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Manhattan Notes -
Neighborhood Profiles
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Tuesday, 30 November 1999 00:00 |
The neighborhood of Chelsea is set between Midtown and the West Village. Orginally a tract of farmland bought in 1750 by Captain Thomas Moore, for his retirement, the land was built into a garden suburb by his grandson Clement Moore. Clement, considered the founding father of Chelsea, set building guidelines for the area that are still in effect today.
Chelsea extends over a large area extending from west of 6th Avenue (Avenue of the Americas) to the Hudson River and between 14th Street and 29th Street. Though it covers a large area, Chelsea is a neighborhood with a peaceful small town feel. Its veritable montage of residents is a mixture of artists, subsidized housing tenants and a sizable gay community.
Residential buildings in Chelsea range from some of the prettiest 19th century brownstones in NYC to large apartment buildings. Designers, photographers and artists who reside in Chelsea make their homes in the newer loft buildings. Slightly less expensive than the West Village, homes in Chelsea are great for room-mates as there are several multi bedroom homes.
Like so many of the neighborhoods, if not all in New York City, Chelsea is known for some of its landmarks. The Hotel Chelsea attracted attention in 1978 for the slaying of Nancy Spungen by Sid Vicious. It has also been home to many celebrities over the years. Chelsea Piers was originally a luxury cruise ship terminal and now the northern part is a sports and entertainment complex, complete with a massive gym where many of Chelsea residents get their workouts in.
The vast neighborhood of Chelsea offers residents and tourists alike a great variety of shopping. For grocery shopping, it's never to far to travel from the smaller markets around the corner to the mall-like Chelsea Market. Other shopping venues range from bargain basement shopping in the twenties to major retailer in the teens. For the arts in Chelsea, one can find numerous art galleries and museums along Sixth Avenue.
Chelsea is a safe and comfortable neighborhood, where it seems that everyone knows your name.
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