You are standing in the old YMCA featured in the Village People’s famous hit. Get yourself clean, have a good meal and do whatever you feel! Read more.
Le Grainne Cafe, 21st Street and 9th Ave. Best NY Creperie yet. Even the French one in the group agreed!
Whole wheat? Tofu? What are you, meshuggah? Get a nice lox with a schmear, maybe, on a nice regular bagel? Don't be a schmuck and ask them to toast it... Eat, eat! You're all skin and bones!
A very special place. I lived here for three years, but anyone can visit via the entrance on 21st St.
The best place to see museum-quality gallery shows has perfected this high-end form. Shows such as “Picasso and Marie-Thérèse: L’Amour Fou” prove you don’t have to be MoMA to stage a blockbuster. Read more.
The best-lit gallery in Chelsea, in our opinion (a silly accolade, but there is a lot of competition). Works by Jasper Johns, Ken Price, and Jo Baer have graced this space. History happens here. Read more.
my old block!! besides the fact that Comme des Garcons has incredible collaborations and great clothes, this store in particular has a very unique design. head west people, this is where its at!
One of my favorite places to be in late spring & summer. Lounge w/a good book on the lawns or go for a run along the paved walkway. Great place to relax & enjoy views of the Hudson River.
Yuppie douchebags from all over swarm this place after work - so if you can, go during the day, when you can enjoy the maritime vibe, breeze off the harbor, amazing views, and tasty food!
Forget "Spice" - the McD's of NYC Thai food - and grab a meal here, at Chelsea's best Thai spot. It's stylish, affordable, friendly, and the food and drinks are a leap ahead of nearby competition!
Fast, friendly service. Attracts cubans & has authentic non-glam hole in the wall charm. Churrasco steak is delicious and filling but prepare for enough garlic to kill off the entire cast of Twilight.
Wesley (look for the tall black bald guy) gives better advice than 99% of the cosmetics counters in this city! Impressive and eclectic collection long on hard-to-find and rare products!
A big step up, design-wise, from your post-college IKEA and West Elm collections... yet shockingly affordable. Modern Italian design to fill your NYC pad right.
A travesty that the money-mad real estate whores kicked this legendary place a few doors to a much smaller storefront. Still a great staff and lots of rare and cool instruments -- a must for musicos!
Ever wonder how all those chelsea boys and girls make their butts look so good? The jeans help. Semi-annual Barneys warehouse sale is held here, too -- a MUST for the savvy shopper.
Screw Netflix, this is a brilliant collection curated by a knowledgable staff. Disorganized (if you know what you want just ask), but rewards browsing & talking to the film buffs behind the counter!
Much better selection and more helpful staff than Rainbow Station, which has been going inexplicably hetero the past few years...
This was the original location of Barneys back in 1922, back when it was a luxury discounter. Loehmann's keeps up the tradition with bargains on hot designers, and a friendly staff!
Built in the 30s, this was an active railway until 1980. "Friends of the High Line" formed in 1999 with the idea of turning it into an elevated park similar to the Promenade Plantée in Paris.
A holy food emporium! Go for our favorites; Amy's Bread, 9th Street Espresso, Sarabeths and Fat Witch Bakery!
Small, well-curated shop with emphasis on new releases. A wonderful place for intimate author events with heavies -- also at nearby Paula Cooper Gallery. Sign up for their newsletter.
Amazing antiques and oddities. Come often as they have new stuff all of the time.
One of the sexiest places in Gotham baby! The art is dedicated dedicated to the art of the Himalayas & surrounding regions. Every Friday night it's free, there's a even a DJ. Great for a date!
Back before the overpriced condos and trendmongers of the Meatpacking, Red Cat was making delicious, creative New American cuisine for the art gallery set and other locals. Still as good as ever.
An institution - Hendrix and Joplin held court here; and Patti Smith & Mapplethorpe bummed drinks when they lived upstairs. It hasn't changed a bit - and after a meal, you'll thank god it hasn't.
A stellar newcomer with a stylish design, wonderful staff, an authentic, inventive Japanese pub menu, and WOW what a sake collection! The sushi is serviceable, but it's not the main attraction.
It's everything you've heard, and more -- but almost impossible to get into without a long wait at peak hours. If you're impatient, El Quinto Pino is a fine nearby alternate.
Good vegan food is hard to find, but it’s easy to find here! We are in love with the BLT sandwich – you’d never know that the ‘bacon’ was really soy protein!
An under-the-radar, rustic-with-worn-floorboards joint serving classic romance dishes. It's also tucked way out on 10th Avenue, which means you're taking a cab together - wherever you're going.
The (slightly) less pretentious and overpriced alternative locals hit instead of Cafeteria. Bigger tables for parties and more room for socializing and showing off ensure its continued popularity.
Blows Magnolia out of the water, and the staff is wayyyyyy nicer. The banana cake is the best ever
UCBT is the best place to laugh at funny people before they end up on TV. Nearly every sitcom on NBC’s Thursday-night lineup features performers who honed their craft at the Chelsea venue. Read more.
I only come here every few years, usually when my mom is in town. And every time I'm reminded what a treasure it is. Always interesting performers, no bad seats in the house, and gentle ticket prices. Read more.
Did you know that The Irish Rep holds FREE readings of plays by new playwrights and classic masters? Ask the house manager when the next reading will be held and sign up to attend!
Re-opening Spring 2012. Great, intimate space for world premieres by stars like Mamet and the Coen brothers.
Hedda Lettuce hosts Cinema Classics on Thursdays - get there early (there's a line!) for some truly great old movies at this fun, campy local tradition. Bonus: Rocky Horror midnight shows on weekends!
Coat check! The amazing staff perfectly reflects the venue that hired them. Small but cozy and incredibly clean. Sound is crystal clear and the lights are phenomenal. Any show here will be a great one Read more.
The ideal combination of a Dive Bar and a Gay Bar. Cheap drinks, no attitude, great shows and lots of couches to chill with friends or make out with that hottie you just met!
Sure, us locals don't go here much anymore, and other than the mac & cheese, the food is bleh... but we love taking visitors here to feel like part of a real "scene"... a real "Sex & the City" vibe.
There's a reason why the city's ex-pat cabbies are lined up here day and night - huge, affordable portions of DELICIOUS, authentic, all-vegetarian food from the subcontinent.
This is the place. It's where everyone, rich, poor, famous, or famished winds up when the clubs close; where locals show up hung-over the next day, and where their parents grab an early bird special.
This subterranean spot's only marked by a small plaque & doorbell you must ring to be admitted. Inside you'll find perfectly prepared, fresh-juiced, hand-stirred or shaken classic cocktails & punches. Read more.
You know how sometimes you flip your sh*t over the harsh realities of life and the only fix is to manically read children's books while sitting on a creaky floor and eating cupcakes? No? Oh.
Ariel Levy: "Among the most satisfying standbys: fried vegetable dumplings and the zha jiang mian." Read more: http://nyr.kr/UuyJUl
