Half the field has already been eliminated in the Curbed Cup, our annual award to the New York City neighborhood of the year. This week we'll have two match-ups apiece on Monday and Tuesday—with the polls left open for 24 hours—and by Wednesday only four contenders will be left vying for the prestigious fake trophy. Let the eliminations continue!
To kick off the Elite Eight round of the Curbed Cup, two Manhattan heavyweights are facing off: it's time to cast your vote for the West Village or West Chelsea.
The no. 1 seed, West Chelsea, came close to being knocked out in the first round—it beat St. George by only 12 votes—but the development-heavy neighborhood triumphed where it failed last year. The so-called "High Line effect" has spurred development in the neighborhood, with no fewer than five starchitect projects—including Zaha Hadid's curved condos and Bjarke Ingels's planned residential development—in the works. Add to that an influx of restaurants (including Danny Meyer's latest, the Southern-style bar Porchlight) and all of the hubbub over the SuperPier (home to Anthony Bourdain's planned food market), and you have a neighborhood that's poised to be the next big thing.
Of course, there's a chance that the West Village—which easily trounced Red Hook in the first round—could become this contest's next big thing. It's not as flashy as West Chelsea, but it's a tried-and-true favorite that's seeing some big real estate moves of its own. The crumbling Pier 40 may finally be saved—via an enormous mixed-use project to be built nearby—and the Greenwich Lane complex, which rose from the ashes of St. Vincent's Hospital, broke records left and right. And the neighborhood could soon be home to a National Monument, as advocacy groups push to give the newly landmarked Stonewall Inn protected status.
So which neighborhood should proceed to the Final Four? Cast your vote now!
· All West Chelsea Coverage [Curbed]
· All West Village coverage [Curbed]
· All Curbed Cup 2015 Coverage [Curbed]