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In an ideal New York, everything would be in walking distance. And not just your bodega and your grocery store and your bank and your laundromat—we mean everything. You'd have a top-notch selection of retail, both apparel and home goods, at your fingertips. Facials, haircare, and other beauty needs would be steps away. A variety of fitness studios would be lined up next to each other, ensuring you'd never get bored of your workout.
As it turns out, such a fantasy does exist. And that's why, this year,we're giving the Racked Award for Neighborhood of the Moment to the one that does it all: Flatiron.
Much of the buzz about the area as of late has to do with its fitness explosion. Flatiron is home to so many of the city's buzziest studios—for cycling alone, residents can take their pick from SoulCycle, Swerve, and Flywheel Sports. Exhale debuted a new studio on 19th Street earlier this year, and classes always fill up quickly at the women's-only Uplift on 23rd Street. And let's not forget about The Movement, ChaiseFitness, Laughing Lotus Yoga, and 305 Fitness, too.
Beauty ain't too shabby, either. Rachel Zoe's DreamDry has you covered on blowouts, while spots like Bluemercury and Sephora keep our cosmetics bags stocked. Favorite cheap manicure spot True Color Nails helps keep your budget in check, while skincare guru Joanna Vargas and highlight specialist Marie Robinson will help you blow it.
And last but not least, you can get some serious shopping done in Flatiron. Start off with that stretch of Broadway stacked with some of the best home goods the city has to offer—among them the new Restoration Hardware, Wolf Home, Fishs Eddy, Whisk, and ABC Carpet & Home. Hop over to Fifth Avenue to pad your closet—C. Wonder and H&M recently reopened here, and the street has picks ranging from Gap to the DKNY concept shop to Kate Spade to Joe Fresh to the Strand-filled Club Monaco...shall we go on?
Don't forget to check out the newcomers making this area even better, like Jennifer Fisher's boutique, Rent the Runway's first standalone location, and the Lego flagship. Keep up the good work, Flatiron—and keep bringing us more.
· Flatiron District [Racked NY]
· Racked Awards 2014 [Racked NY]