10 Classic Things to do in Chelsea New York

Here are some of the best things to do or the best place to visit when you are in Chelsea nyc:

Back to 1800s: Chelsea New York gets its name from the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London, England, which is a retirement hospital for soldiers of war. The Chelsea Manor and estate, which spanned from the Hudson River to the Eighth Avenue were owned by the retired British Major, Thomas Clarke in the 1700s.

By the second half of the 1800s, industrialization and the industrial zone on the Hudson waterfront separated Chelsea Manhattan from the Hudson River waterfront. With the rising number of factories in the region, a large number of the immigrant population moved to the neighborhood. The rise in the immigrant population gave rise to a lot of ethnic groups and tension between them in the latter part of the 1800s. A riot between Irish Catholics and Protestants killed over 60 people in 1871.

Robert Kalfin started the Chelsea Theater Center in 1965. Kalfin wanted to produce plays that were commercial plays that had to be discontinued in their prime due to high production costs resulting in minimal to no profits. Therefore, Kalfin's work usually focused on European classics were lesser-heard even to many theater enthusiasts. With plays like ‘Kaddish,' ‘Yentl the Yeshiva Boy' and ‘Candide,' Chelsea reached cult status among theater aficionados. Some mainstream actors were leaving Broadway to get a chance to perform at Chelsea's stages.

Actors like Meryl Streep were also extremely interested in performing at the Chelsea stage. The Chelsea Center was held in high regards by most of the theater critics. The Center had to close down in 1984 due to the fund getting dried up for the non-profit due to the heavy expenses of operating in an upmarket locality of Manhattan. The Theater District is close to Chelsea New York and has all the big names of Broadway, like the Lyceum Theater and so on.

Annex Antiques Fair and Flea Market in Chelsea New York, commonly starting to be known by the name of Chelsea Flea Market is a place to visit when in Chelsea manhattan. The market was started in 1976 by native New Yorker, Alan Boss and it is close to 135 vendors at present, selling collectibles like antiques, jewelry, vintage clothing, and decorative arts. Some of the interesting products that you may find here include Art Deco and mid-century modern art items.

The market has long term vendors coming together with new vendors and a global audience of buyers coming together in a lively and bustling marketplace - capturing the true spirit of Chelsea City. The market is open on all weekends from 6.30 AM onwards till 7 PM, including holidays like Christmas, New Year, Easter, Labor Day, Memorial Day, and so on if they fall on a Saturday or Sunday. The market is open even on Thanksgiving weekend! This beautiful experience is available for a minimal fee of $1 in gate fees, which goes into the maintenance and repair works involved in running this open marketplace in an uptown Manhattan location. This flea market in Chelsea New York has become the Mecca for treasure hunters from around the world in due course of time.

A series of piers on the banks of the River Hudson offers the most fun and popular way to play and compete with friends and peers in all of Manhattan. This amazing experience in Chelsea New York is known as Chelsea Piers. These were earlier used as passenger ship terminals in the early 1900s. At present, it forms a playground for a series of sports, collectively known as Chelsea Piers Sports and Entertainment Complex. The 28-acre arena was a privately financed project that converted 4 of the Chelsea Piers, including Piers 59, 60 and 61 in 1995 into the sporting complex that it is today.

The complex contains a golfing club, a 4-tier driving range to practice your golf swings, one of the largest training centers for gymnastics in the city. And the Sky Rink, having the only two full-sized ice-skating rinks operational throughout the year in Manhattan, among others. The complex also has several basketball courts, indoor soccer courts, rock climbing walls and dance studios to add the sporting fun. Chelsea Piers has been a location for multiple TV shows such as NBC's ‘Law & Order,'‘Law & Order: Criminal Intent,' and 'The Blacklist' and Hollywood movies like ‘The Other Guys' in the past.

11th September 2001! This is the day that shook America and the rest of the world. Coordinated attacks by terrorists led two hijacked flights to crash into the twin towers of the World Trade Centre in New York City, causing both the towers to collapse to the ground. Thousands of New Yorkers died and were injured. The physical scars have healed for many people, but the mental scars and the trauma of New Yorkers and the rest of the world are still very fresh. Ground Zero Museum in Chelsea New York is a tribute to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It is a memorial that recalls and documents the recovery period at Ground Zero of the attacks since 9/11.

This was born when a community of technology and media enthusiasts came together with the family of victims and survivors. It led to sharing of media, including photographs related to the events following 9/11 attacks - all in the effort to tell the story of what happened at Ground Zero after the attacks. The museum has photographs taken at Ground Zero by Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Fire Union's official photographers, original sound bites from Ground Zero just after the attacks and a big library of audio stories of survivors and families of victims of the 9/11 attacks. This museum in Meatpacking District of Chelsea New York also has a lot of artifacts collected from Ground Zero, which are remnants of the 9/11 attacks which is open to the public.

Be it shopping for an ensemble straight from the runway with Commes des Garcon or buying beautiful decor for your home at Anthropologie’s store. Or basic accessorizing with the artisanal boutiques and flea markets. Chelsea has got you covered. Photography is strictly prohibited inside the store. There are chances that you may mistake it for an art gallery. Anthropologie is a world-renowned brand for quality home decor and garden accessories. The store is worth a visit for its stylish limited-run collections. Chelsea New York offers ample options for you to shop to your heart’s content.

Chelsea New York is synonymous with art galleries, simply due to the sheer number of art galleries that are present in this neighborhood. With more than 200 art galleries in the neighborhood, it is one of the powerhouses for art in the world. It is having some of the behemoths of art collectibles and their flagship stores in Chelsea New York such as Larry Gagosian and David Zwirner. A visit to some of the interesting art galleries in this area is a must.

Larry Gagosian's 20,000 square foot mammoth gallery features artworks and shows by internationally acclaimed artists like Richard Serra, Ellen Gallagher, and Andy Warhol. On the other hand, German expatriate David Zwirner's art gallery speaks out west coast minimalism and features contemporary legends like Chris Ofili and Marcel Dzama. Some of the other galleries in Chelsea are Metro Pictures, which features collections of artists like Cindy Sherman, multimedia artist Mike Kelley, and Robert Longo - an artist known for fusing photography with charcoal work. And Resobox, founded by Takashi Ikezawa showcasing the works of Japanese artists through his art gallery, which is a portmanteau of the words "resonate" and “box."

The High Line in Chelsea New York is a 1.5-mile-long, elevated pathway with a lush green garden. It was built from an unutilized section of the New York Metropolitan Railway. The garden in this walkway is properly trimmed and maintained. The High Line offers a beautiful view of the city and the Hudson River waterfront. It starts from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District in Chelsea New York to the northernmost edge of the West Side Yard. A similar project inspired this landmark in Paris.

The High Line was an active elevated railway line delivering millions of tons of milk, dairy, meat, and other produce to various factories in Chelsea and the rest of Manhattan. With the rise of trucking from the 1960s to the '80s, the railway line became defunct, and the authorities started contemplating the demolition of this elevated line.

In 1983, Chelsea Manhattan resident Peter Obletz formed a foundation to get support to preserve the structure for public recreational purposes. From 1983 to 1999, the support for this proposal dwindled and the authorities considered the High Line as an eyesore to Manhattan's metropolitan landscape and started demolition of the structure. The interesting part is that the critics from the authorities stumbled upon a beautiful landscape wild plants growing on the line. This gave birth to the preservation of High Line. And it is becoming a part of the Manhattan cityscape.

The Madison Square Garden is a multi-purpose indoor stadium hosting a variety of events, including sports matches, live concerts, and ice shows. The stadium is home to the NBA team New York Knicks and the NHL team New York Rangers. This great stadium was built in 1879 and was named after the 4th President of the United States, James Madison. It has various records to its name, some of them being among the top 10 most expensive stadiums to be built ever and the second-highest number of tickets sold in an arena for music concerts after O2 Arena in London.

The Madison Square Garden is situated atop the Pennsylvania Station in Chelsea New York. Madison Square Garden has historically hosted concerts for legendary names in music like John Lennon, Elvis Presley, and Madonna in the past. It has also been the venue for wrestling championships of WWE like Wrestlemania. It has also hosted cult-status TV shows like ‘Jeopardy!', 'Wheel of Fortune,' and ‘Survivors: All-Stars', putting Chelsea nyc on the global map.

A visit to Chelsea is incomplete without a visit to the Chelsea Market. Chelsea Market creates customized gift baskets of gourmet cookies, candy, teas, jams, sweets - basically any gourmet you can think of. Be it Leonidas Belgian chocolates or other imported gourmet food items. This is a great stress buster for everyone and absolute gold for people who look for ‘do it yourself’ experiences around the city. A visit is a must when in Chelsea New York.

Chelsea New York has one of the best nightlife options in the city. It has a lot of amazing gay bars as well as exclusive pubs for the pub crawler inside you. Amnesia is one of the coolest pubs in the neighborhood, situated in West Chelsea. The club has an eye-catching display with DJ's and circus-style performances, which makes it a great choice to begin your night of club-hopping with. A visit to Chelsea without a visit to Highline Ballroom is incomplete if you are into clubs and nightlife.

Arguably, the best night club in Chelsea, this exclusive club does not take reservations and is frequented by the elite of New York celebrity circles. The music and ambiance are top-notch, with efficient staff handling the operations. The club has seen some of the famous names in music such as Arctic Monkeys, drag performer Justin Bond and the Roots. The frequent visits by these musicians attract other big celebrities who are invited by them many times.

Thirdly, the most interesting among the clubs in Chelsea is Splash Bar, which seems to be born straight out of a conservative's perception of ‘gay lifestyle' - hunky men waiting your tables, mirrors at every angle, and a DJ playing rhythmic, dance-worthy beats at all times. This club even has an ATM and a store inside it for anything that you need for a fun night out. SBNY is arguably one of the best gay bars in Chelsea and the city. Overall, there are many other amazing clubs in the neighborhood that can ensure that you have a fun-filled night out in Chelsea New York.

Chelsea New York, being the cultural melting pot. It offers a variety of wonderful dining options. There are amazing options in this neighborhood that does justice to the foodie inside you. Chelsea has amazing high-end restaurants like Del Posto, which satisfies your cravings for authentic and elegant Italian food. The celebrated restaurateur, Mario Batali previously owned Del Posto. But the current chef Melissa Rodriguez does justice to the legacy to the restaurant.

The neighborhood has authentic, well-acclaimed joints like Los Tacos No.1, bringing authentic Mexican tacos to New York and The Brooklyn Bagel & Coffee Company, redefining bagels for us. But some of our favorite picks have to be The Frying Pan Restaurant and the Gallow Green Rooftop Garden. The Frying Pan Restaurant is located at Pier 66 of the Hudson River, wherein the restaurant is built inside a sunken lightship.

The restaurant offers an amazing view of the sunset over the Manhattan and New Jersey skyline. You also get to enjoy your food in a maritime atmosphere. Worth a visit around evening time! Gallow Green Rooftop Garden is a rooftop bar on the terrace of the McKittrick Hotel. The place looks beautiful as it is covered in foliage and looks like an actual garden. This place is worth a try when in Chelsea. As you can make out, as a foodie, it is less likely that you will be disappointed with Chelsea and what it has to offer.

Luxury buildings, numerous world-renowned art galleries, historic theatres, and buildings. A plethora of cuisines to choose from, and a crazy nightlife and entertainment scene make Chelsea one of the most interesting neighborhoods of The Big Apple. The neighborhood mixes the posh of Upper West Side with the street-smartness of Downtown. Being at the meeting point of different cultures make up the marvelous metropolis that is New York City. All said and done, and it is a no-brainer that a visit to Chelsea should be chalked out in the itinerary whenever you visit Manhattan. What are you waiting for? Go out and cross off these 10 things from your Chelsea New York city bucket list.

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