Chelsea

Chelsea by the Hudson. It’s been compated to L.A. in a recent writeup, and I’m not sure if I agree. The rationale had something to do with gym culture, being by the water, being friendly and buff and…fake? Or maybe the fact that the neighborhood is run by the art world, by poseurs and trendiness abounding in juxtaposition with the garden shops and cute 8^th Ave restaurants. But, all that said, Chelsea is hot—whether it be because of the leather-clad, muscle popping men or the thriving art scene or some other unnamed factor, Chelsea is definitely on the rise.

Some of the poshest dives in the city have opened up in Chelsea in recent years--from Amy Sacco’s Lot 61 and the B Bar boys’ Park Bar, to the soon to be opened, members and keys only Bungalow 8, named after artist Jeremy Blake’s liquid loops of colorful grids and California noir. Could this be the cause of all the chaos?

Other factors would point to the negative, and instead to the veritable neighborhood appeal of Chelsea. There are flowers everywhere that give it the nickname of flower town and the true appearance of a place, much like the West Village, where people really care about what their houses look like and what their neighbors think of them. I recently walked for a few blocks with a Chelsea resident who spoke in funny half-gasps about his fellow 22^nd Street residents—musing over who had a bidet in the bathroom, who was an S&M exhibitionist couple (he’d seen it through the windows, evidently), and who was an aging rockstar who’d just moved out and left an unsightly studio that no one wanted to move into.

And that, to be frank, is often the Chelsea norm. If you move into the neighborhood, you have better be ready to put your best foot forward, to acquiesce to neighbor criticism at all costs. There are definitely block alliances (though sadly, no block parties) here, and the people next door will report your ass if they think you window box isn’t in keeping with the overall “aesthetic. That said, this attitude is more of a fortifying backbone than something that drives neighbor against neighbor with chainsaw or everyday gardening shears—it seems that the residents of Chelsea really do like each other, which you’ll see in the warm smiles they throw each other from their well-kept stoops or delicately decorated windows.

SPREAD THE WORD TO YOUR FRIENDS.
This is how deals are done in every aspect of real estate except for residential rentals. We are trying to change it and we need your help to Spread The Word.

Sincerely
David Drake
President