Manhattan/Chelsea

Sitting on the southwest side of Midtown Manhattan, Chelsea has a huge concentration of art galleries and is a popular dining and nightlife district. The area along 8th Avenue is the center of gay social life in Manhattan.

Chelsea encompasses the area west of 6th Avenue from 14th Street up to 31st. The area used to be a locus of industry, with many factories and other industrial buildings occupying the blocks along the Hudson River.

Understand
Chelsea's explosive growth began in the 1990s and continues today, with new towers expanding the neighborhood as far north as Madison Square Garden. While the northern part of the neighborhood is still a gritty commercial and industrial zone, the rest of the neighborhood has been rapidly gentrifying.

Today, Chelsea's old industrial structures have found new life as parks, most notably the well-received High Line, built atop a defunct railway, and the Chelsea Piers on the Hudson River, now a huge sports and recreation complex. At the southern end of Chelsea is the Meatpacking District, a small district along the Hudson just south of 14th that was once a major center of meatpacking firms before becoming the hip, trendy neighborhood of today, with nightclubs and high-end boutiques occupying the old industrial spaces.

A wave of new construction continues to sweep through the area, transforming this old industrial area into an upscale entertainment destination.

Get in
There are many subway lines serving the neighborhood. The A, C, and E lines run under 8th Avenue and stop at 14th St., with the C and E also stopping at 23rd St. Under 7th Avenue run the 1, 2, and 3 lines, with the 1 stopping at 14th St., 18th St., 23rd St., and 28th St., and the 2 and 3 stopping just at 14th St. The F and M lines stop along 6th Avenue at 14th St. and 23rd St. The L train runs east along 14th Street from its terminal at 8th Ave., also stopping at 6th Ave. The 7 line terminates at 34th St. and 11th Ave. on the northern edge of Chelsea, at the northern end of the High Line.

There is ample bus service: north–south routes on every avenue and east–west crosstown buses on the larger streets (14th and 23rd), though they can be slow, especially at peak hours.

See
Chelsea is home to over 300 art galleries. The mid-20s between 10th and 11th Aves. (for example, 25th St.) was the new hot art area in the early 2000s; high rents have chased some galleries away, but many still remain. Walk around and see the shows that are up. Check gallery schedules and shows here.
 * Hudson Yards Plaza March 2019 53.jpg
 * Hudson Yards Plaza March 2019 53.jpg
 * Hudson Yards Plaza March 2019 53.jpg
 * Hudson Yards Plaza March 2019 53.jpg
 * Hudson Yards Plaza March 2019 53.jpg

Go next
Chelsea lies in the shadow of Midtown's Theater District, just to the north with its many attractions and iconic landmarks. Just past Madison Square Garden lies the Garment District, with the bright lights of Times Square further beyond. On the Hudson River sits the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum at Pier 86 on the USS Intrepid aircraft carrier, which features a prototype NASA space shuttle, restored jets, and a World War II helicopter.

Union Square is cross-town from Chelsea and definitely worth seeing. There are holiday shops during the winter, a kids' summer concert series. and the Greenmarket throughout the warmer months.

If you're up for a subway or cab ride, Greenwich Village is a short ride south. At the center of the neighborhood is Washington Square Park, always filled with street musicians and a great spot for people watching. The Washington Arch is a must-see while in Manhattan.