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Chelsea
Chelsea was once a low-income neighborhood that has recently become quite a hip and posh, yet affordable area.  As rents in Greenwich Village rose, the community began to migrate upwards to inhabit Chelsea's roomy loft spaces and buildings. The large Greenwich gay community was part of that migration, now centered mainly on Eighth Avenue between 14th and 23rd Streets in Chelsea. This area has one of New York City's highest concentrations of gay-operated restaurants, stores, and cafes. SoHo was the trendy place to live in the 1960's, and this morphing, industrial area is becoming the style-setting neighborhood of the 21st Century. The diversity of Chelsea is highly desirable, as the neighborhood remains one of only a few places where housing ranges from high-rise projects to single-family brownstones all on the same block. Some of Manhattan's most affordable and available rental abodes can be found between 7th and 9th Avenues. In 1987, the Dia Center for the Arts became one of the pioneers in the area after establishing its main exhibit on West 22nd Street, and the creative scene has continued to boom due to the conversion of garages and warehouses between 10th and 12th Avenues. Artistic venues, workshops and mini-museums are bountiful, helping to mask the industrial feel still apparent in many places. The area from West 22nd to West 29th streets between 10th and 11th Avenues is a must see for the creatively inclined. This is home to the cutting edge of today's New York art scene, with West 26th serving as the unofficial "Gallery Row."
The artsy experience is not the only quality that draws people to Chelsea.  New exotic restaurants, cutting-edge shopping, and super popular nightspots are popping up on a daily basis. One of the neighborhood's most famous architectural and literary landmarks is the Hotel Chelsea. This is the place where Bob Dylan composed "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Low Land," Viva and Edie Sedgwick of Andy Warhol fame lived and Thomas Wolfe and Arthur Miller wrote literary works. The historic district has some fine examples of nineteenth-century New York City dwellings, and although Chelsea lacks a decent-sized park, small gardens and flowering trees abound. Just around the corner from quiet streets where the 19th century seems to live on, you'll find vibrant nightlife on 6th, 7th and 8th Avenues, with a variety of dining and nightclub choices. Hip partygoers tend to gather at the Cheetah, Twilo and Rebar nightclubs for exciting local entertainment. On the weekends, there are a number of very popular flea markets set up in parking lots along 6th Avenue, between 24th and 27th Streets, complete with caricature painters and new-age sculptors. One of New York's principal modern dance venues, the Joyce Theater, is in the centrally located for appreciators of the power of movement. Attracting an even more diverse crowd is The Chelsea Pier's Sports Complex located on the west side. This area serves a recreational retreat for kids as well as adults. Parts of Chelsea are still severely industrial, in the early stages of transition, and not for everyone. Galleries and bars are tucked away in converted warehouses and former meat lockers, making browsing fairly frustrating, and the sometimes desolate streets can be a tad intimidating. The best bet is to have a specific destination in mind, be it a restaurant, gallery, boutique, or nightclub, before you make your way to Chelsea; the place that truly reflects New York's ethnic and cultural diversity.
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Writer: Denise C.
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[Must Visit]
Nearby Spots: Greenwich Village · Brooklyn ···
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