The Standard Hotel in Meatpacking District?

@AJ: To answer your question: No, I have never been down there, although I have heard of people talking about it. My girlfriend said it is a very noisy place. Your stay will not be quiet.

Yeah that's what I hear, but to be honest, I'm not overly worried about that. I can't imagine anywhere in NY is that quiet over the new year period. Is the neighborhood safe to walk around at night?

I imagine it's quite busy - the Meatpacking district is a trendy nightlife area, so you're not likely to have trouble walking down "dark alleys" alone. You might have altercations with some inebriated types, however

I don't know The Standard but the Meatpacking District is definitely safe, definitely trendy, and I agree with ajadeidealist that the most dangerous encounter you're likely to have is some drunk knucklehead singing at you. I'm sure it will be one big party over the New Year over there.

Hey guys,

Great advice, very helpful. I've also started to look at the Crosby Street Hotel in Soho? I know that is VERY central, so it will be pretty good for shopping as well. Any suggestions on Soho area around that time of year?

Thanks again!

AJ

@AJ I love SoHo much more than the Meatpacking District, maybe because Nolita is so close to my heart. But all the complaints about SoHo being packed with shoppers on the weekends are all true, it can be really frustrating just trying to cross the street. Mobs of people. I'm imagining the New Year time will make it even more so. Just be prepared for that. I love Balthazar's muffins but half the time can't even get into the baked goods shop, it's so packed, and have to just go elsewhere. Just sayin', it'll be you and ten million other people strolling through the neighborhood.

Crosby Street is one of my favorites, though. Can't beat the location.

@AJ I absolutely agree with everything Uraniumfish wrote about SoHo; I prefer the neighborhood a thousand times more than Meatpacking, but man is it crowded! The streets stay mobbed even during the colder months, and you'd be hard pressed to exaggerate just how packed the sidewalks are. It is worse on weekends, but I wouldn't say that the weekdays are any less shopper-filled. I'd stay in SoHo for shopping and eating, but I think Meatpacking has a trendier partying scene, if you are into that sort of thing. Not that SoHo lacks for bars. Both are safe places to be.

I agree with the above that SoHo in general is so much more attractive of a location, not that the Meatpacking District doesn't have its own allure. I also agree that the crowds are a real pain and can get in the way of really enjoying the area, especially at peak times.

Thanks again guys although I'm still soo confused!!

The Standard sounds great and a little funky, which could be great fun around the NYE period. On the other hand it could be a little noisy around the area though. I do love the decor of the hotel, and the location itself is pretty cool. I was in NYC last Jan, and the hi-line was pretty fun to walk, although seemed a little deserted perhaps cuz it was soooo cold?

The Crosby Street Hotel looks really good as well, fantastic location, although the hotel itself is not overly my style (a little too much british inspiration)? It gets great ratings across the board on all hotel review sites, and to be honest, I'm not too fussed about walking out my door and Soho being so crowded. Isn't all of of NYC like that?

Both have pros and cons...arrrggghhh

AJ

If it's a toss between one and the other I might go for The Standard just because it's a big, dramatic building in the middle of Chelsea. You'll probably get great views from your room and have a lot of fun. Not sure if the High Line is open in winter (is it?) but if so, it's also a big plus. I'm sure they'll do something up there for New Year's. Potentially one big party platform, really. The Crosby Street Hotel does seem a little bit more sophisticated, but also potentially not as much fun. Hard to say, but in any case SoHo is easy to get to from Chelsea, and the other way around, so you should just go with the hotel and amenities you like most, as both areas are extremely accessible.

NYE in NY NY - nice :)

@PureKrome: Not really. NYE in NYC is way to crowded. Too many drunks. Just not my way to live. If I do celebrate it, I usually go to a friend's house, where he only has about 4 to 5 people over and we toast the new event. Actually, I do not plan on being in NYC this coming NYE.

@AJ: I can think of many places you can go except NYC, but if you are insistent on coming here, I heard that the UES is a lot better. It is quieter and you can walk around without feeling like you might get mugged. There are also a lot of great restaurants in the area as well. Think about it.

Hey hhusted,

Nice change of avatar :)

I know that NYC for NYE is probably going to be a little bit of overload, and it's something I feel I have to do just once in my life. I've been there a bunch of times, and I've always had a lot of fun. If I lived there though, I might think the same as you. Same as I want to get out of my own home town :)

Thanks for all the great advice though guys, very much appreciated.

AJ

There is something really charming about NYE - especially in NYC. It's the one drinking holiday that I can actually appreciate, even if I never completely remember it....

@AJ-- I've been to the Standard a bunch and it is definitely trendy. It's a young person's hotel. The decor is really modern, the restaurant and beer garden are packed and there is a nightclub in the hotel. If you like Meatpacking shenanigans, then this is the perfect hotel. If not, you should try the Mondrien in Soho. It's scheduled to open this year. Or, there's always the Mercer or the Cooper (East Village / Nolita). They're both hip but not overly loud and clubby.

@AJ: Thanks fro the compliment about my picture. I figured I would change it since it has been there for months. I like change every once in a while.

So, the meat-packing district? Over or still going strong? My sense is that if it's not over now as a hip/in place to be, it is sure about to be soon,,,

I think it's still going pretty strong, @ajadedidealist. The Standard has a huge celebrity draw, the new lounges, SL and Provocateur are crazy busy with New York big money, and despite the huge Euro and tourist draw, places like Pastis still attract a ton of hip NY locals. I can't stand the Meatpacking -- I think I'm allergic to it. But, I'm afraid it is going to stay for a bit longer.

@JenMac I agree, there's no real danger that any patch of NYC (read, Manhattan) real estate is going to get less hip any time soon...

@ajadedidealist The Standard is definitely the hotel of the moment in NYC and though people say the Meatpacking district has gone the bridge and tunnel way .. it still gets awfully busy on the weekends and almost every overseas visitor that I receive almost always wants to have a meal or go clubbing there...

But the real question is - do the New Yorkers? Then again, how do you define New Yorkers? 20-somethings who just moved to the city after watching 6 seasons of SATC, or uncool old-timers like me? I guess having grown up in NY, I'm kind of immune to its cool factor. I like walking in Central Park and having brunch at Old Lady restaurants, but I dont really like going out to party in NY

@ajadedidealist: I tend to think of the meatpacking as a very un-New Yorker part of New York. But, alas, my native friends still eat at Pastis, Calvin Klein was just at the Standard Grill and SNL cast members are often at Fatty Crab. . . . so, I guess it's as much a mixture of both as any part of downtown.

@JenMac thank god Fatty Crab have an outlet on the UWS ,never managed to get place at the meatpacking outlet and I do love their chili crab and pork buns.

@uptowngirl: Couldn't agree more on the pork buns! And how about the whiskey shot with a pickle back? One of the few reasons I venture into the meatpacking is the sweet Fatty Crab.

@JenMac have never had the whiskey shot .. all I ever do is drink wine.. that is my one vice that I refuse to give up..

@uptowngirl: I, too, love the wine. But, the whiskey / pickleback is pretty fun!

@JenMac The cast of SNL all live in the West Village so the meatpacking district is probably far enough of a walk to feel like they're really out on the town.

Do they live together, @uraniumfish, or do they all just happen to be nearby?

On the topic of is-Meatpacking-cool-to-locals, I vote no. I think it's more of a posh scene, and I just think of cool as something a little edgier - a neighborhood where Jared Leto hangs out in tight studded pants doesn't really float my cool boat, if you know what I mean.

@uptowngirl I am a big wine drinker too - champagne, really - and I never could take a shot. I like to sip my alcoholic beverages.

@BroadwayBK I agree with your distinction between cool and posh, and the Meatpacking district is not really cool so much as posh.

@ajadedidealist Hah! That would be something, if all the SNL people lived together!

Hey guys,

I can't thank everyone enough for the advice, it really has been a massive help.

@jenmac I suppose your comments helped me the most as you have actually stayed at the Standard. Yeah it's a young persons hotel (I hope I would have fit in, im only 29!!), but I've been put off a little by those sorts of hotels as I stayed at The W in San Francisco for over a week. While it was fun for a few nights, after a week or so it just felt a little too 'wanky'. Kinda like living in a nightclub?

Anyways, I decided on giving the new Trump Hotel in Soho a go. It's new, the rooms seem very nice and for the price, you actually get some decent value for money compared to some of the other boutique hotels. Some of the reviews around the net have been pretty good as well, so fingers crossed.

Thanks again guys, really made my decision SO much easier with all your help. Now I'm going to have to start up another thread on where are the best restaurants book!!!

AJ

@AJ you got good rates for NYE in NYC? that's surprising but good to know.. I recently looked for hotel rates for a friend who was visiting NYC last month and the average was around $400 a night ...

@uptowngirl well not GOOD rates...but rather comparatively good rates compared to some other hotels in NYC at NYE :)