The seasons are quickly changing now that 4 p.m. with daylight savings time looks pitch black. It’s cold and windy in New York City, but that doesn’t mean you have to hibernate.
Here’s a unique, hidden gem in New York City that makes winter feel… well, less miserable.
Leave the house and take a walk through the historic Meatpacking District into New York City’s Chelsea Market.
And get ready to eat! There are over 50 shops inside Chelsea Market — a hideaway from Times Square to spend an entire afternoon wandering around.
Here are some spots to check out inside:
The market showcases produce unique to New York City, which seems like an oxymoron for this concrete jungle, and yet, you’ll be surprised.
Most of the spots sell local goods, supporting family-owned business and budding entrepreneurs.
My friend met me at the entrance to the Chelsea market on a quiet Sunday; it’s on 10th ave, between 15th and 16th street.
One of the doors leading into the market has an Anthropologie store to its left, and Google is across the street. These business references are just to give you quick directions on how to find the market.
When we walked in, immediately there’s this buzzing energy inside; people are ready to see the delicacies of produce, food, and crafts Chelsea Market offers.
My first stop is for coffee and a bagel to keep me awake while I go from shop to shop.
The bagels are reasonably priced, which I wouldn’t have expected for a bustling market.
Look at this rainbow bagel.
It’s a creative concoction and looks more like artwork than something edible. It appears too elaborate to eat, but the staff behind the counter tell me it’s just a plain bagel, with eye-catching colors.
I skip the bagel with dye and go for a classic cinnamon bagel.
Now that there’s enough caffeine in my system, our first stop is the seafood market, “the Lobster Place,” which is an old staple.
It’s been in this spot since 1974. It brings some good history and familiarity to the market and is known as a local favorite.
This seafood spot is eye-catching and compelling because you don’t see a lot of products like this in a neighborhood bodega. It takes a little bit more searching to find specialty markets in NYC, and yet this one is a convenient find.
Most of the stuff is local to the New York area, though there are some imports from around the country.
Those working behind the counter are friendly, which is a more inviting experience.
They’re eager to tell us about some of the seafood offerings, especially the sea urchins!
The spikes look hard to work with, but he’s an expert. Despite its prickly, unappetizing appearance, sea urchins are a delicacy for foodies around the world, and a commodity, especially in Japan.
That’s some unexpected cuisine for you; here’s a video of him cutting up the sea urchin.
To prepare the sea urchin, “gut it,” to add it on top of buttered, toasted bread.
While the market wasn’t preparing dishes with sea urchins, there’s a counter inside that seafood market cooking up lobsters for lunch. It seems popular, with long line and extensive wait.
Another speciality inside the market: herbs for tea and spices from around the world for special cooking.
The colors are especially photogenic, and all the different smells would be difficult to find anywhere else.
The spices and herbs are curated from all around the world, brought right into Chelsea Market.
There’s at least 30 varieties of homemade spice blends with 18 different peppers and 13 types of gourmet salt. There are that many choices with pepper and salt, and the staff behind the counter give you time to smell and sample the spices. There’s a lot to taste here.
It’s hard to tell from looking at this compact spot, but “Spices and Tease” (clever name) carries more than 175 imported teas.
The most popular imports being green Japanese bancha, the South American Yerba Mate, the Chinese Black Oolong and White Bai Hao Yinzhen. There’s also more recognizable blends like strawberry cardamom, dark chocolate orange, and green jasmine.
An informal tasting is an easy weekend activity with friends. And maybe some hot tea is more of a winter treat.
The spot is smaller than Pike Place in Seattle, which is a grander public market with more offerings.
We pass through by some of the other shops:
- Amy’s Bread
- Bowery Kitchen Supply
- Chelsea Market Baskets
- Chelsea Wine Vault
- Dickson’s farmstand and meats
- Fat Witch Bakery
- Manhattan Fruit Market
If you’re looking for a good break and a short walk, this is a nice spot to be.
Or, maybe you just want to find some inspiration for dinner. Chelsea Market brings you cozy winter options.
