an underground subculture of nightclubs and code-busting residential loft spaces thrived in the '80s and early '90s. The clubs were eventually followed by restaurants, bars, fashion houses and art galleries. A visit to the modern-day neighborhood allows for a perfect menu of activities: art viewing at White Columns or Milk Gallery, clothes shopping (or at least gawking) at Stella McCartney and Diane von Furstenberg, noshing at Pastis and Chelsea Market. The area, with its relatively small-scale buildings and cobblestoned streets, retains its gritty authenticity thanks to the presence of businesses and locals who were here since before it became a hotspot. The neighborhood vibe is further enhanced by the presence of the High Line; the bucolic park, seeded from the ruins of an abandoned train line, is a destination in itself. Visitors to the City will find chic and convenient accommodations at the Gansevoort and Standard hotels. The Meatpacking District offers a mix of hip and classic culture—a first-class reflection of what the entire metropolis has to offer.