After six months of classes and finishing Graduate school, I am finally back to walking the neighborhoods again. This time to finish Lower Chelsea, which has changed from a neighborhood of manufacturing and shipping to one of the now more exclusive neighborhoods in Manhattan. I started my walk at Sixth Avenue and West 23rd Street.
I found the City a little quieter than on other weekends but figured those who get out of New York City were probably at their weekend homes either at the shore or in the country.
The corner of Sixth Avenue and West 23rd Street
I started the walk where I left off last November walking the streets of the Lower Flatiron District on the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 23rd Street. This is the border of the Lower Flatiron District and Lower Chelsea. These neighborhoods overlap so much I am not sure where on neighborhood starts and the other stops.
Much of West 23rd Street over the last several years has been torn down and rebuilt with new apartment buildings or older more historical buildings have been renovated for the same purpose. The neighborhood has become that desirable especially with the creation of the High line Park. The first building that always stands out in the neighborhood is the Chelsea Hotel at 204 West 23rd Street.
The historic Chelsea Hotel at 204 West 23rd Street
The one building that always impresses me is the Chelsea Hotel. This former Residential hotel is now a combination of residential apartments and a traditional independent hotel.
The details of the Chelsea Hotel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hotel_Chelsea
Review on TripAdvisor:
The Chelsea Hotel at 222 West 23rd Street was built between 1883 and 1885 and was designed by architect Philip Hubert from the firm of Hubert, Pirrson & Company. The hotel is designed in the Queen Anne Revival with a combination of American Gothic (Wiki).
The hotel had originally opened as a cooperative and a home to artists and members of the theater community, but the concept changed in 1905 when it reopened as a hotel. The hotel has gone through several management changes over the years. In early 2022, the Chelsea Hotel reopened again as a hotel when the interior renovations were finished.
The historic plaques at the hotel
The hotel has such a celebrated past with all the famous people who have stayed here. I think all the plaques on the front of the hotel don’t even touch the number of well known names who resided here.
The historic plaque
The historic plaque
The historic plaque
This is just a small portion of the famous people who have resided here.
The hotel went through a massive renovation recently and is now open as a regular hotel. Many older residents still live there but as their numbers dwindle that rest of the building will probably become a regular hotel.
At 244 West 23rd Street is a beautifully embellished building in brick and cream colors was built in 1900 by developer Isidor Hoffstadt. Decorations of garlands adorn the windows and top of the building and some of the upper floor windows are surrounded by archways. It now contains twelve lofts with multiple bedrooms (Daytonian in Manhattan).
244 West 23rd Street is amazingly detailed
The embellishments on the building
https://streeteasy.com/building/244-west-23-street-new_york
http://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2012/05/sports-film-history-and-modeled-clay.html
West 23rd Street by Eighth Avenue
While the core of West 23rd Street has changed with gleaming new buildings as residential and office space, as you get closer to Eighth Avenue the neighborhood has that classic ‘old New York’ look to it.
Walking down West 23rd Street near Eighth Avenue
I walked the length of West 23rd Street from Sixth Avenue, the border of the lower Flatiron District to Riverside Park. The weather just kept changing going from really sunny to cloudy and rainy the entire time I walked the neighborhood. One comment it was raining and the other it would be dazzling sunshine.
West 23rd Street by Tenth Avenue and the Hi Line Park
https://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/the-high-line
My review on TripAdvisor:
At the end of West 23rd Street starts Chelsea Waterside Park and Hudson River Park, which lines the entire side of the Upper West Side. The gardens were at the height of their bloom and it was a beautiful display of flowers.
This was the legacy of the Bloomberg Administration’s ‘Million Tree’ initiative. Between these parks that lined the waterways and the High line Park, it just made the neighborhood more desirable.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Million_Tree_Initiative
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chelsea_Waterside_Park
My review on TripAdvisor:
Chelsea Water Park on a sunny day
The beauty of the park in full bloom
Taking a moment to sit and enjoy the view
Funny how the weather went from sunny to rainy in ten minutes on Memorial Day weekend. By the time I walked to Hudson River Park, it got gloomy again. Still, it did not affect the beauty of the parks and helped water all the beautiful flowers blooming.
The flower beds were in full bloom
The park was in full bloom in the late Spring and was dazzling. Their Friends groups and gardeners are doing a wonderful job maintaining these flower beds.
Walking into Hudson River Park
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/hudsonriverpark/details.aspx
My review on TripAdvisor:
Walking through the park as the clouds rolled in
The flower beds in full bloom
The park looked amazing
The true beauty of the gardens
Running for cover as the clouds rolled in
As I walked the piers, the clouds kept rolling in and out and it sprinkled off and on that afternoon.
Admiring the view as I was waiting for the clouds to clear
The skyline of Jersey City was gloomy and impressive at the same time
Then the clouds broke again and the sun came out. This would be the weather all day long. The clouds then the sun then the clouds then rain and then the sun. It made for an interesting walking day.
The sun finally came out on Pier 57
The view of the Hudson Yards was just spectacular when the clouds passed by
The path led from the Hudson River Park to Pier 57 and I took the pathway through the Pier and all the recreation buildings that now make up the complex. I had never seen it from the river side of the pier.
Pier 57 from the waterfront side of the complex with all the pleasure boats
Review on TripAdvisor:
As I walked through the passageway, I learned the history of the pier and all the famous ships that had docked or left the pier. There was a display of pictures of famous arrivals and departures from the pier that I stopped to read about. It was a interesting look at the past of these piers,
The people at the dock were waiting for the Carpathian to arrive with the Titanic survivors in 1914.
The Carpathian arriving at New York harbor with the Titanic survivors.
The Lusitania leaving New York harbor for its final voyage. It would be torpedoed before it arrived in Europe.
The modern Chelsea Piers of today
Walking down Eleventh Avenue when the rain cleared
Along past the new construction along Eleventh Avenue
For all the building and changes this neighborhood has been through and so many luxury buildings replacing the docks of the past, there is still a little influence of the old neighborhood that still pops up from time to time. The graffiti art is still fantastic all over the City.
Some of the street art on the construction site on Eleventh Avenue
Some of the street art along the fence of the new construction
I followed Eleventh Avenue down the sidewalk to the Food Court at Pier 57. That was interesting with all the sounds and smells of different cuisines cooking.
The Food Court at Pier 57 should not be missed
The Food Court at Pier 57 really has some wonderful restaurants. There is an interesting mix of Spanish, Italian and Asian cuisines in the food court but it can be a bit pricey. The smells are amazing and you could almost taste the spices in the air. The couple of times I have been here the place is always busy.
The excitement of entering the Pier 57 Food Court
The floral decorations in the middle of the food court. I love the decorations here. They are really festive. The only bad part of the food court is the prices are really high so be prepared to spend money on lunch and dinner.
I left my tour of the food court as the clouds rolled in again and I arrived at Little Island Park, one of the newest and most innovative parks in New York City. The whole park is built on this innovative type of piling that come together to create this whimsical park. Something out of “Whoville”.
My trip to Little Island and the Chelsea Market with my NYU class:
At the very corner of the neighborhood was ‘Little Island Park’ at . This very unique structure has been captivating both New Yorker’s and tourists since it was built.
My review on TripAdvisor:
The structure of Little Island
The great lawn on the off again on again
I then took the time to walk all over Little Island. I explored all the paths and stairs and explored all the beautiful gardens and terraces. What views! As the clouds passed by, we had moments of brilliant sunshine and at times it looked like it was going to down pour.
The gardens in full bloom on Little Island
The views from the very top of the terraces as the clouds finally cleared
Walking back down the stairs
The view from the pathway on the way down towards the exit
The view from the exit of Little Island as the clouds rolled by
The rest of the afternoon was on again off again clouds. I crossed over Eleventh Avenue to West 14th Street into the borders of Chelsea and the Meatpacking District (where at this point all the meatpacking companies are gone). In their place now are gleaming new apartment buildings that surround the High Line Park.
Eleventh Avenue at West 14th Street
I crossed the street to see 14th Street Park in full bloom. This park represents this new neighborhood with its gleaming towers and expensive stores. The lawn was perfectly manicured and the flowers were in full bloom. I did not even see any homeless people in the park. Just young couples walking their dogs.
The gardens in 14th Street Park as you cross onto West 14th Street from Eleventh Avenue
The gardens in full bloom at the park on West 14th street
Crossing onto West 14th Street by the Meatpacking District near 11th Avenue
I have been walking around this neighborhood since the 1980’s and talk about change. What used to be buildings that were geared to the docks and shipping, then became clubs in the 1980’s and early 90’s are now lofts and luxury stores. I have really seen this City change.
Walking down West 14th Street
Walking down West 14th Street near the Meatpacking District
Walking in Meatpacking District by Tenth Avenue
This border that Chelsea now shares with the Meatpacking District (which no longer has any more meatpackers) has become one of the trendiest and innovative neighborhoods in the City. Aldo judging by the prices at the restaurants and stores, one of the most expensive.
West 14th Street in the Meatpacking District
Walking down West 14th Street
As you walk further away from the parks along the river coastline and further down West 14th Street, more modern buildings pop up on both sides of the street. Still here and there, details of the old neighborhood still pop up such as at 200 West 14th Street, with its stoic faces and immense detail in the doorway.
The unique sculptures on outside of 200 West 14th Street
https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2010/06/jeanne-darc-200-west-14th-street.html
https://www.villagepreservation.org/tag/200-west-14th-street/
The building was marketed with the sophisticated-sounding name “French Flats,” one of the very first of these was built by Jersey City businessman Henry Meinken at the corner of 14th Street and 7th Avenue. Meinken called on James W. Cole to design his new building in 1888. Cole was a favorite of the Astor family and he built several factory, warehouse and apartment buildings for them, several a few blocks west on 14th around Hudson and 9th Avenues (Daytonianinmanhattan.com).
It was completed in 1889 and given the cultured name “The Jeanne d’Arc.” The five-story brick building with brownstone trim had commercial space on the street floor and 8 commodius apartments above — two apartments per floor. To set the building apart from the baser tenements, Cole added an attractive pressed metal cornice and carved brownstone sills and lintels (Daytonianinmanhattan.com).
The street art along West 14th Street was very interesting as well. I loved this version of lady liberty. This was painted outside of a pharmacy.
The street art outside the pharmacy by Artist Shira One
Artist Shiro One in front of her work
Shiro’s artwork is an exploration of classic New York urban history through the lens of an artist who reveres Hip Hop culture. Her artwork is a prime example of the fusion of Japanese aesthetics and old school New York graffiti art. In 2002, she moved to New York alone, and after living between Japan and New York, she obtained an US American artist visa in 2013, acquired an US artist green card in 2021, and is currently based in New York (Artist Shiro1 website).
Another great mural that sits on the side of a building on West 14th that stands out entitled “Mural on 14th Street, New York” by Brazilian artists brothers Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo known as ‘Osgemeos’. This colorful and engaging piece of artwork towers over the street and shows an exaggerated image of everyday New Yorkers.
The mural makes quite a statement and is very creative.
The painting “Mural on 14th Street, New York” by artists Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo was created in 2017.
Artists Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo in front of their mural
https://www.lehmannmaupin.com/news/osgemeos2
https://www.lehmannmaupin.com/artists/osgemeos/biography
The word ‘Osgemeos’ is translated as “the twins” in Portuguese, is a collaborative art duo comprised of twin brothers Gustavo and Otavio Pandolfo. It was in the 1980’s with the invasion of hip-hop, and the explosion of Brazilian culture that the brothers began to use art as a way of sharing their dynamic and magical universe with the public. Combining traditional, folkloric, and contemporary elements of Brazilian culture with graffiti, hip-hop, music, dreams and international youth culture, the artists have created an expansive body of work that includes murals, paintings, sculpture, site-specific installations, and video (Lehmannmaupin.com website).
This is what I love about walking around Manhattan. You do not even have to step foot in a museum to enjoy great artworks that are tucked into corners of every neighborhood on walls, telephone poles, on the street and in courtyards. You just have to look for it.
As I walked further down West 14th Street, between all the new construction going on and the gleaming glass towers that seemed to be changing the face of the neighborhood a few buildings stood out for the beauty and details in their architecture.
The first one was the Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe at 229 West 14th Street. I was attracted the elegant look of the church.
Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe at 229 West 14th Street
https://guadalupestbernard.org/
The church opened in 1902 and was designed by architect Gustave E. Steinback in both the Baroque Revival and the Spanish Baroque style of architecture (Wiki).
The Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe was founded in 1902, and became the first parish in New York City to serve the swelling numbers of Hispanics. During this time the Archdiocese was ill-staffed with priests who could not speak Spanish and those who were willing to reach out to the newcomers and learn their language and their ways were preoccupied with other important ministries. Our Lady of Guadalupe parish was established as a national parish, responsible for the spiritual care of all Hispanics of the city. (Church of Our Lady of Guadalupe website).
The details of the Church stood out for their beauty and elegance
Another standout building on the corner of West 14th Street and Seventh Avenue is 154 West 14th Street. Arranged in a tripartite base-shaft-capital composition with large window areas, this building is a striking and unusual example of a large loft building partly clad in terra cotta, on the three-story base, on the spandrels between the white-brick piers of the midsection, and on the upper portion. The building was designed by architect Herman Lee Meader and was built between 1912-1913 (The Historic District Council Website).
154 West 14th street
https://marketplace.vts.com/building/154-west-14th-street-new-york-ny
The details on the building are so unusual and you really have to look at the building close to appreciate its beauty.
Another building that stands out on West 14th Street is 144 West 14th Street which is part of the Pratt College today but has an interesting past. Pratt bought the building in 1999.
The beautifully detailed building at 144 14th Street
https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2011/11/bicycle-academy-silversmiths-and.html
144 West 14th Street is a grandly-proportioned Renaissance Revival-style loft building. It is faced with limestone, tan brick and terra cotta and was designed by the prominent architects Brunner & Tryon in 1895-96. It is seven stories tall and has a street façade articulated through a series of monumental arches embellished with neo-classical ornament (Historic District Council website).
The detail work at 144 West 14th Street
Though the building reminded me of one of the department stores from the post Civil War period, the building was actually used for manufacturing, one the tenants of the building being Macy’s (DaytonianinNYC website).
Turning the corner onto to Sixth Avenue that Chelsea shares with the Lower Flatiron District, you enter what was once the next great shopping area of the late 1880’s to about 1920 when the “Ladies Shopping District’ moved from 14th Street after the Civil War to Sixth Avenue between West 20th Street to West 23rd Street to create “The Ladies Shopping Mile”.
It would then move to West 34th Street where Macy’s resides today and the ghosts of B. Altman, Stern’s, Orbach’s and Franklin Simon buildings still remain to the last holdout of Lord & Taylor on Fifth Avenue that closed a few years ago that used to line the blocks. Most of the older smaller buildings have been torn down and gleaming new towers are starting to line parts of West 14th Street between Eighth to Fifth Avenues and up along the Avenues.
West 14th Street by Sixth Avenue
Looking up Sixth Avenue and 19th Street, the eastern border of Chelsea
Walking up Sixth Avenue towards West 20th Street, most of the more elaborate buildings are closer to the edge of West 20th Street. Walking back up toward the heart of the former “Ladies Shopping Mile” along Sixth Avenue from West 18th Street to West 23rd Street, the lower part of Sixth Avenue is similar in look to West 14th Street. A mish-mosh architectural styles from years of knocking down the older buildings. Inside are a variety of fast food restaurants, coffee shops and small stores.
The first building left of the former shopping district is the former Pace Building at 610 Sixth Avenue.
610 Sixth Avenue-The former Price building
https://daytoninmanhattan.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-price-buildling-604-612-sixth-avenue.html
David Price opened his first women’s clothing store, D. Price & Co. around 1887. The Price Building was built in 1910-1912 and designed by Buchman & Fox in the Beaux-Arts style (Wiki). The was the combination of the two stores, the one facing Sixth Avenue and the one facing 18th Street (DaytoninManhattan.com).
The embellishments of 610 Sixth Avenue designed by Buchman & Fox.
Next to the Price Building is what was one of the grandest of the department stores in New York City at 620 Sixth Avenue, Seigel Cooper
620 Sixth Avenue-The former Siegal Cooper Department Store
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegel-Cooper_Company
The original store design in the late 1800’s (New York Historical Society)
The Siegel-Cooper Department store was a Chicago based store that was founded in 1877 by Henry Siegel, Frank H. Cooper and Isaac Keim. They opened the New York City store in 1896 on the Ladies Mile Shopping District. The store was designed by the architectural firm of DeLemons & Cordes in the Beaux-Arts design. When it opened, it was the largest department store in the world until Macy’s opened in 1902 (Wiki).
The Siegal Cooper insignia on the building.
The window details
The details on the upper windows of the store.
Henry Siegel over-extended himself and sold the company in 1902 to an investor and the store declared bankruptcy in 1915 and closed in 1917. After the store closed, it was used as a military hospital and then as a warehouse. Today after years of being used as a warehouse, it now has several retailers located in the store space (Wiki).
Across the street from the Siegel-Cooper store is the old B. Altman & Company store before they moved to East 34th Street.
625 Fifth Avenue-The old B. Altman & Company Department Store.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B._Altman_and_Company
https://untappedcities.com/2021/10/20/lost-new-york-city-department-store-b-altman/
B. Altman & Company was founded in 1865 as a family store that eventually came under the control of Benjamin Altman. It moved from its Third Avenue and Tenth Street location to 621 Sixth Avenue in 1877. The store expanded four times in this location to cover what is now 625 Sixth Avenue. The store was designed in the Neo-Grec design and built in four stages. First by architects David and John Jardine for the original store in 1877 and then the extension in 1880. Then by architect William Hume in 1887 and then by architects Buchman & Fox in 1910. The store moved to the corner of Fifth Avenue and 34th Street in 1906 when the shopping district moved to 34th Street (Wiki).
The last old department store on the Ladies Mile Shopping District is at 641 Sixth Avenue on the corner of Sixth Avenue and West 20th Street.
641 Sixth Avenue-The old Simpson Crawford Department Store
Simpson Crawford like many stores on Sixth Avenue had its humble beginnings on 19th Street. The store continued to grow and expand catering to the ‘carriage trade’ and selling the finest merchandise. After their new store was destroyed in a fire in 1880, they opened the store at 641 Sixth Avenue in 1899 which was designed by architectural firm William H. Hume & Son in the Beaux-Arts design (dayoninmanhattan.com).
The details of 641 Sixth Avenue.
This part of the Flatiron District feels so different from the northern part of the neighborhood. So much of it has disappeared over the years that the character has changed. It does not have the distinction of the blocks between 23rd and 20th streets. There are blocks of these types of buildings whereas the blocks of the old shopping districts of the early to late 1800’s from 14th to 18th Streets have slowly disappeared over time. Older buildings have since been replaced with modern office and apartment buildings. The buildings have even been refitted for apartments and for the growing college campuses in the area.
While there are many architectural gems in this neighborhood, it just goes to show the progression of Manhattan and how things have changed in the last 100 years. The City keeps marching on. Still this section of the Lower Flatiron District shows just how important this part of the old “Midtown Manhattan” was from the Civil War until WWI. Just look up and admire all the details on each building. There are a surprise and delight for the eyes.
The Street art on West 15th Street off Sixth Avenue “I Love New York”
Read my blog on Walking the Streets of the Lower Flatiron District:
https://wordpress.com/post/mywalkinmanhattan.com/47757
While I was walking around Chelsea, I was trying to figure out where to go for dinner. A guy was sampling slices of pizza outside of a new branch of Pizza Studio on West 14th Street. It was delicious and I decided to eat there for dinner.
Pizza Studio at 364 West 14th Street
My review on TripAdvisor:
The inside of Pizza Studio
The menu for the make on the spot pizzas
I thought that the prices were very fair and you got a delicious 12 inch pizza for $10.00 and a lemonade. The whole bill with an extra tip was around $12.50, which was reasonable for all the food. Plus the pizza was delicious.
The ingredients to choose from
The Sausage pizza I ordered that evening
The pizza was wonderful
The pizza served with the Blue Lemonade
What was really nice after the day walking around the neighborhood was the lemonade was so refreshing. You got a choice between Watermelon Lemonade and the Blue Lemonade above and you got free refills. Talk about quenching your thirst on a hot day. It was a great dinner.
Walking past Holy Apostles Church at night
The Empire State Building lit for the holiday
A beautiful site of the Empire State Building
On each corner of the neighborhood, surprises and changes keep this neighborhood in a continuous flux. It just keeps reinventing itself.
Please read my other blogs of Lower Chelsea:
The Borders of Lower Chelsea:
The Avenues of Lower Chelsea:
The Streets of Lower Chelsea:
mywalkinmanhattan 