A Day Around Chelsea
Morning
Wind your way through Chelsea, starting with the megastores now occupying former “Fashion Row,” on
6th Avenue Shopping
between 18th and 23rd streets. Walk west on 16th Street to
9th Avenue and Chelsea Market, a one-time Nabisco factory where the
first Oreo cookies were made, now a block-long line of stalls offering
all manner of food. The Food Network tapes its TV shows in a
street-level studio here.
Continue up 9th Avenue to 20th Street, for the Chelsea Historic District and General Theological Seminary.
Then head for the ever-expanding “Gallery Row,” from 21st to 24th
streets, 10th to 11th avenues. A good lunch bet in the neighborhood is
The Red Cat
, offering Mediterranean fare.
Afternoon
Walk east on 23rd Street to the
Chelsea Hotel
, and when you get to 6th Avenue, turn uptown for the big antiques market and the colorful
Flower District
. A stroll for one block further west on 27th brings you to the Fashion Institute of Technology, where the gallery usually has interesting displays.
Head for one of the great hidden treasures in
this area, St. John the Baptist Church, at 210 East 31st Street, whose
dingy façade belies a glowing Gothic interior. Continue to 34th Street
for Herald Square and Macy’s.
Chelsea Galleries
Gagosian Gallery
Gagosian is one of the premier names in the gallery scene.
555 West 24th St & 522 West 21st St
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sat
Matthew Marks
Of the two galleries, the original shows large-scale works, while the second specializes in new work .
522 West 22nd St at 10th Ave
Open 11am–6pm Tue– Sat
523 West 24th Street at 10th Av
Open 11am–6pm Tue–Sat
Free
Paula Cooper
The lofty setting itself is worth a visit. Many of Cooper’s shows are controversial .
534 West 21st St at 10th Ave
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sat
Free
Paul Kasmin
Son of a British art dealer, Kasmin has nurtured many newcomers . Previous exhibitions have featured Kenny Scharf, Robert Indiana, Deborah Kass, and Barry Flanagan.
293 10th Ave at 27th St
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Fri, 11am–6pm Sat
Free
Barbara Gladstone
A dramatic backdrop for large-scale pieces, video pioneers, and photography.
515 West 24th St at 10th Ave
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sat
Free
Andrea Rosen
Since moving from SoHo to Chelsea, Rosen’s eclectic exhibitions have made this one of the most visited galleries in the area.
525 West 24th Street at 10th Av
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sat
Free
Marlborough, Chelsea
The 57th Street gallery shows established luminaries, while this downtown satellite has new sculpture and painting .
545 West 25th St at 7th Ave
Open 10am–5:30pm Tue–Sat
Free
Robert Miller
This gallery shows big names like Diane Arbus, Walker Evans, Andy Warhol, and Jacob Epstein.
526 West 26th St at 10th Ave
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sat
Free
Sonnabend
A power in the art world, representing early pop artists, and still on the lookout for new trends.
536 West 22nd Street at 10th Ave
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sat
Free
303 Gallery
Featuring artists of critical acclaim in several media.
525 West 22nd St at 10th Ave
Open 10am–6pm Tue–Sat
Free
Places to Eat
Da Umberto
Popular over the years for sophisticated Tuscan fare and a long list of daily specials.
107 West 17th St, between 6th & 7th Aves
212 989 0303
Periyali
A billowing canopy and white walls set the scene for classy Greek dining; creative dishes put the food in gourmet territory.
35 West 20th St, between 5th & 6th Aves
212 463 7890
The Red Cat
This warm neighborhood place serves first-rate American fare; don’t miss the Parmesan frites with mustard aioli.
227 10th Ave, between 23rd & 24th Sts
212 242 1122
East of Eighth
Many locals frequent this spot, which has an eclectic international menu. The prix-fixe brunch is particularly good value.
254 West 23rd St, between 7th & 8th Aves
212 352 0075
Buddakan
The star here is not the good Asian fusion food, but the decor. For such a trendy spot, the staff are quite friendly.
75 9th Ave at 16th St
212 989 6699
Hill Country
This
addition to the barbecue scene is known for its brisket and sausages
(shipped from the namesake Texas region). Live music Thu–Sat evenings.30 West 26th St
212 255 4544
Monster Sushi
As the name implies, massive rolls of sushi are provided at very reasonable prices.
158 West 23rd St
212 620 9131
Bottino
Thanks to the booming gallery scene, this attracts a stylish crowd for good northern Italian fare and a lovely garden.
246 10th Ave, between 24th & 25th Sts
212 206 6766
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