The team at RentHop was recently walking around Chelsea, and managed to snap some great shots of the area. We figured it would be a good segue into an article about the area. After a brief introduction on the boundaries of the neighborhood, we’ll move into its history and what it has to offer to the inhabitants. Finally, we’ll talk about finding an apartment in Chelsea and what the costs are.
Where is it?
Chelsea is located south of Hell’s Kitchen and the Garment District and north of the Meatpacking District. More accurately, the neighborhood has been defined as the area between 14th and 34th street + west of the river. You can always check out the available apartments in Chelsea here. In addition, if you access our map-based apartment search, you can see a great overlay of the region.
History
British Major Thomas Clarke named his Manhattan house Chelsea, after the manor of Chelsea, London. The original “Chelsea” home resided on 23rd Street, between 9th and 10th where it eventually grew from a large garden into a full-fledged residential neighborhood. During the mid 1800s, the newly built Hudson River Railroad industrialized the area. Towards the 1900s, the neighborhood was dominated by the Irish, and housed longshoremen who worked at the warehouses on the nearby piers. The neighborhood drastically changed moving into the 21st century, and has now become an alternative shopping destination to SoHo. In addition, there has been an influx from the arts community – and the area houses the Rubin Museum of Art, the Chelsea Art Museum, the Graffiti Research Lab, and the Dance Theatre Workshop.
What the Neighborhood has to Offer
Location, location, location. Chelsea is sandwiched between Hell’s Kitchen to the north and the Meatpacking district to the south. For those who enjoy nightlife – the Meatpacking district is where it’s at. The area is packed with restaurants and nightclubs catering to young professionals and hipsters. It also contains a number of high-end boutiques such as Diane von Furstenberg, Christian Louboutin, and Alexander McQueen. For those who enjoy good eats and affordable food, Hell’s Kitchen has that. The area is flooded with affordable restaurants of all types, including a block full of 99-pizza establishments.
Aside from the surrounding areas, Chelsea itself is not to be scoffed at. It is home to a number of landmark buildings and areas such as Chelsea Piers, Chelsea Market, and Hotel Chelsea. You can shoot rounds of golf at Chelsea Piers (home to a large sports / entertainment complex) or visit Chelsea Market for a number of food vendors such as bakeries, groceries, fish vendors, fruit merchants, and wine sellers. Chelsea has a wide variety of food options, ranging from the cheap/affordable chains (Chipotle) to the high-end Morimoto. Finally, while a little old, there is a great AMC Loews Theatre in the center of Chelsea.
Transportation
Like most areas of Manhattan, you’re always close to a source of public transit. The ACE and 123 lines run through the center of Chelsea, both having stops on 23rd street (on different avenues). Both lines give you flexibility to reach most of the city, though you might need to switch if you’re headed up to the Upper West Side. Finally, like most parts of Manhattan, taxi’s are around every corner.
Where to Live
While Chelsea generally has a higher percentage of owner units over rental units, you won’t have trouble finding an apartment. There are a number of Luxury high-rises in the area, including the Olivia by Stonehenge, and the Ohm NYC. We also have a number of other landlords like B&L and Jakobson. Definitely check out our apartment selection on RentHop.
