Chelsea Market and the Sex Hotel

September 9, 2013

Today we did our NY foods walking tour around Chelsea Market and the Meat Packing district. Our tour guide, Diana, was a typical spunky New Yorker, knowledgeable and overall-wonderful guide. Very much like Bette Midler (more so than our guide in Berlin see earlier post). ~~Bette~~ Diana talked about the history behind the architecture and design of Chelsea Market, and gave an insight that you would never have got from just wondering around yourself. ( Jackie, you have to do this tour , you’ll love it ! )

Chelsea Market is an enclosed urban food court, shopping mall, office building and television production facility located in the Chelsea neighborhood . Built in the former National Biscuit Company factory complex where the Oreo cookie was invented. There are also TV studios above the market, and this is where they film Iron Chef. Two of the Iron Chefs have since opened restaurants near by, Morimoto a Japanese and Sushi place , and Del Posto an Italian owned by Mario Batali.

The Meat Packing district has a bit of a colourful and checkered past, however these days it is home to so wonderful bars and restaurants, and some of the city top fashion designers. However, that said, there is a hotel there , The Standard Hotel, that towers above the area, and it has floor to ceiling windows, with glass walls in the rooms, so you need to know the person you are staying with VERY well. Seminally the hotel also encourages their guests to have ‘fun‘ by the windows !!!

Above Chelsea Market, passing through the building is a new urban landscape, called the High Line. This abandoned, elevated railroad track has been converted to an urban oasis or greenway. Is made a lovely afternoon stroll up the west side of manhattan amongst trees and art dispersed along the route.

All in all another fabulous day on the lower west side of Manhattan. No Crazies today, and step count on my pedometer today…. 16,991 steps (8.25miles) !!