Self-Guided Chelsea Walking Tour
Welcome to Chelsea! This NYC neighborhood is known for its art galleries, delicious eateries, and elevated park. This is one of my favorite areas in New York and I often find myself exploring this neighborhood on the weekends. Honestly, if I could actually afford an apartment in this neighborhood I’d move there in a heartbeat.
But for now, I’ll spend my time sipping coffee and exploring all this neighborhood has to offer and just pretending I live here. If you are like me and are infatuated with the Chelsea neighborhood, keep reading. I’ve created a Chelsea walking tour that covers the highlights of this district. I don’t know about you, but I love taking self-guided walking tours. Every time I go on a trip, I search Pinterest for self-guided tours created by other bloggers. I’ve created a few other walking tours (including this Central Park walking tour) and I always love piecing together the best parts of a neighborhood. This is a great way to get exercise, learn some fun facts, and try the best food in an area. What could be better?
To get started, make your way to the 14th Street Station. Our first stop (surprise, surprise) is at a doughnut shop. Bring your appetite and let’s get going!
Self-Guided Chelsea Walking Tour
Start: 14th Street Station
Our tour technically begins at Donut Pub, so if you are staying in the Chelsea area, just make your way there. To get here from the subway, you can take the 1,2, F, M, or L train to the 14th St/6th Ave station or the A, C, E, or L train to the 14th St/8th Ave station.
If you get out at the 14th/8th Ave station, walk 3 minutes towards 7th Ave to reach Donut Pub.
Or, if you get out at the 14th St/6th Ave station, walk 1 minute along 14th street towards 7th Ave.
Stop 1: The Donut Pub
Ok, are we all here! You’ve made it to my favorite doughnut shop in NYC: The Donut Pub. This NYC doughnut institution opened its doors in 1964 and has been serving delicious old-school doughnuts ever since. This spot is open 24-hours, so if you want to come back again later I totally get it!
Grab a doughnut (or a dozen), order an iced coffee, and enjoy the retro feel of the shop. Feel free to enjoy your treats at the counter or keep moving to our next stop.
From here, we are heading to the Rubin Museum of Art. Leave Donut Pub and walk towards 7th Ave. Turn left on 7th Ave. Walk a few minutes until you reach 17th St. Turn right on 17th St. and you will soon see the museum.
Stop 2: Rubin Museum of Art
The Rubin Museum of Art is a unique museum that features a collection of Tibetan and Himalayan art and artifacts. It was established by Donald and Shelley Rubin in 2004, who started their collection in 1974. Here you can see over 1,000 pieces, including textiles, art, and jewelry, on display. The museum is located in a former Barney’s New York building, which closed due to bankruptcy. Although most of the building was remodeled so it could work as a museum, the original 6-story spiral staircase was left intact.
Check out the museum now if you are interested, or come back on a Friday night to get in for free. Every Friday from 6:00–10:00 pm, the Rubin Museum is completely free. This free night also features a live DJ and happy hour from 6-7pm.
From the museum, head back to 7th ave. Make your way to W 20th street and turn right. You will soon find yourself at our next stop, Kleinfeld Bridal.
Stop 3: Kleinfeld Bridal
Say Yes to the Dress fans will recognize this immediately. This bridal shop was the setting for TLC’s hit show and is still a popular spot with brides today. Unless you have a bridal appointment, you won’t really be able to explore the shop. You can take a picture outside or quickly step into the lobby to get a glimpse. In case you were wondering, the average price spent by Kleinfeld brides is $4,500.
After you’ve taken your pictures and looked for Randy, head back to 7th Ave and turn right. Keep walking until you reach W 23rd Street. Then turn left. We are looking for a massive red building.
Stop 4: Hotel Chelsea
222 West 23rd Street
Once you find the large Hotel Chelsea, pause and take it in. It isn’t in all of its glory right now, but this 250-unit building holds a lot of history. This building was constructed between 1883 and 1885 and has been the residence of many writers, musicians, and artists over the years. Arthur C. Clarke wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey from a room in the Hotel Chelsea. Madonna, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Ethan Hawke, and countless other celebrities have stayed or lived in this hotel. Some survivors of the Titanic even stayed here as it was close to the pier where the Titanic was intended to dock (Pier 59). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
The Hotel Chelsea is currently undergoing renovations and is set to reopen soon. Unfortunately, they are no longer accepting new long-term residents. Bummer.
Oh well, let’s keep going. Head on W 23rd towards 8th Ave. Turn left on 8th Ave. Walk until you reach W 21st St.
Stop 5: Albert Einstein We Love NY Squared Mural
W 21st St & 8th Ave
Check out this colorful and funky mural of Albert Einstein. It was created by the Brazilian street artist Eduardo Kobra. Kobra created murals all around NYC as part of his Colors of Liberty series. The artist said the inspiration behind the project was to “portray people who have influenced the world with their gestures of peace.”
Once you’re ready, keep going to our next stop. Don’t worry, we will get to see another Kobra mural a bit later in our Chelsea walking tour!
From the mural, stay on 8th Ave and walk down. Around 16th Street, you will see the large Google building, which is our next stop.
Stop 6: Google Offices
Ok, take a minute to appreciate that this office building takes up an entire block. Yes, this building contains almost 2.9 million square feet of usable office space. Google purchased this building in 2011 and has put it to good use ever since.
There isn’t much else I want to point out here but we are very close to the next stop! Make your way on 15th St to 9th Ave. Turn right on 9th Ave until you see the Starbucks Reserve Roastery.
Stop 7: Starbucks Reserve Roastery
You are about to have one of the best coffee experiences of your life. I know, it’s Starbucks, but you have to at least step in this building. I promise it won’t be like any other Starbucks you’ve seen before. Well, unless you’ve been to the Reserve Roaster in Seattle.
The NYC Roastery opened in December 2018. (Yes, I went opening weekend). The Roastery features two coffee bars, an actual bar, and a Princi Bakery counter. The building is 3-levels so take your time exploring the space. The baristas are all very friendly and happy to help you navigate the menu, which is pretty different than a traditional Starbucks menu. Order a drink, find a seat, and enjoy the space for a while.
You can actually see our next stop from the Roastery. Just cross 15th Street and enter the Chelsea Market.
Stop 8: Chelsea Market
The Chelsea Market is a shopping complex where you will find boutiques, restaurants, and cafes. The top floors are used for TV and film production studios. Fun fact, this building was constructed in the 1890s and was originally used as the Nabisco Biscuit Company factory. The Oreo was invented in this factory!
If you are hungry, this is a great place to be. A few of my favorite eateries in the market are:
- Los Tacos No 1– cheap and delicious Mexican taco shop that always has a line (but is well worth the wait)
- Num Pang– a sandwich shop specializing in Southeast Asian cuisine
- Amy’s Bread– popular bakery serving pastries, cookies, and coffee
- Morimoto– this is more of a splurge but the Iron Chef’s restaurant is a great place for creative Japanese cooking
After enjoying the market, head back outside to continue our Chelsea walking tour. We are going to take a stroll on the High Line next! You can enter the High Line from steps or an elevator at 16th St and 10th Ave.
Stop 9: The High Line
There are some great parks in NYC but the High Line is by far one of my favorites. It’s just cool. This elevated park opened in 2009 on the renovated site of a New York Central Railroad spur. The park is dotted with wooden lounge chairs, bars, food carts, and pop-up shops. Plus there is plenty of green space along the way.
The park stretches for almost 1.5 miles. You can walk uptown along the High Line to each Hudson Yards, where you will find the new Vessel structure. For this tour, we are going to head downtown. Walk almost 0.5 miles downtown until you reach the Gansevoort and Washington St. exit.
Stop 10: The Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney is an American art museum that was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney. The museum has been in a few different locations over the years and moved to its current spot in 2015. The permanent collection contains works by notable artists like Georgia O’Keeffe and Edward Hopper. Every two years, the museum hosts the Whitney Biennial where they feature works by international and lesser-known artists who are new to the American-art scene.
Check out the museum now, or come back on a Friday night from 7-9:30 pm for their pay-what-you-wish night. There will be a long line, so don’t be deterred by that. Wait it out or just skip the museum and head to the nearby Ample Hills Creamery. Your call.
This is a great place to end our Chelsea walking tour! But if you want more, you can head back on the High Line and walk uptown. If you want, you can walk all the way to the end at Hudson Yards. Along the way, you will see the other Kobra mural I mentioned earlier. This mural features Gandhi and Mother Teresa and is one of my favorites. Hudson Yards is still being developed but this area is home to the Vessel, the Shed (a performance space), shops, restaurants, and El Mercado Little Spain (José Andrés’s Spanish food hall).
I hope you enjoyed this self-guided Chelsea walking tour! If you are looking for more check out these posts:
How to Score Cheap Broadway Tickets
You Complete Guide to Governor’s Island
If you liked this post, feel free to share it or pin it!
