Chelsea Market, New York City

Great fresh food market in heart of Manhattan's meat packing district. Crazy variety of edible options and people watching opportunities. Food on the pricey side and tourists have really caught on, making it quite dense on the weekends. Overall a highly encouraged NYC experience. Worth checking out.

This place was so much fun and had so many options we had to go back twice. The first time we arrived right at lunch time and it was so packed we could barely walk around. I suggest heading here a little before or after its busiest times. There are many great options for food from around the world. Everyone in your group should be able to find something they like. It can be difficult to get a seat to eat, people are sitting on the stairs and standing at the wall to finish their meals.

As a middle-aged woman I realize I'm probably the only one to say this, but I do not like Chelsea Market. Maybe because it's full of middle-aged female tourists who are there because their middle-aged girlfriends told them to go. It's a place to take your picture to prove to said girlfriends that you went. It's crowded and doesn't really have anything you can't find anywhere else. The reason for the 2 stars is because it does have a yummy taco place if you don't mind the long wait.

This is basically a giant foodie/tourist trap with Office Space and high-end bakeries butchers and restaurants. If you want good food,nice meat selection and don't mind paying tourist attraction prices in New York City this is the place you want to go. It's usually very crowded but if you go in there in the morning on the weekdays when they first open you'll be able to have some room to breathe. If you come to this place looking for the bathroom there's always a line this dream ends rooms and one giant women's restroom. If you're a native New Yorker this is just something you do once to get it off your bucket list unless you live in or work in the area

Celebrating it's 20th Anniversary this year, this renovated and converted manufacturing building on the edge of the Meat Packing District has been reviewed and photographed by hundreds if not thousands of people. That being said, a great time to visit (but not really shop) is in the hour before the doors get locked. It's quiet, you can take photographs, but more importantly you can soak up the history and "vibe" of this landmark building in peace.