The weather was not the best on my arrival in New York so I tried to find undercover things to do. Since I was staying in the Chelsea area, the Chelsea Market was an obvious choice.
The market place is huge. It is in the old National Biscuit Company building which takes up 2 entire city blocks, bordered by 15th and 16th streets and 9th and 11th avenues. It is here that the famous Oreo cookie was invented and first produced.
The building has retained the feeling of a factory and many industrial components have been retained and new ones added.
The 9th Avenue entrance.
If you enter through the other side, you walk through a narrow entrance filled with old photos of the factory.
The little boy on the yellow raincoat features in many of the advertisements for the biscuit company.
Once past the narrow entrance the space opens up and either side is lined with galleries, food shops, restaurants and many other good things. The industrial theme continues.
Even the ATMs are industrial strength.
In the centre there are open tables of spices for sale…filling the space with heavenly smells.
Through the impressive lit arches there are places to sit…a little hard, but interesting.
A little further on there is an interesting water feature.
…and a directory.
Opposite was my favourite place for coffee.
Here are some of the other great things on offer.
I really liked this glass topped table.
…and the lift. (elevator if you are American)
There is even a little bit of Australia, in the form of Tuck Shop, selling delicious pies and sausage rolls.
At the moment there is a photographic exhibition throughout the market featuring dogs, called Best in Show by Dolly Faibyshev.
I found another reference to the boy in the yellow raincoat.
The Chelsea Market is a great place to go for breakfast, coffee, lunch…or just to get out of the cold and rain on a winter day in New York.