Chelsea & Flatiron

Chelsea is known for its thriving art gallery scene, and offers a blend of pre-war and mid-century buildings, plus townhouses in the Federal, Greek-Revival, and Neo-Italianate styles. The areas high demand has attracted the attention of real estate developers with state of the art conversions like Robert Walker’s namesake Art Deco gem Walker Tower at 210 West 18th Street. New millennium developments include architecturally significant modern buildings built from the ground-up like the late Zaha Hadid’s 528 West 28th Street, and Lantern House at 515 West 18th Street, which hug the popular High Line Park; an elevated promenade built on a decommissioned freight rail line, where pedestrians can marvel at the striking juxtaposition of nature and urban architecture. The Chelsea Arts District is today’s center of New York City’s art business and home to almost 100 contemporary art galleries scattered near the High Line between 10th and 11th Avenues. Showcasing works by emerging and established talent that captivate culture hungry visitors who roam the neighborhood. The Joyce Theatre and The Kitchen are important Chelsea performance spaces. Both Chelsea and Flatiron property values have benefited over the past two decades by demand for housing and office space by tech companies and their employees who’ve flocked here to be close to Google, whose New York City HQ occupies a full city block in Chelsea on 8th Avenue, directly adjacent to the city’s main internet trunk lines. The Hudson River Park marks Chelsea’s western border north of 14th Street and the fashionable Meatpacking District; with Sixth Avenue as its eastern most boundary.

 

To the east of Chelsea, the Flatiron District is named after the iconic Flatiron Building; built in 1902 as one of the first New York City skyscrapers at 22 stories tall, towering over the rest of the city. Its unique triangular footprint reminded the awestruck public of the shape of a clothing iron. The name has stuck. The area offers residents an eclectic mix of townhouses, pre-war and postwar apartment houses, with a fair number of loft conversions which harken back to its commercial past. Flatiron boasts a rich history as a commercial center and fashionable shopping district known as the Ladies Mile, with department stores and the headquarters of late 19th century American business lining its streets. Many of these finely made historic buildings with beautiful Beaux-Arts, Neo-Renaissance, Romanesque Revival, and Art Deco details, have been repositioned today as live/work residential and creative office space. The Ladies Mile Historic District affords Landmark protection and preserves these significant buildings, that still host a diverse array of shops and restaurants. Union Square Park lies on the eastern border of the neighborhood and is home to the original New York City Greenmarket, where residents can buy fresh produce and artisanal foods from all over the region in a popular twice weekly marketplace. Flatiron is also where you’ll find Eataly, a sprawling complex of Italian food culture that encompasses restaurants, fresh foods, and gourmet specialties. Rounding out this foodies dream are fine dining experiences like Eleven Madison Park and the Michelin starred Korean steakhouse COTE among many others. For those of us on a more modest budget, it is also the home of the original Shake Shack kiosk in the shadow of the Flatiron building at Madison Square Park. Flatiron is bounded by 14th St. to the south; Park Avenue South to the east, Avenue of the Americas to the west; and West 23rd Street to the north.