High Line 28 Block Association
Stay informed about happenings in and around West Chelsea & Hudson Yards.
Hotel Chelsea might be the coolest
This place kind of has it all.
This place very well may be the coolest place on the west side and you don’t have to be staying at the hotel to appreciate that. Where the rich and famous creatives and artists (Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol Patti Smith) used to hang out, the Hotel Chelsea was “reimagined” recently to upgrade the shabby elegance or studied carelessness (the Italians might call “sprezzatura”) which basically means it looks amazing but kind of accidentally.
A vibe if you want to do anything from sit in the lobby with your laptop (occasionally people-watching) to drinking while feeling like you’re in a movie to impressing someone sitting across from you with your impeccable taste (without trying too hard of course).
Somehow also has a spa with a Swedish sauna, aromatic steam rooms, rain showers (https://hotelchelsea.com/wellness/spa).
Buddha now greeting us on 30th & 10th
The pigeon has been replaced.
The pigeon has officially been replaced (long live the pigeon)! The pigeon was called the “The Dinosaur” by the way (https://www.thehighline.org/art/projects/ivan-argote/) in a bout of misbranding that rivaled calling the movie about Facebook “The Social Network” rather than just the “The Facebook Movie.” Intellectual property lawyers can post me in the comments.
The Buddha’s official name is the The Light That Shines Through the Universe—and it is the fifth installment in that spot after the lady, the plane, the pink tree, and the pigeon (these are not the official names but they are how I remember them). Crafted by Vietnamese artist Tuan Andrew Nguyen, the sculpture pays homage to the Bamiyan Buddhas, two 6th-century colossal statues in Afghanistan that were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001.
Reincarnation and radical acceptance might be two of the secrets to happiness, and if that is right, happy to have this installation around our neighborhood.
Wine Shop by Death Ave does tastings every Thursday
This place is a real hidden gem.
The fact of the matter is that Wine Shop by Death Ave is an absolute hidden he most hidden gem wine shop in the city. Managed by the disarming, approachable, and supremely knowledgeable Manny—I predict that you will walk in here, get a recommendation from Manny given that he’s tried and has opinions on literally everything in the store, and walk out with something you’ve never had before and a little story about the wine for whoever you’re drinking it with. This place is great for a gift because the wines are quirky and unusual—and Manny will let you walk out with the tags on the wine, which gives a fun little description of what your giftee is about to drink. Love that this place is on our block.
Weed shop called “Poppin” opening up on 28th & 10th
Back to a weed shop. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Since I’ve lived in West Chelsea, the little storefront right next to Death Ave has been at least a lobster roll place and a weed place—and I think it’s been vacant for a while now. The more things change, the more things stay the same, and the storefront is going back to its roots as a weed shop called “Poppin,” a licensed dispensary. They’re going for a guerilla marketing vibe on Instagram (though I can’t figure out how to link reels) and sell the usual cannabis products like gummies, vapes, etc.
The Yanomami Struggle art exhibition showing at the shed through April 16.
Indigenous people to the Amazon rainforest.
The Yanomami Struggle is showing at The Shed through April 16. The NYT has written about it. The Yanomami People a group of approximately 35,000 indigenous people who live in villages in the Amazon rainforest, and Claudia Andujar is a renowned photographer. The exhibition shows Andujar’s photographs of the Yanomami and native Yanomami art pieces collected by Andujar over five decades.
The purpose is to show a vision of Yanomami culture, society, and visual art. It looks like tickets are $10 and include a tour.
Are we getting a boutique wine shop on 28th & 10th?
Sign spotted on the Death Ave window.
Based solely on this fancy sign posted on the Death Ave window, we may be getting a “boutique wine shop” on the corner of 28th & 10th. Let me know if anyone has information on this that we can share with the block.
Sex and the City reboot filming on our block on February 13.
“And Just Like That” on HBO Max.
“And Just Like That,” the reboot to Sex and the City, is filming on our block on February 13 (sources say that “NCP” is the code name for the reboot). It is in its second season on HBO Max. Filming as usual at an extremely early time in the morning.
Hudson Loud opens on 28th & 10th.
Weed shop opens on our block.
A smoke shop called “Hudson Loud” opened a little while ago on the corner of 28th & 10th, right next to Death Ave (where Luke’s Lobster used to be). By smoke shop I mean that it sells marijuana and CBD things like bongs, pipes, gummies, etc. The first legal marijuana dispensary opened in NYC in December 2022, and so I believe that this is one of the many less-than-sanctioned shops that popped up around the city since the state legalized marijuana in March 2021.
New staircase to the High Line under construction.
Did we need a new staircase?
We are getting a new staircase up to the High Line on the southwest corner of 28th & 10th, right where Il Piccolo’s heated patio used to be.
I suppose the problem with living on a block for too long is that you start becoming resistant to change, so my feeling on the new staircase must be evidence that I’ve been here for too long. Sure our existing staircase to the High Line (top right) looks a little like the entrance to a dungeon, but that’s our entrance to a dungeon!
The signs posted outside say that construction is anticipated to be complete by this Spring, but that strikes me as extremely ambitious. It’s also not clear to me what is going behind the brick wall in the rendering, but I will update here to the extent I find out more.