Chelsea NY Neighborhood Guide

Chelsea NY is known for art galleries, nightlife and gay-friendly culture. Traditionally, it was a very industrial area, near the Hudson river and above-ground railroad tracks, now the Highline Park, and famous for exporting food and manufactured goods. Today it is a lively, vibrant NYC neighborhood with some of New York City's top restaurants, clubs and art.

Things to Do

Chelsea Museum of Art (556 W 22nd St, near 11th Ave) – closed Sundays. $8 adults, $4 students and seniors. A new, but thriving, lesser known Museum, focusing on niche and under-exposed art worldwide.

Chelsea Art Galleries (20th to 28th/ 7th to 10th Aves) – over 200 art galleries line these streets. Some of the most famous include Gagosian Gallery (W 24th St), Matthew Marks Gallery and Sonnabend (W 22nd St).

Chelsea Historic District (20th to 22nd Sts/ 8th to 10th Aves) – a nice walk with a lot of architecture from the 1800’s. These preserved brownstones and buildings, become even more interesting, when seen just a few blocks from some of NYC's newest construction, such as the 9-story glass office building further west designed by Frank Gehry. The historic district is designed to protect the West Chelsea Arts district and encourage the development of world class architecture nearby.

Chelsea Market (75 9th Ave, 15th/16th Streets) - a huge, converted warehouse space with hundreds of take out gourmet foods and restaurants. Hot spot for many famous TV shows and Film , especially those about cooking and restaurants.

Chelsea Piers – NYC’s best playground for adults and kids. Golf range, rock climbing, basketball, soccer, gymnastics, ice skating, batting cages. Probably more for locals than visitors, but great if your kids want to do something athletic with NYC as the back drop. All services have a fee, as CP is private and not a public park.

Chelsea Hotel (222 W 23rd St, 7th/8th Aves) - a bohemian landmark and former home of many famous artists such as William S. Burroughs, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. Some people love to stay here, and some love just to see it for the character and history.

The Highline (see Meatpacking District)

Recommended Restaurants

Frying Pan (Pier 66, W 26th St, Hudson River) – casual, on the water, boat turned restaurant/bar. High drink prices, but lovely scenery, if you don’t get seasick.

Co. (230 9th Ave/ 24th St) – great pizza, a little more upscale than a typical pizza joint, but still casual. Perfect for a lunch or snack.

Empire Diner (210 10th Ave/ 22nd St) – casual 24 hour diner that looks like it is in an old train car. Order just about any kind of food here.

The Red Cat (227 10th Ave/ 23rd St) – nice Mediterranean/French spot right in the middle of the art galleries. Service can be spotty, but food is reliable.

Chelsea Brewing Company (in Chels. Piers) – home-ade brews overlooking the River, with an outside deck in summer right next to the golf driving range.

Nightlife - a great nightlife area, much of which is very upscale (you might have to be on a “list”). One way to get in is to go early and eat dinner at a club. Celebrity sightings almost guaranteed. 2009 hotspots include Marquee (289 10th Ave/26th St), Star Lounge underneath the Chelsea Hotel.

Shopping

Metropolitan North Pavilion (110 W 19th St, 6th/7th Aves). Sample sale location, dates/times vary. Check the NYCIG sample sale page.

Fisch for the Hip (153 W 18th, 6th/7th Aves) – high end designer resale. Best selection of used Hermés bags in NYC.

Loehmann’s (101 7th Ave, 17th St) - M/W clothing and shoes. Brands include Juicy Couture, Theory, Nine West, Polo and DKNY. Great jean selection, Rock & Republic, Seven, Joe's. Occasionally, you can also find Manolo Blahnik, Prada, Chanel and I even saw Hermés, once.

More upscale shopping is in Meatpacking District.