meatpacking district, old & new — meatpacking district, old & new

Weekends in the Meatpacking District can be pretty awful. Most of the district's many restaurants are mediocre at best, the food typically taking a back seat to the scene, while the best bar is run by the Geniuses at the Apple Store.

By day, waves of tourists with deep pockets descend from the High Line, ready to drop some serious coin at the neighborhood's high end boutiques. Come nightfall, imposing nightclub bouncers stand guard along the cobble stone streets, sentries of the plutocrats and the pretty, succinctly dismissing every plea from the plebs left out of the bacchanal inside.

But, mornings in the Meatpacking District can be surprisingly pleasant.

Here's your AM itinerary:

STOP 1: KOBRICK COFFEE CO. (9:30 AM)

Grab a cortado from Kobrick Coffee Co. and, if the weather works, find a seat in the assuredly empty plaza at Gansevoort Street and 9th Avenue. This public piazza provides a great vantage point to watch the streets slowly stirring to life on a Sunday morning, a refreshingly peaceful contrast to the usual commotion of the neighborhood.

STOP 2: THE STANDARD HIGH LINE HOTEL (10:00 AM)

When you're ready, walk over to The Standard High Line, where you'll find a pretty charming little ice rink in the plaza just outside the hotel's front door. The ice is generally empty this early in the morning, save for a few young first timers holding on to skate-assist ice-gliding penguins, their parents looking on from the heated outdoor living room next to the rink. Admission to The Rink at The Standard is $13, plus $4 for skates.

STOP 3: WHITNEY MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART (10:30 AM)

Since relocating to Gansevoort street in 2015, The Whitney Museum of American Art has been a major attraction in the Meatpacking District, drawing thousands of visitors daily. Later in the day, lines extend down the block, but if you go when the museum opens, you'll breeze by the ticket counter without any wait. In addition to an excellent collection of art, the museum boasts several elevated outdoor terraces with spectacular views of the Hudson River and downtown Manhattan.

Adult admission is $22 and can be purchased in person or in advance on line.

STOP 4: BRUNCH (12:30 PM)

You can go in two very different directions for your midday meal. If you're in the mood for an upscale dining experience, look no further than Untitled, Danny Meyer's restaurant at The Whitney. Helmed by chef Michael Anthony, who also runs the kitchen at Gramercy Tavern, the brunch menu at Untitled features a few "breakfasty" items, but most of the savory selections skew toward lunch. The food is vegetable centric and pretty delicious, albeit a bit pricey.

For a more affordable, blue-collar breakfast, head around the corner to Hector's Cafe & Diner. In the shadow of the High Line, Hector's has been around since 1949 and serves typical diner dishes, so don't go crazy and order the steak or roast chicken and then write a one star Yelp! review complaining it was no good (true story). Stick to the staples, manage your expectations, watch some international soccer on the flat screens and you'll be fine.

RECAP:

Coffee from Kobrick's Coffee Co.
Ice Skating at The Standard High Line Hotel.
Early admission without the wait at the Whitney Museum.
A blue-collar breakfast at Hector's Cafe & Diner or an Upscale brunch at Untitled at The Whitney.

ESSENTIAL INFO:

-Total Cost: From about $60-$85 per person depending upon where you eat. Total includes coffee, ice skating, museum admission and brunch. Tax and tip included.

-Ice Skating at The Standard High Line is scheduled to run through March, weather permitting.