Home to designer stores, glitzy hotels, innovative cuisine and, of course, vibrant nightlife, the Meatpacking District is a paradise for jet-setters (and the aspirational types who'd like to hang out with them). Fashion luminaries who have put down roots here include Diane von Furstenberg, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, a pedigree that's easily matched by chic contemporary hotels such as the Standard and Hotel Gansevoort, which rise like modernist punctuation against the hardscrabble cityscape of low-lying row houses. The area's latest incarnation is something of a revelation, considering that until recently it was best known for its slaughterhouses, as well as the underground sex-club scene that helped define the neighborhood after hours in the '80s. These days, the Meatpacking District's real pleasures are in its bars, stores, restaurants and clubs, most of which offer excellent fare—and even better people-watching. Last June's opening of the High Line, the gorgeous elevated park constructed from the remnants of old train tracks, is certainly a boon for the latter. And the development continues apace: in September, the Whitney inked a deal for a satellite branch, to be located right next to the park's entrance.

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