The High Line’s getting heaps of hype, but as Brooke Welsch, TONY’s senior marketing and events manager, tells us, there’s plenty more to love about its’hood. “There’s always something exciting to explore, whether it’s a neighborhood mainstay or a pop-up installation,” she says. “Within steps of my apartment there’s everything from art galleries and gourmet food shops to a dog park and clubs.”
Check out her favorite spots after the jump.
Her favorite restaurants:
The John Dory 85 Tenth Ave between 15th and 16th Sts (212-929-4948, thejohndory.com) “Opened by Ken Friedman and chef April Bloomfield of the Spotted Pig, the John Dory is a West Chelsea destination for great seafood. Though sometimes I just stop by for a glass of wine.”
Cookshop 156 Tenth Ave at 20th St (212-924-4440, cookshopny.com) “The farm-to-table menu is a tribute to some of the freshest sustainable ingredients from independent local farms. I especially love the restaurant’s brunch; it makes a killer Bloody Mary and always has delicious offerings like the Cookshop scramble with smoked salmon and the all-natural beef brisket with poached eggs.”
Co. 230 Ninth Ave at 24th St (212-243-1105) “As a die-hard pizza lover, I was thrilled when Co. opened. Find me here late night stuffing my face with delicious thin-crust pizzas.”
Her favorite shops
Chelsea Market 75 Ninth Ave at 16th St (chelseamarket.com) “It’s a one-stop shopping destination for neighborhood gourmands and is also the home of the Food Network. Some of my favorite shops include Buon Italia, which has a yummy lunch counter offering home-cooked Italian specialties, Fat Witch Bakery, Amy’s Bread, Ronnybrook Dairy, Sarabeth’s Kitchen, L’arte del Gelato, Dickson’s Farmstand Meats, the Lobster Place, Ninth Street Espresso and Manhattan Fruit Exchange. Hmm, that’s almost the entire tenant list…”
Scoop It Up 430 W 14th St between Ninth Ave and Washington St (212-691-1926) “I’m a longtime fan of Scoop NYC and its “ultimate closet” concept. It wasn’t until I moved to Chelsea that I discovered its small sister store, Scoop It Up, which offers apparel, accessories and footwear from all my favorite designers at sale prices. It’s like a sample sale every day here with huge markdowns on the items that have just been taken off the racks at Scoop NYC next door.”
Appellation Wine & Spirits 156 Tenth Ave at 19th St (212-741-9474, appellationnyc.com) “The store focuses on producers who make organic and biodynamic wine, and each week they host free wine-tasting events highlighting their favorite vineyards. The staff is so friendly and enthusiastic here that it makes learning fun.”
