Neighborhood Guide CHELSEA - MANHATTAN Chelsea is a little more commercial than its neighbors in the West Village, with Old Navy and other such dreaded chains lining the streets, but it still has its fair share of artists and hipsters haunting its addresses. William Burroughs crashed here after a trip to Europe and British beauty Lillie Langtry lived at 361 East 23rd from 1886 until 1890 (but the pad isn't up for tours so don't bother asking). And, of course, there is the supposed "double suicide" of Sid Vicious and his wife at the Hotel Chelsea. Chelsea is just as diverse as Greenwich prides itself on being so, but it has a much more laid back feel to it. You don't have to prove how cool you are to live in Chelsea. Over the years, Chelsea has struggled to be the quaint neighborhood it knows it can be, but it seems its efforts are always hampered. Word on the streets is that Chelsea is about to reach its peak of being the most desirable place to be, so if you're interested you might want to snatch up a place while it's still somewhat affordable. It has a bit of the not-quite-as-cool-as-The Village or SoHo complex, but give the little hood some time-it just might surprise the whole city. Not only is Chelsea trying to elbow its way into the almost non-existent nightlife in Tribeca, but Chelsea is full of charming townhomes that are always being renovated into more and more living spaces and have been since the 1960s and 1970s. There's tons of hope for this to be the next great space, as construction of hundreds of apartments is currently underway. Expect high rents in a couple of years. Chelsea may be most famous for Chelsea Piers, which used to be the hub for all ships coming into and out of New York City, but is now a super complex of sports facilities complete with golf club and sky rink. The piers opened 1910 but has changed its purposed over the years. It first started an upscale passenger ship terminal, then as a point of deportation for soldiers of World War II. In the 50s and 60s it acted as a cargo terminal until falling into complete neglect in the 70s and 80s. The details of its history are more interesting: The Titanic was supposed to dock here on April 16, 1912; instead, The Carpathia arrived in its place on April 20, short 1, 525 passengers. In the early days, around 1910 when it first opened, ships took immigrant passengers to the piers before putting them on ferries to Ellis Island. And in July 1936 the US Olympic team left from the pier for Berlin and returned weeks later victorious-with Jesse Owens and his four gold medals, among other champions. The mega-sportsplex that Chelsea Piers is, this is still the only neighborhood we know of where a guy can get his hair cut at the gas station-The Station, on Eighth Avenue between 16th and 17th. One of the biggest bonuses to Chelsea? Krispy Kreme on 23rd at Eighth Avenue. Think of it as your second home.
Cohen Smith Chang Licensed Real Estate Broker 12 West 37th Street 7th Floor, New York, NY 10018 Office: (212)277-5500 Fax: (212)377-5751