West 21st Street Historic District

Transcription

Hi. I'm David Hill with New York Habitat. Welcome to the first of our two part video tour dedicated to Chelsea, a fantastic neighborhood found in the west side of Manhattan, New York! New York Habitat Video with David Hill Chelsea - Part 1, Manhattan, New York So, here in Chelsea you'll find yourself in a historical yet impressively progressive neighborhood. This neighborhood is roughly bordered by 14th street to the south, 30th street to the north, 6th Avenue to the east and the Hudson River and West Street to the west. Chelsea began as an estate owned by a retried British officer, naming it after the manor in Chelsea, London owned by Major Thomas Clarke. So we'll begin our tour today at General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church. The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church was founded in 1817. The magnificent green, lush quadrangle is a peaceful place in the bustling city. Go to the office and get a free visiting pass to enjoy the campus grounds. In the late 1880's the Hudson River Railroad began using 10th and 11th avenues dividing Chelsea from the waterfront. Soon the neighborhood was covered in slaughterhouses, breweries, and tenements for the immigrant labor force. Another cool place to check out, is The Limelight Market Place. It used to be a nightclub in the 1980's and, of course before that, it was a church. Today it has been converted into a shopping center. The 20th Street landmark's lancet windows, labyrinthine layout, and soaring chapel are the same as they ever were but now you'll find specialty shops for clothing, housewares, chocolates, and the quintessential Grimaldi's pizza. If you're an art enthusiast, you'll be delighted to know that many consider Chelsea to be the art capital of New York, boasting more than 200 galleries. The 1950's and 60's gave Chelsea a facelift . The migration of art galleries from Soho to Chelsea completed the gentrification. Today, you'll find many galleries between 20th and 28th Streets. A few examples are the Robert Miller Gallery on West 26th St., the George Billis Gallery on West 26th St., and the Sonnabend on West 22nd. If you'd like to experience Chelsea like a true local, you should definitely rent a vacation rental or furnished apartment from New York Habitat. There's no better way to experience this city than to live in a real New York apartment. If you love sports or just feel like spending a day at the spa, The Chelsea Pier's Sports Clomplex has something to offer for everyone. The Chelsea Piers Recreation Complex offers golf, bowling, skating, batting cages, and rock climbing. You'll also find a fitness center and a deluxe spa. The Hudson River Park stretches for 5 miles and is packed with fun and unique daytime activities. For example, if you ever wanted to learn to fish, the Park offers the "Big City Fishing" program for free throughout the summer. Want to get out on the water? The Park also offers kayak trips and lessons of sailing, rowing, kayak polo, and boat building. Now if you're in the area, check out the Park's online calendar for Outdoor Films, dances, musical performances, farmer's markets, that take place all along the river. Well, that's a wrap of the first episode of our video tour dedicated to Chelsea. If you know of any fun spots in the neighborhood Make sure you share them with us, in the comment section below. Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you'll be notified when part 2 of our Chelsea series comes out. And if you're coming to New York, be sure to visit our website at nyhabitat.com and book a vacation rental or furnished apartment with New York Habitat. You'll find furnished apartments all over Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. I'm David Hill with New York Habitat. Thank you for watching our video tour here in New York City and we hope to see you soon in the Big Apple!