BEHIND THE LENS: THE ARTISTS THAT DOCUMENTED QUEER HISTORY
A District Defined: Streets, Sex, and Survival exhibits the work of eight talented photographers, encapsulating the essence of the Meatpacking District in the late 80s and 90s. It stands as the most comprehensive and captivating display of photojournalism showcasing the neighborhood during that era to date.
The photos on display will not only offer a glimpse into the underground Meatpacking clubs and spaces where the LGBTQ+ community found solace and liberation, but they’ll also highlight the larger cultural battles and shifting societal norms of the time.
Read a few of photographers’ own words below for a behind the lens sneak peak into Streets, Sex, and Survival:
“[There] was more to the culture than just wearing an outfit. It was a lifestyle. It was a point of view. It was an expression of beliefs. And that’s what made it what it was.
These were places where you could go and become that life. And then when you leave, you would leave everything behind and go back to being normal.” - Efrain Gonzalez
“There's always a scene, right? So I ended up being there in the scene of club kids …” - Catherine McGann
“I wait for the moment to come in, and there’s always a moment. The neighborhood is very different now than it was in the 90s. Simply, it was a reality, it was real life, it was not fiction.” - Katsu Naito
A District Defined: Streets, Sex, and Survival runs June 23 - July 9 at 401 on 401 West 14th Street.
*Some of the works will be on sale with a portion of proceeds from photographs and merchandise swag going to the American LGBTQ+ Museum, a new museum based in New York City whose mission is to ensure that the dynamic lives and stories of the LGBTQ+ community are told and preserved.
WHILE YOU’RE HERE…
All Events
July, 2025
Tuesday
July 1, 2025
Alice + Olivia 4th of July Sale
25% off selected styles!
PAIGE 4th of July Sale
Take an extra 20% off!
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Wednesday
July 2, 2025
Alice + Olivia 4th of July Sale
25% off selected styles!
PAIGE 4th of July Sale
Take an extra 20% off!
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Thursday
July 3, 2025
Alice + Olivia 4th of July Sale
25% off selected styles!
PAIGE 4th of July Sale
Take an extra 20% off!
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Friday
July 4, 2025
Alice + Olivia 4th of July Sale
25% off selected styles!
PAIGE 4th of July Sale
Take an extra 20% off!
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Free Friday Nights
Admission to the Whitney Museum of American Art is now free on Friday evenings from 5–10 pm.
Fourth of July Celebration
At the Gansevoort Rooftop
Monday
July 7, 2025
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Tuesday
July 8, 2025
Freight to Flowers Walking Tour
On the High Line
Stargazing
On the High Line
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Wednesday
July 9, 2025
Freight to Flowers Walking Tour
On the High Line
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Thursday
July 10, 2025
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Rivian Community: Strava Cooldown Session
Summer Recharge!
Rivian Presents: The Right to Joy
A Film Screening
Friday
July 11, 2025
Step Into Hopper
During West Side Fest
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Free Friday Nights
Admission to the Whitney Museum of American Art is now free on Friday evenings from 5–10 pm.
Monday
July 14, 2025
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Tuesday
July 15, 2025
Freight to Flowers Walking Tour
On the High Line
Stargazing
On the High Line
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
THE SWEAT SESSIONS
In partnership with the Wellth Collective
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Movies on the Cobbles
With Rooftop Films
Wednesday
July 16, 2025
Freight to Flowers Walking Tour
On the High Line
Music On The Cobbles
Enjoy live music on the cobblestones of Meatpacking
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Thursday
July 17, 2025
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
RIB-FEST W/ WILD EAST BREWING
Hosted by Dickson's Farmstand
Friday
July 18, 2025
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Free Friday Nights
Admission to the Whitney Museum of American Art is now free on Friday evenings from 5–10 pm.
Monday
July 21, 2025
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Tuesday
July 22, 2025
Freight to Flowers Walking Tour
On the High Line
Stargazing
On the High Line
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
THE SWEAT SESSIONS
In partnership with the Wellth Collective
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Wednesday
July 23, 2025
Freight to Flowers Walking Tour
On the High Line
Music On The Cobbles
Enjoy live music on the cobblestones of Meatpacking
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Thursday
July 24, 2025
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Friday
July 25, 2025
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
Paige Semi-Annual Sale
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Free Friday Nights
Admission to the Whitney Museum of American Art is now free on Friday evenings from 5–10 pm.
Monday
July 28, 2025
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Fit and Lit with Janiel Mason
On the High Line
Tuesday
July 29, 2025
Freight to Flowers Walking Tour
On the High Line
Stargazing
On the High Line
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
THE SWEAT SESSIONS
In partnership with the Wellth Collective
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Wednesday
July 30, 2025
Freight to Flowers Walking Tour
On the High Line
Music On The Cobbles
Enjoy live music on the cobblestones of Meatpacking
The Standard Soda Shop
Watch it Fizz and POP!
$3 off Grilled Cheese Happy Hour
Saxelby's Cheesemongers
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Cull & Pistol
Half Priced Oyster Happy Hour
Every Monday-Friday at Lobster Place
$11 Happy Hour at The Standard Grill
Every Monday-Thursday
Thursday
July 31, 2025
June
August
INFO@MEATPACKING-DISTRICT.COM
Media Inquiries
MEATPACKING@BERLINROSEN.COM
MEATPACKING DISTRICT
MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION
tel:212-633-0185