Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
13. Meatpacking District
The Gansevoort Market Historic District, known as the Meatpacking District, lies from Jane
Street up to West 15th Street, between Hudson and West Street. Gansevoort, a street inside
the boundaries, was named after one of George Washington's officers who was in charge of
the fort located here years ago. During the 1840s, townhouses and row houses began pop-
ping up to house the diverse population that was moving in. The area was known for industry
ranging from woodworking to breweries, although in the 1880s it was predominately used
as a meatpacking district. It grew in size until there were over 250 slaughterhouses located
here by the time WWII had ended. With the advent of better refrigeration and transportation
for cooled and frozen foods, the district began to lose its prominence. As industry began to
decline, crime began to rise. The Meatpacking District had a new reputation of drugs and
crime.
This lasted until the early 1990s when the city began cracking down on crime. Visionaries
soon started buying up the old buildings and factories, turning the area into a New York
