Chelsea
Before WWI, Chelsea was the center for the motion picture industry. Today Chelsea is primarily residential and is known for boutique shopping, art galleries, restaurants, and nightclubs. Residential areas have tenements, apartment blocks, rehabilitated warehousing, and brick and brownstone townhouses.
Chelsea Landmarks and History: Chelsea’s origins date back to 1750 and the neighborhood has seen a lot of change since its days as a family farm. Chelsea was the city’s first theater district, a fashionable shopping district, and a thriving vice district in the 1920’s and 1930’s.
On your own you may explore Chelsea’s past by visiting landmarks such as the Chelsea Historic District (20th to 22nd St. between 8th and 10th Ave.), where you will see beautiful architecture from the 1800’s. Don’t miss the Chelsea Hotel, bohemian landmark and former home of writers and artists such as William S. Burroughs and Bob Dylan – though now probably better known as the place where Sid killed Nancy.
Art Scene:
Chelsea is the art capital of New York with more than 200 galleries. They dot the West Chelsea streets between 20th and 28th. Some of the most famous include the Gagosian Gallery on West 24th, the Matthew Marks Gallery on West 22nd, and the Sonnabend on West 22nd. to see more of Chelsea’s art community.
Places to visit in Chelsea include:
- Theology Seminary
- the High Line Park (an elevated rail line ~ now an elevated park.)
- Chelsea Piers; gallery area
- Rubin Museum of Art; the Hotel Chelsea
- Hudson River Park.
- Chelsea Market 1905 - 1912: located between 9th & 10th Avenues bet 15th & 16th streets. Formally the NaBisCo (National Biscuit Company) ,which was originally comprised of several bakeries who later formed one company. In 1959 NaBisCo factories moved its bakeries to Fair Lawn NJ where they reside today. The Chelsea Market completed renovations in 1997, broadcasting Oxygen Network & Food Network from the upper-floor studios. Today the old National Biscuit Company is home to many savory businesses that one can only appreciate by sampling. A must see for young people and families.
Chelsea Market Favorites: Ninth Street Espresso; Eleni’s New York ~ Designer cookies + cupcakes; Ninth Street Espresso brews up smooth joe with a second location in the East Village; Tea bar + cafe selling and brewing aromatic signature blends; Eleni’s New York, designer cookies + cupcakes that taste better than they look. . . and they look spectacular!; Fat Witch Bakery, freshly baked chocolate brownies + blondies; Sarabeth’s Kitchen, fresh baked goods + tea + coffee + hot chocolate; Buddakan underground Asian fusion restaurant and lounge; Green Table Restaurant, snacks + meals + desserts; Lobster Place, freshly prepared seafoods + sushi; Amy’s Bread, fresh baked bread + sandwiches. Zoom there in a cab or get there by subway: 1 or 9 Subway ~ exit at 23rd & 8th.
Chelsea Galleries: The majority of the Chelsea Galleries are located between 21st and 27th Streets between 10th & 11th Avenues. This is a wonderful area to plan a carefree day. Consider visiting the Chelsea Art Museum for a small fee while strolling the galleries.
Recommended Restaurants: Cookshop, American Traditional cuisine, located among the West Chelsea galleries serving tasty plates daily. Another favorite is Trestle on Tenth, clean Swiss inspired nourishment with a quaint backyard patio offering a perfect view to 1800's architecture above the porch fence line. The perfect spot to enjoy a relaxing brunch or to recharge your battery while taking in the galleries. You may also want to venture to The Half King Restaurant is perfect for a draft beer and burger. Very casual pub with sidewalk & small backyard seating. Très chic . . . Comme des Garcon and Balenciaga, two distinct couture boutiques positioned among the galleries.
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East Village
Today the East Village continues to be packed with little surprises, a young person's neighborhood with its experimental music clubs, theaters and progressive fashion. Low-rise buildings on tree-lined streets are rich with small eateries and designer boutiques. The East Village is home to the first store of fashion designer, Eileen Fisher - 314 East 9th Street, now serves as the clearance location offering bargains on samples starting at 20% off. To name a few other less known designer boutiques: Jewelry designer Greg Wolf; Lisa Lindhart; fashion designers like Meg & An Ren.
In addition to fashion and art, the East Village neighborhood reputedly contains a most varied assortment of ethnic restaurants in New York City, from the surplus of Indian eateries on the south side of East 6th Street between 1st & 2nd Avenues, perfect for a bite to eat after a long day of shopping.
The East Village's performance and art scene has declined since its height in the 1970s and 1980s. It is still known for a diverse community, vibrant nightlife and artistic sensibility, although in recent decades gentrification has changed the complexion of the neighborhood. While small glimpses into the East Village's past can still be seen, the days of intellectuals walking the littered lined streets and colorful bazaar storefronts selling affordable merchandise are long gone. The continual increase of expensive rents in the East Village has made housing unattainable to the nonconformist creative types, who were the inspiration behind the scene giving the neighborhood it's esthetic edge.
Music Scene: some of the music venues in the East Village include Bowery Ballroom; CBGBs (closed October 16, 2006); the Continental Divide; the Mercury Lounge; Rue B Lounge.
Places to visit in the East Village include:
- St. Mark's Place: the street has long hosted alternative retailers that sell sunglasses and silver jewelry, appealing in recent years particularly to suburban teenagers. Today the street includes chain stores and eateries.
- The Public Theater: founded as The Shakespeare Workshop in 1954 by Joseph Papp operates in the building that was former home of the Astor Library opened in 1967 has been the opening venue for many now-famous plays with it's first production of the musical Hair.
- Joe's Pub: a cabaret-style setting used for new work, musical performances, spoken-word artists and soloists.
- McSorley's Old Ale House: a saloon that appears unchanged since it first opened in 1854.
- The Little Singer Building (561-563 Broadway and 88 Prince Street), once a showroom for the Singer Manufacturing Company. Referenced as "little" because a much larger Singer Building (tallest building in the world from 1908 to 1909) was built a few years later. The big Singer was torn down in 1968 to raise One Liberty Plaza.
History
At one time the neighborhood of the East Village was considered the northern part of the Lower East Side (LES). In the 1960s the neighborhood began to develop its own culture and became known as the East Village. The East Village includes the neighborhoods of Alphabet City and The Bowery.
Scores of artists and hippies began to move into the area, attracted by the base of Beatniks that had lived there since the 1950s. It has been the site of counterculture, protests and riots.
Over the last 100 years, the East Village/Lower East Side neighborhood has been considered one of the strongest contributors to American arts and culture in New York. The neighborhood is known as the birthplace and historical home of many artistic movements, including punk rock and the Nuyorican literary movement. A charming New York destination with a restless past.
Flatiron District
The Flatiron District adjoins the New York Life Building (site of the original Madison Square Garden) and of course the famous Ladies' Mile. This is where over 100 years ago a decent woman of class would be allowed to freely browse the shops without the usual chaperone - walking arm and arm with a lady friend along Fifth Avenue without fear of gossip by other ladies. Back in the days when high culture was valued and historically the greatest earning gap existed between the rich and the poor, the Ladies' Mile was the premier stretch of Manhattan for a lady wanting to shop and to be seen.
Today we find a superbly manicured Madison Square Park where people read the morning paper on park benches or bask in the sun's afternoon rays on the green lawn. The city has created a boulevard atmosphere along Broadway, newly decorated with seating and umbrella tables. You can relax and chat here, or enjoy an afternoon lunch while gazing at the beautifully restored Flatiron building.
Many hidden gems await shoppers in this area. The modern Flatiron has numerous quality restaurants; a couple of bakeries; interior decorating shops, many to-the-trade only; various retail chains and of course those lovely one-of-a-kind boutiques are scattered throughout the district. When shopping with ZTrend, you will discover these beautiful boutiques offering unique merchandise you might never have discovered on your own.
Places to visit in the Flatiron District include: Birthplace of Theodore Roosevelt; the Metropolitain Life Tower; the New York Supreme Court (Beaux-Arts architecture); the first Western Union building; the first Lord & Taylor Shop; the stunning Flatiron Building; and the New York Life Building.
Lower East Side (LES)
The Lower East Side is the farthest east of all the New York City's shopping areas and continues to be observed as an edgy neighborhood that has undergone the least amount of gentrification, next to the East Village. While gentrification has its upsides it also has a tendency to remove the history and strip the character from a neighborhood. For many years people have looked toward the "new" as better, quick to say bye-bye to the "old" and discard past beauty.
Due to the "Green" movement and high living costs sweeping the nation people are rediscovering a new respect for the past - repurposing the "old" into "chic". While this conservative thinking has always been a life-style among artists, it is a new way of thinking for retailers who want to compete with the latest trends of these appealing boutiques.
With new business constantly opening on the LES, it is without exception one of the most refreshing neighborhoods to visit. The neighborhood streets buzz with long-time residents and energetic youth and tucked away upcoming fashion designers and tiny eating nooks. New York City neighborhoods are peppered with fine boutiques. Because these darling boutiques are not easily found, there is no better investment of your time than to join ZTrend on a guided shopping experience where we highlight to you the better boutique shopping of Manhattan.
Before you waste your limited time wandering aimlessly down streets teasing yourself without goodies, plan your day the ZTrend way and receive four to five hours of pure shopping pleasure you will never forget.
Meatpacking
The Meatpacking district, also know to some as MePa (pronounced Mee - paw), is rich in history dating prior to when ships would dock and rail would continue the transportation of cattle and grain over the West Side Highway, traveling directly through the warehouses to unload.
Today's Meatpacking district is a fashionable microcosm of exclusive prevailing designers serving the ultra luxurious consumer. Designers rise like cream among a the still existing meatpacking industry that lingers today. It is not uncommon to catch a whiff of slaughter while walking in the back alleys. For some it is a refreshing sign that one of Manhattan's nitty-gritty neighborhoods has escaped the death of gentrification, in a city once craved as a destination by misfits who so badly wanted to belong.
In vogue with its rustic streets paved in historical granite cobblestone, the Meatpacking district to mot is an indescribably charming scene. It is the perfect place for a photo shoot or to lunch at one of the many sidewalk cafes.
Experience top fashion designer boutiques like Yigal Azrouel, Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, Diane von Furstenberg, Tina Turk, Charles Nolan and Christian Louboutin, to name just a few.
Spas and activities: Our West Side Highway has been transformed. . . Enjoy the Hudson River Park like you have never done before, an oasis for picnicking, sunbathing, biking, rollerblading or a breezy stroll by the water. This and the High-Line is a definite must see for everyone who love a view. If you’re up for a real adventure rent a bike for day at Chelsea's Zen Bikes and take a ride down the Hudson River Park to Battery Park for a picturesque view of the Statue of Liberty. Purchase a spa treatment for $75 or greater at the Chelsea Piers Spa and enjoy a day pass to sunbathe, swim and experience classes and sports activities at no extra charge. View a full spa menu purchase spa certificates online Chelsea Piers.Com. Located at Pier 60 at 23rd street. Take the elevators up to the sports center.
Chelsea Market 1905 - 1912: located between 9th & 10th avenues bet 15th & 16th streets. Formally the NaBisCo (National Biscuit Company) ,which was originally comprised of several bakeries who later formed one company. In 1959 NaBisCo factories moved its bakeries to Fair Lawn NJ where they reside today. The Chelsea Market completed renovations in 1997, broadcasting Oxygen Network & Food Network from the upper-floor studios. Today the old National Biscuit Company is home to many savory businesses that one can only appreciate by sampling. A must see for youth and families.
Chelsea Market Favorites: Ninth Street Espresso; Eleni’s New York ~ Designer cookies + cupcakes; Ninth Street Espresso brews up smooth joe with a second location in the East Village; Tea bar + cafe selling and brewing aromatic signature blends; Eleni’s New York, designer cookies + cupcakes that taste better than they look. . . and they look spectacular!; Fat Witch Bakery, freshly baked chocolate brownies + blondies; Sarabeth’s Kitchen, fresh baked goods + tea + coffee + hot chocolate; Buddakan underground Asian fusion restaurant and lounge; Green Table Restaurant, snacks + meals + desserts; Lobster Place, freshly prepared seafoods + sushi; Amy’s Bread, fresh baked bread + sandwiches. Zoom there in a cab or get there by subway: 1 or 9 Subway ~ exit at 23rd & 8th.
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NoLIta
Home to many attractive boutiques and stylish bistros, NoLIta's modest neighborhood is the perfect area to spend a day strolling the cobblestone streets, weaving in and out of the inviting manicured boutiques. An assortment of cutting-edge boutiques are concentrated in the small area of NoLIta providing uninterrupted shopping experience unparalleled to any other area in Manhattan.
History:
The neighborhood was long regarded as part of Little Italy. The area, however, lost much of its recognizable Italian character in recent decades because of the migration of Italian-Americans out of Manhattan.
In the late 1990s, the neighborhood saw an influx of yuppies and an explosion of expensive retail boutiques, appealing restaurants and bars. After unsuccessful attempts to pitch the neighborhood as part of SoHo, real estate promoters came up with NoLIta (North of Little Itay) for the fresh upscale neighborhood.
Places to visit in NoLIta include: The Puck Building; Old St. Patrick's Old Cathedral built in 1815; New Museum of Contemporary Art, exhibits new work by American and international artists; White House Hotel: four-story red-brick building at 338 Bowery, between East 2nd and East 3rd Streets (old "Skid Row"). one of the last remaining flophouse on The Bowery in NoHo's historic district.
SoHo
SoHo derives its name from its location, South of Houston Street, once known as the Cast Iron District because of its large industrial buildings and cast-iron architecture. The area became an artists colony for its unique architecture and large spaces within the buildings.
SoHo is the area in New York City where most visitors think to shop the small boutiques. Once known for its cheep spacial living lofts it was one of the first neighborhoods to be dramatically transformed in the 1970s into a trendy shopping area where boutique fronts occupied the gorgeous buildings in the famous cast iron section of New York City.
Today due to the economy manageable rents are a thing of the past — SoHo has become home to many chain stores found globally making it more difficult for shoppers to find the small trendy boutiques. ZTrend will guide you and your friends to the remaining wonderful small business today.
History of SoHo: Approximately 250 cast iron buildings were constructed during the period from 1840 to 1880. The majority of these buildings are in SoHo. Cast iron was initially used as a decorative front over a pre-existing building. With the addition of modern, decorative facades, older industrial buildings were able to attract new commercial clients. In addition to revitalizing older structures, buildings in SoHo were later designed to feature the cast iron.
Places to visit in NoHo include:
The Bayard-Condict Building, the first terracotta building designed by Louis Sullivan -- 65 Bleecker Street, between Broadway & Lafayette Street.
Places to visit in SoHo include:
E.V. Haughwout Building (pronounced "HOW-out" ), a five-story cast-iron facade commercial loft building in the SoHo section of New York City, at 490 Broadway, NE corner of Broome Street built in 1857. Architecturally inspired by the Sansovino Library in Venice and featured the first safe manual operated passenger elevator, by Otis that continues to be operated manually today.
The Singer Loft Building -- 561 Broadway;
109 Prince Street -- Built in 1882 by architectural iron works, Cheney & Hewlett. Designed in the French Renaissance style by J. Morgan Slade it remains of the most striking gems of the 19th century cast iron architecture in history.
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