The Fashion Center Business Improvement District is hoping to attract big-name bards and restaurants to draw new life after-hours, according to an article today at DNAinfo.com by Jill Colvin.
"The clothing made in Midtown's Garment District may be cutting edge, but when it comes to nightlife and fine dining, some complain the pickings are slimmer than the models who'll wear them to down the runway. After the sun sets, many of the area's streets - bustling with seamstresses, designers and fabric-makers by day - become eerily quiet, with one dark, shuttered storefront after the next," the article said.
While the members of the business district are "steering clear of noisy clubs, they're looking to increase the buzz, envisioning what some have gone as far as to call a new Meatpacking District.
"There's no destination dining in this neighborhood. There's really no destination anything," said Barbara Randall, president of the Fashion Center BID, which is leading the push. "The neighborhood has always closed at night."
To help turn the tide, the BID sent out a letter last week to big-name operators trying to sell them on the area's perks, including its 91,000 employees, access to public transportation, and proximity to hubs like Herald and Times squares, the article said.
"Most people are pretty much gone by 10 p.m.," said Murray Hill's Liz Oats, 25, who works on West 38th Street. "It's like an airport late at night when everything's closed."
In addition to building the neighborhood's profile, the BID hopes district businesses will benefit directly, helping to bolster the city's struggling garment manufacturing industry, which has been hard-hit by rising rents, higher manufacturing costs and steep competition from overseas.
The article said that "veteran operator Paul Seres is one of the first who plans to bring a bold new concept to the area," adding that "Seres, who serves on Community Board 4 and the New York Nightlife Association, has spent the past two years planning Patu¿, a new 8,000 square-foot, 3-floor venue on the top floors of 530 Seventh Ave. at West 39th Street. Already, there are some after-work draws in the neighborhood: Stitch Bar & Lounge on West 37th Street, the Fashion Forty Lounge on West 40th Street, the Houndstooth Pub on Eighth Avenue. But Seres hopes Patu¿, which is slated to open by the end of the year, will create new buzz, with roof-top panoramic views of Manhattan as well as two floors for fine dining that can convert into conference rooms during the day. With so many spaces and so few residents, he believes the district is a prime spot for a nightlife destination."
"The clothing made in Midtown's Garment District may be cutting edge, but when it comes to nightlife and fine dining, some complain the pickings are slimmer than the models who'll wear them to down the runway. After the sun sets, many of the area's streets - bustling with seamstresses, designers and fabric-makers by day - become eerily quiet, with one dark, shuttered storefront after the next," the article said.
While the members of the business district are "steering clear of noisy clubs, they're looking to increase the buzz, envisioning what some have gone as far as to call a new Meatpacking District.
"There's no destination dining in this neighborhood. There's really no destination anything," said Barbara Randall, president of the Fashion Center BID, which is leading the push. "The neighborhood has always closed at night."
To help turn the tide, the BID sent out a letter last week to big-name operators trying to sell them on the area's perks, including its 91,000 employees, access to public transportation, and proximity to hubs like Herald and Times squares, the article said.
"Most people are pretty much gone by 10 p.m.," said Murray Hill's Liz Oats, 25, who works on West 38th Street. "It's like an airport late at night when everything's closed."
In addition to building the neighborhood's profile, the BID hopes district businesses will benefit directly, helping to bolster the city's struggling garment manufacturing industry, which has been hard-hit by rising rents, higher manufacturing costs and steep competition from overseas.
The article said that "veteran operator Paul Seres is one of the first who plans to bring a bold new concept to the area," adding that "Seres, who serves on Community Board 4 and the New York Nightlife Association, has spent the past two years planning Patu¿, a new 8,000 square-foot, 3-floor venue on the top floors of 530 Seventh Ave. at West 39th Street. Already, there are some after-work draws in the neighborhood: Stitch Bar & Lounge on West 37th Street, the Fashion Forty Lounge on West 40th Street, the Houndstooth Pub on Eighth Avenue. But Seres hopes Patu¿, which is slated to open by the end of the year, will create new buzz, with roof-top panoramic views of Manhattan as well as two floors for fine dining that can convert into conference rooms during the day. With so many spaces and so few residents, he believes the district is a prime spot for a nightlife destination."
Architecture Critic
Carter Horsley
Since 1997, Carter B. Horsley has been the editorial director of CityRealty. He began his journalistic career at The New York Times in 1961 where he spent 26 years as a reporter specializing in real estate & architectural news. In 1987, he became the architecture critic and real estate editor of The New York Post.
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