Bleecker in Bloom

BOUTIQUES SPRING TO LIFE IN THE WEST VILLAGE

It was only a matter of time before the gentrification of Manhattan's Meatpacking District spilled eastward. The shops that have recently sprouted up I on the six blocks of Bleecker Street between Christopher Street and Eighth Avenue have some referring to this West Village pocket as "the new Nolita," peppered with a dash of Madison Avenue. The area—with its cobblestone streets, historic brownstones, and sleepy bistros remains one of the most charming parts of the city, but as David Valle, owner of Otter, which sells edgier labels like Park Vogel, Yanuk, and the infamous Botkier bags, acknowledges, "There's definitely a changing of the guard." On any given Saturday, you're likely to find a crush of eager shoppers, ready and willing to spend—alongside a flock of boldfaced names such as Julianne Moore, Britney Spears, Jennifer Connelly, and Gwyneth Paltrow, who arrive black-AmEx-card-ready. Fashion meccas like Marc Jacobs, Ralph Lauren, Calypso, Cynthia Rowley, Robert Marc, Fresh, Intermix, and Lulu Guinness occupy intimate storefronts, while Olive & Bette's and Lucien Pellat-Finet are due to open soon. The perfect blend of commerce and tranquillity makes Bleecker Street one of the hottest weekend destinations, but be forewarned: if you thought the Magnolia Bakery—which now regularly appears in tabloids (Oh! Paris Hilton ate a cupcake!)—was crowded before, these days the line of people waiting for the tastiest treats in town circles the block. And that's at midnight. DANY LEVY