Jeanne

We're going to be spending a week in NYC this fall and I'm thinking of booking at a bed and breakfast in Chelsea. There's a couple of brownstones in that neighborhood that sound nice to me--one on 23rd (Inn on 23rd) and one on 20th (Chelsea Suites). We've never spent time in Chelsea so I'm hoping somebody out there can give me a clue. I expect 23rd St. would be the noisier of the two. I'm trying to visualize the area in terms of shops, cafes, etc.

Mike

Chelsea is "ground zero" for hip and cool NYC. Lots and lots of beautiful people, nice little restaurants and bars, near SoHo and not far from the village. Until TriBeCa rebounds, Chelsea is as cool as it gets in NYC, which is saying a lot.

Tipper

Chelsea and the East Village are predominently gay.

carol

Chelsea is a lot of fun. You are right, 23rd will be the noisier as it is basically open all night. My brother used to live on 23rd and it is so much fun to hang out in this area. If you like restaurants, clubs, and funky shopping, it is a great destination. Don't let the gay bashers scare you, although heavily gay, the area is friendly to all. My Brooks Brothers clad , attorney , married brother lived there for years.

JD

Hi Jeanne. I work in Chelsea and can confirm your suspicion that 23rd street will be the much noisier of the 2 locations, though it depends on the exact address. If I'm thinking of the same place (between 6th and 7th avenues?) , the 23rd street location is right next to a church that houses a homeless shelter and is a very busy block.
Both Mike and Tipper are correct in their assessments. Chelsea has been the prime gay neighborhood in Manhattan for some time, and hotels and B&Bs in the area are especially gay friendly.
It is also home to many new luxury apartment buildings, shops (especially on the far eastern and western edges of the neighborhood)

Howard

One correction on a previous posting. Chelsea is not that close to Soho. 23rd Street is more than a mile from there.

brian

I stay in a B&B on West 22nd street when I visit NY. Chelsea is a great area. I liked the fact that at the end of the block you can find grocery shops open 24 hours a day.... lots of interesting restaurants, cafes, bookshops...even a very reasonable priced launderette (22nd and 8th if my memory serves me well). Also, I think its quite convenient for the rest of Manhattan.

Beenie

Carol, no one is gay bashing on this thread.

Rhea

Jeanne:
The Inn on 23rd is very charming. I checked it out for future stays for our clients as our business is on West 26 St.
Many nice restaurants in the area & you will be convenient to the 6, 7 & 8th Ave subway lines. Enjoy your stay & e-mail directly if you need more specifics.

Philip

There's a Krispy Kreme on 23rd between 7th and 8th Avenue. What more could you want out of life?

Many wonderful restaurants on 8th Avenue. Lots of nice shops in the teens between 6th & 8th avenues.

But as others have said, 23rd Street is a major street with traffic flowing both ways, so it's going to be noiser.

Jeanne

Thanks for the tips. This should be a fun trip for us. There are so many things we enjoy doing while we're in New York, including eating, walking, shopping, looking at art, seeing a play or two, eating, walking, etc.--but after a while I begin to run out of gas (so to speak). Other than taking a nap, do you have any suggestions for relaxing in the city in November?

Howard

Chelsea may be the best location in the city for walking. Many, many sites and areas are within walking distance--from Soho to Central Park.

Jeanne

Howard,
It's always such a treat to have you answer one of my questions. We enjoyed Soho so much on our last visit that we decided to be even more adventurous this time and try a new neighborhood. The Inn on 23rd seems to get good reports from everyone. Do you think it would be a good base to travel from? It appears to be on the outer edge of Chelsea. Would you advise staying here? It would be our first time at a B&B in New York. Since we'll be in town for a week, we wanted to keep costs down to the low $200 range and the continental breakfast helps save some money.

xx

Please don't base your hotel/inn choice on whether or not you can get a continental breakfast!
You can get juice and a muffin for about $3 person, coffee for a buck more at almost any deli. Yu can also have cooked breakfast --eggs, bacon, toast coffee juice--in diners (in non touristy areas--not Times Square) for about $6 per person, incl tax and tip

Howard

I think it's a great idea to stay in that area and get the feel of a New York City neighborhood. And, Chelsea is certainly one of the most interesting ones in NYC. I don't know if I'd recommend it for a first-time visitor, but it should be great for a veteran like you! And, as I wrote already, it's one of the most convenient areas in the city.

Elizabeth

Most of the most important contemporary art galleries of New YOrk are in Chelsea--look at the New Yorker for listings.

Chelsea Market (sorry I don't have the address) is a place you might enjoy wandering around in, food, flowers, etc.

And: Tipper is wrong enough to be suspected of "bashing," or coming from a negative place about gays: yes, Chelsea is a place in Manhattan with a concentration of gay men and gay-friendly businesses, along with everyother kind of person and business; but the East Village isn't, though it's cheerfully hospitable to every kind of person and lifestyle creation has thought up. So Tipper posts from ignorance & probable bias, and this may not be the first time these two attributes have ever appeared together.