The Ace Hotel

While long a cultural wasteland, the area now known as NoMad is enjoying it's time in the sun. Landlords in the Northern Flatiron district have been courting cultural institutions and local joints in an effort to vivify the neighborhood, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Developers are trying to play their cards right, hoping to make NoMad a new cultural hotspot. And they have a good start—fan favorite the Museum of Mathematics just leased a space in the neighborhood. With its similarly obscure cousin the Museum of Sex just a few blocks away, NoMad is just a few improbable institutions away from being be the off-color cousin of museum mile!

The wide array of new bars ad restaurants setting up shop in the neighborhood offer the perfect post-sex (or post-math) refreshment. Some old-timers are expanding as the area gains social clout. Jay-Z's 40/40 Club for example, is currently undergoing a multimillion dollar face-lift and expansion.

Developers are providing discounted rates to help attract interesting tenants, ultimately boosting the neighborhood's cultural cache.

"We basically take a long-term interest in the neighborhood as a whole. We're willing with tenants to give them relatively low, fixed rents," said Andrew Zobler, chief executive of Sydell Group and developer of the Ace Hotel and the planned NoMad Hotel, both in the area.

Trendy hotels, celebrity-owned clubs, sex-themed educational establishments— what's next? A film festival?

eknutsen@observer.com