Chelsea sits on New York City’s West Side in the borough of Manhattan and is one of the most desirable neighborhoods these days. It is named after the 18th-century estate of British Major Thomas Clarke, the original developer of what was once farmland owned by Dutch settlers. Clarke left this parcel and home to his daughter, who, in turn, left it to her son Clement Clarke Moore, the author of the famous poem “Twas the Night Before Christmas.” Moore sold lots on his estate to wealthy New Yorkers who built row houses in the early 1800s, some of which stand today and form the core of the Chelsea Historic District between 8th Avenue and 10th Avenue, from 20th to 22nd Street.

Chelsea’s Artistic Pedigree

Chelsea is also home to several historic apartment complexes and the storied Hotel Chelsea, which once was the city’s tallest building. The Hotel Chelsea has been the home of famous artists and writers, such as Mark Twain, Jack Kerouac, Tennessee Williams, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Patti Smith, Madonna and Leonard Cohen. It’s scheduled to reopen as a hotel in 2018.

Infused With Art

Chelsea happens to be the premier art gallery district, with New York City’s greatest concentration of galleries between 10th and 11th Avenues, from 19th Street to 28th Street. In addition, high-fashion boutiques, including Balenciaga, Comme des Garcons, Alexander McQueen, Christian Louboutin and Stella McCartney, also reside in the neighborhood.

Chelsea Market, taking up an entire block between 15th and 16th Streets, from 9th Avenue to 10th Avenue, is the location of high-end eateries, ground-floor culinary markets and big-league media company offices. Many of the city’s largest nightclubs are on 27th Street, and the well-known High Line park runs from 30th Street to below 14th Street, close to 10th Avenue. Chelsea has a thriving LGBTQ community, and myriad businesses cater to it.

Performance and Theater

If you like theater or performance art, The Kitchen, Joyce Theater and Sleep No More/McKittrick Hotel venues offer cutting-edge experiences, while New York Live Arts on 19th Street presents dance performances by the Arnie Zane and Bill T. Jones dance companies. The Rubin Museum of Art on 17th Street features a permanent collection of Himalayan and Tibetan art, as well as rotating exhibitions by notable contemporary artists.

Schools, Recreation and Stores

Chelsea also features some of the city’s best paper, photography, home goods and grocery stores. Many local and foreign shoppers flock to outlets B&H Photo Video and Adorama for their electronics needs. The School of the Visual Arts (SVA) and the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) are located in Chelsea, and the area is also the headquarters for many industrial companies that fill warehouse space on the far West Side.

Chelsea Piers is a sports and recreation complex along the Hudson River that includes ice skating rinks, golf driving ranges, rock climbing walls and baseball batting cages. The city’s Hudson Yards office, retail and residential development is currently under construction in Chelsea between 30th and 34th Streets, running from 10th to 12th Avenue, and is scheduled for completion by 2024.

Easy Access

To access Chelsea, you can take the 7 train directly to 34th Street and 11th Avenue or the L train to 14th Street and 8th Avenue. Alternatively, the A, D, E, F, N, Q, 1 and 2 trains run through Chelsea on a North-South axis and feature a number of convenient stations in the neighborhood. The PATH train allows direct access to New Jersey, and, in the Northeast corner of the neighborhood, Penn Station offers trains to Long Island and other destinations.

Live in Chelsea

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