From Wikitravel

The Chelsea Garment District is a district of Manhattan in New York, situated on the West Side in the southern part of the Midtown area; broadly, it encompasses the area from 14th St up to 34th St and west of 6th Ave.

It is a popular dining and nightlife area and, particularly on 8th Avenue, the center of gay social life in Manhattan. Of interest to practically everyone are the Chelsea Piers, located on the Hudson, a huge sports and entertainment complex that opened in 1995. Chelsea's explosive growth began in the 1990s and continues today, with new towers expanding the neighborhood as far north as Madison Square Garden, the famous sports arena located on the site of old Pennsylvania Station, and today home to the NBA's Knicks and NHL's Rangers. West of Madison Square Garden is a grubby commercial and industrial zone.

Get in

Via subway, there are many lines serving the neighborhood. The A, C, and E lines run under 8th Avenue, stopping at 14th St. and 34th St., with the C and E also stopping at 23rd St. Under 7th Avenue run the 1, 2, and 3 lines, with the 1 stopping at 14th St., 18th St., 23rd St., 28th St., and 34th St., and the 2 and 3 stopping just at 14th St and 34th St. The F and V lines stop along 6th Ave., stopping at 14th St., 23rd St., and 34th St. The L train runs east from its terminal at 14th St. and 8th Ave., also stopping at 6th Ave. The 34th Street station at Broadway/6th Avenue serves the B, D, F, V, N, R, Q, and W lines.

From outside New York City, Penn Station, located underneath Madison Square Garden, is the east coast hub of Amtrak services and is the regional hub for Long Island Rail Road and New Jersey Transit commuter rail services. See the By train section on the main New York City page for more info. Also serving the neighborhood is PATH subway service to Hoboken and Jersey City, New Jersey, which runs under 6th Ave., stopping at 33rd St., 23rd St., and 14th St.

There is ample bus service: north-south routes on every avenue and east-west crosstown buses on the larger streets (14th, 23rd, 34th), though they can be slow, especially at peak hours.

See

The mid-20s between 10th and 11th Avs. (for example, 25th St.) is the new hot art gallery area. Walk around and see the shows that are up. Check gallery schedules and shows here: [1].

• High Line Park. Built on a defunct railway that runs 30 feet above Manhattan between 10th and 11th Avenues, from 34th Street to Gansevoort Street.  edit

• Madison Square Garden, 4 Pennsylvania Plaza (7th Avenue & 32nd Street), ☎ +1 212 465-6741, [2]. Box office: M-F 9AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-6PM; if event takes place outside regular hours, box office opens at least 1 hour before event start until 1 hour after event start. One of the world's most famous and busiest arenas, Madison Square is home to the New York Rangers [3] NHL team, New York Knicks [4] NBA team, and the New York Liberty [5] WNBA team, as well as numerous concerts and entertainment events.  edit

• Atlantic Stage 2, 330 W 16th St btn. 8th and 9th Ave, ☎ +1 212 279-4200, [6]. This is the Atlantic's 99-seat theater which they use for shows too interesting to go in their larger theater on 20th St. Listings for stage 2 shows that are part of their regular season go on their website. But this theater has many secret shows, like their acting school's semester-end performances, and staged readings during the summer. This other stuff is usually not even on nytheatre.com, but, rather publicized by Facebook and postcard only, so while some of it is technically public, most of the audience may consist of fans, relatives, and friends of the performers. You may have the chance to hear readings by talented young authors from places like Middlebury College before they become famous. If you're invited to something here, it will probably be good and completely irreplaceable, but think twice about making critical comments in such an environment.  edit
• SITI Company, 520 8th Ave, ☎ +1 212 868-0860.  edit
• MA-YI Theater Company, 520 8th Ave # 309, ☎ +1 212 971-4862.  edit
• Altered Stages, 212 W 29th St, ☎ +1 212 629-3206.  edit
• Pan Asian Repertory Theatre, 520 8th Ave # 314, ☎ +1 212 868-4030.  edit

• Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater, 307 W. 26th Street. Laughs as Cheap As They Come.  edit
• People’s Improv Theater, 154 W 29th St, ☎ +1 212 563-7488, [7]. Dedicated to the instruction, performance and development of original comedy. Wednesdays are free!  edit
• Magnet Theatre, 254 W 29th St. There's always something going on at the Magnet.  edit

• B&H, 420 9th Av. (between 33rd and 34th Sts.), ☎ +1 212 444-6615 or +1 800 606-6969, [8]. Perhaps the best camera and photography equipment store in New York, this is the place to go for any of the cameras and camera accessories you might want. The selection is good and the staff is knowledgeable and willing to discuss things with you. It is owned and staffed by Chassidic Jews, so it is closed on Friday nights, Saturdays, and all Jewish holidays.  edit

• Chelsea Market, [9]. The original Oreo cookie factory is now a block-sized market selling gourmet foods, flowers, and knick-knacks, and offering restaurants, bars, art space and special shows. Has free wireless Internet access throughout and smells like a slice of heaven.  edit

• Filene's, 6th Avenue between 18th and 19th Streets. Large selection of discounted designer clothes.

• Cafeteria. The name is a misnomer; it's a hip restaurant -- a few blocks south on 7th for a broad range of stuff, nicely presented, with sidewalk dining.  edit
• Grand Sichuan Chelsea, (9th Av. and 24 St.). Excellent Sichuan cuisine, for those who like it hot. Stick with the Sichuan and Hunan menus and special menus like the Prodigal Daughter's menu. Do not get "lunch specials" or order from the American-Chinese or Cantonese menus, and do not get Shanghainese "Soup Dumplings" (xiaolong bao) unless you want typical American-Chinese takeout food and dishes made better elsewhere. Get reservations if you are going during peak dinner hours on any day; this location is really popular, and you may have to wait a long time for a table if you just show up.  edit
• Pepe Giallo, 10th Av. (between 24th and 25th Sts.). Reliable place for panini and pasta, priced fairly.  edit
• Whole Foods Market, 24th St..  edit

• Cafe Grumpy, 224 West 20th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, ☎ +1 212 255-5511, [10]. The coffee and attitude here are both fantastic, but the elongated shoebox shape and gigantic space-wasting counter area opposite those clumsy tiny tall-tables makes it feel like a hallway. If it were an actual hallway between two other random places, the big building around it might make it seem cozier, but since it stands alone, the sense of jostling bumping linear traffic may make you feel distracted after half a drink. This property makes it perfect for meeting people before a show at the Atlantic Theater one block west.  edit

• Chelsea International Hostel, 251 West 20th Street (between 7th/8th Avenues; Subway: 1 or 9 to 23rd St or 18th St, A, C, E trains to 23rd St. You can also walk from 6th Ave trains at 23rd St), ☎ +1 212 647-0010, [11]. Small and clean. Internet access, 24-hour reception.  edit
• Hotel Pennsylvania, 7th Avenue (between 32nd/33rd), ☎ +1 800 223-8585 or +1 212 736-5000, [12]. Large hotel, landmark, near all the action in the area. As low as $99/night. There is a $4 charge for each piece of luggage stored and be warned, cleanliness is not a high point.  edit
• Marriott Execustay, (24th Street and 7th Avenue). Basically, 1 or two bedroom condos -- a lot of space (especially for Manhattan), full kitchens, roof garden, gym. Convenient to a Whole Foods Market across the street and an upscale (and expensive) grocery, bakery, deli on 23d street  edit

• Hampton Inn Manhattan - Chelsea, 108 West 24th Street, ☎ +1 212 414-1000, [13].  edit
• Hotel Chelsea, 222 West 23rd Street (between 7th and 8th Avenues), ☎ +1 212 243-3700, [14]. Where rockstars go to die. Free wi-fi internet in lobby. $195–485 per night.  edit
• Chelsea Grand Hotel, W. 25th Street (between 7th & 6th Aves.), ☎ +1 866 837-4258, [15]. Features high speed internet in rooms and complimentary fitness center on-site. Rates start at $118.  edit
• Four Points by Sheraton Manhattan Hotel, 160 West 25th Street, ☎ +1 212 627-1888, [16].  edit
• GEM Hotel - Chelsea, 300 West 22nd Street, ☎ +1 212 675-1911, [17]. The rooms are tiny, though bright and in good condition, as the hotel is new.  edit