The Meat Packing District.
Not to be confused with The Fudgepacking District, which seems to cover most of NYC.
The Meat Packing District was, as recently as 2002, a deserted, sleazy, no-bo-go-at-night area on the lower West Side of New York.
This now bustling thoroughfare was once the be all and end all of big bad voodoo city seediness with an atmosphere straight out of a Hollywood thriller.
In the eighties it was said that if you wanted to experience the real New York (which was then banded round as a euphemism for being mugged) you had only to visit
The Meat Packing District. Sadly, Urban Renewal has cleaned the area up and the city has invested millions into turning it into one of the most prime real estate
destinations in Manhattan. However a little of the old town refuses to leave and there’s still a couple of streets left that remain, to this day, a vision of those sordid times.
Flip Side Rating: only ** - it’s fast disappearing under a tide of yuppies and wine bars, you’re unlikely to get involved in The French Connection here.
Hogs & Heifers
859 Washington , New York, NY 10014
between 13th and Washington Sts.
212-929-0655
Anyone after a drunken slobbering pukefest should go to Hogs & Heifers. Forget etiquette, forget social graces, stop being a limp wrist because once past the hell's angel on the door this is strictly adult fun at the Hill-billy highland games. Hogs is about as rough and authentic as any white trash drinking pit anywhere. The Meat Packing District is the perfect local for this famous biker bar. Unlike the ersatz version, Coyote Ugy, Hogs is the real deal. A word of warning to the guys: Don't try to hit on the chicks behind the bar (we speak from experience) a word of warning to the Gals: You'll probably get hit on by the chicks behind the bar. (which of course is the only reason she didn't like me).
Tortilla Flats-
767 Washington Street-212.243.1053
Yeah, a bit of a lame one, but you can't just review the wall-to-wall-puking joints. Tortilla Flats is right there in the middle of The Meat Packing District, but somehow lacks the sleazy atmosphere of the other bars reviewed here. It's bright, it's light, it's the sort of place you go if you want a bit of life, but can't handle a full on bar fly's bar. According to their literature they put 'The FUN in FUNky' which gives you some idea of what this place is all about. The food's supposed to be good, but after the Tequila and 151 proof rum they serve a fried cat's bum would taste good. To be fair to them, they do make for a good private event.
The Kitchen
The old stomping grounds of the Irish Mafia, - now known as Clinton - The Kitchen, or Hell's Kitchen covers the West side from Chelsea up to The Upper West Side, meaning any street from 8th Avenue westward from 34th to 59th belongs to this historic neighbourhood. It's big, it's bad, it's brutal, and yes, once again it's been hit by the real estate boys who have now turned it into a fashionable disrtict to live in. Once again though, a little of the old town remains...
Rudy's
44th and 9th.
Once hailed as New York's most famous dive, Rudy's is a cheap, friendly neighbourhood bar. It's got ripped seats, bums, a scary bathroom, a fantastic open air backyard. And they offer free pizza and hotdogs meaning you'll never throw up on an empty stomach. A fantastic bar, where people of all walks drink side by side, this is a tribute to the oneness of life in the Big Bad Apple. One of the best in NYC.
The Swine on 9
48th and 9th.
Owned and operated by the same guilty parties as Rudy's, it's another neighbourhood favourite, but a little bit cleaner and with no outdoors. It's brighter and there are less hobos
.
Article by Joe Cutts
