New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [42]
Chelsea Piers.
This sports-and-entertainment complex along the Hudson River between 17th and 23rd streets (entrance on 23rd), a phenomenal example of adaptive reuse, is the size of four 80-story buildings lying flat. There’s pretty much every kind of sports activity going on inside and out, from golf to ice-skating, rock climbing, soccer, bowling, gymnastics, and basketball. Plus there’s a spa, elite sport-specific training, film studios, and a brewery. It’s the jumping-off point for some of the city’s varied water tours and dinner cruises. Trips on the river via private yacht can be arranged by Surfside 3 Marinemax Marina (212/336–7873). Lunch cruises, dinner cruises, and cabaret sails can be reserved on Bateaux New York or Spirit of New York, which both leave from Pier 62 (866/211–3805). Sophisticated themed cruises on the retro-designed schooner Adirondack, and the yacht Manhattan leave from Pier 62 through Classic Harbor Line (646/336–5270). | Piers 59–62 on Hudson River from 17th to 23rd Sts.; entrance at 23rd St., Chelsea | 10011 | 212/336–6666 | www.chelseapiers.com | Subway: C, E to 23rd St.
DID YOU KNOW?: The Titanic was scheduled to arrive at Chelsea Piers on April 16, 1912. Fate intervened and the “unsinkable” ship struck an iceberg on April 14 and went down. Of the 2,200 passengers aboard, 675 were rescued by the Cunard liner Carpathia, which arrived at Chelsea Piers eight days later. Check out Chelsea Piers’ historical photos on the wall between piers 60 and 61.
Cushman Row.
Built in 1840, this string of homes between 9th and 10th avenues represents some of the country’s most perfect examples of Greek Revival row houses. Original details include small wreath-encircled attic windows, deeply recessed doorways with brownstone frames, and striking iron balustrades and fences. Note the pineapples, a traditional symbol of welcome, on top of the black iron newels in front of No. 416. | 406–418 W. 20th St., between 9th and 10th Aves., Chelsea | 10011 | Subway: C, E to 23rd St.
Fodor’s Choice | The High Line.
Once a 1.5-mi elevated railroad track carrying freight trains, this space is now being transformed into Manhattan’s newest green retreat in the spirit of Paris’s Promenade Plantée. A long “walking park” with benches, public art installations, and views of the Hudson River and the Manhattan skyline, the High Line is set above the streets in West Chelsea and the West Village. Reclining chaise longues that roll along the track give it a playful air. The first section between Gansevoort and West 20th streets opened in 2009, and at this writing the second section was slated for a spring 2011 opening; doubling the length of the park by extending it up to West 30th Street, with scattered access points. The final section of the High Line, between West 30th and West 34th streets at the West Side Rail Yards, is privately owned and has not yet been secured for park use. Future plans include water features, children’s attractions, viewing platforms, sundecks, and performance areas. Check the Web site for announcements and openings. | 10th Ave. from Gansevoort St. to 30th St., Meatpacking District | 10011 | www.thehighline.org | Subway: L to 8th Ave.; 1, 2, 3 to 14th St. and 7th Ave.; A, C, E to 14th St. and 8th Ave.
GALLERIES IN CHELSEA
CHELSEA GALLERIES 101
Good art, bad art, edgy art, downright disturbing art—it’s all here waiting to please and provoke in the contemporary art capital of the world. For the uninitiated, the concentration of nearly 300 galleries