Increased development in the West 50s paves way for Foundry.

Manhattan's West 50's have gone from frumpy to fabulous in two years. New bars are bringing beautiful people and velvet ropes to a part of town better known for hot ethnic food than a hot nightlife. And some of the new visitors are putting down roots, moving into the neighborhood's first new residential building in 10 years: The Foundry, a 222-unit, high-end residential building with public spaces and a sumptuous lobby designed by cutting-edge architect Joel Sanders.

In addition, Ian Schrager's Hudson Hotel, with its two stylish bars and a restaurant, has brought glamour to Ninth Avenue. The hotel's Hudson Bar hosted Chelsea Clinton's birthday party this year.

The Related Companies is planning a multi-family development on a site just to the north of The Foundry. Developer Douglas Durst is also working on the redevelopment of the entire West 57th Street block, between 11th and 12th Avenues, into a telco hotel, office, and retail mixed-use project.

Kenneth Cole and Prada have both moved their New York headquarters to the neighborhood in the last 12 months. The West 50's have also become a home to the creative types that work at television and music studios like "The Daily Show with John Stewart," "The Montel Williams Show," the "Sessions at West 54th," and Sony's Hit Factory.

A wave of new hip bars and restaurants are upgrading the area's entertainment from dowdy too modish: eBar, Vynl, West Side Sushi, and Bar Nine have recently opened doors in the neighborhood. There are also six performance theaters and countless jazz clubs and musical venues in the West 50's.

The neighborhood is attracting more than its share of creative entrepreneurs: a stylish combination cafe-haberdashery called Cafe Latte opened on 10th and 54th. Fabulous Foods on 10th and 55th Street is a pure gourmet carryout that has everyday lunch lines of young professionals leading out the door.

The Related Companies is planning a multi-family development on a site just to the north of The Foundry. Developer Douglas Durst is also working on the redevelopment of the entire West 57th Street block, between 11th and 12th Avenues, into a telco hotel, office, and retail mixed-use project.

The Foundry is the first new residential building to open its door in the West 50's in 10 years. The 222-unit features an avant garde lobby made with concrete and steel -- a feature associated with Manhattan's industrial past -- and appears to float within an outer volume, covered by materials (rocks, stones, and flowing water) found in the natural world.