I live on the eastern edge of the Meatpacking District, on the southwest corner of Eighth Avenue and 14th Street, in what was the New York County Bank Building. It’s a neo-classical temple with Corinthian columns and Beaux-Arts touches, designed in 1907 by DeLemos & Cordes, the architects of Macy’s on 34th Street. My building stands directly across the street from the former New York Savings Bank on the northwest corner. Built in 1897, it’s a Roman temple of white Vermont marble capped by an impressive copper dome. (It once housed Balducci’s but is now a CVS.) The A.I.A. Guide to New York City notes that the two bank buildings are “a rare occurrence for this city: a pair of classically inspired sentinels guarding the western corridor of 14th Street” leading to the Meatpacking District or, as it’s officially known, the Gansevoort Market Historic District.
Laura Bohn lives in the former New York County National Bank Building at 14th Street and 8th Avenue, the beginning of the Meatpacking District.
The former New York Savings Bank stands across the street from Laura’s building, creating “a pair of classically inspired sentinels guarding the western corridor of 14th Street” and the Meatpacking District beyond.
The Meatpacking District is definitely a hotbed of trendy fashion and design stores. Some of my favorites include Jeffrey New York, Alexander McQueen, Diane von Furstenberg, and Vitra.
Jeffrey New York (twin to an Atlanta location) at 449 West 14th Street is a swank mini-department store that features runway-hot men’s and women’s wear in a cool warehouse space.
The Alexander McQueen store at 417 West 14th Street continues to be a high fashion Mecca despite the death of the extraordinarily talented designer in 2010. Photograph by Robert Wright/New York Times
