‘Meat’ the big owners in MePa

The trendy area is seeing more mainstream tenants and more available retail spaces, sparking debate on how much properties are worth and where the neighborhood is headed

A view of the Meatpacking District, which, despite seeing an increase in foot traffic because of the High Line, has seen retail rents remain soft.
A view of the Meatpacking District, which, despite seeing an increase in foot traffic because of the High Line, has seen retail rents remain soft.

From the September issue:  In the late 1990s, Jeffrey Kalinsky, a former Barneys shoe buyer, started scoping out the Meatpacking District to find a home for Jeffrey, his high-end clothing store. At the time, the cobblestone streets were lined with meat purveyors and art galleries; retail rents were in the mid-$20s per square foot.

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When Kalinsky opened his 12,000-square-foot shop, a mini department store carrying exclusive brands, at 449 West 14th Street in 1999, he accelerated a fashion domino effect that soon turned the Meatpacking District into a trendy see-and-be-seen neighborhood studded with designer boutiques and late-night restaurants. [more]