Get on the NYC TV & Movie Tour with On Location Tours and have the opportunity to explore the neighborhood of Chelsea, located on the West Side of Manhattan. South of Hell’s Kitchen and the Garment District, and north of Greenwich Village and the Meatpacking District that centers on West 14th Street, this is a must-see site!
The neighborhood of Chelsea is primarily residential with a mix of tenements, apartment blocks, and rehabilitated warehousing, and its many businesses reflect that diversity: ethnic restaurants, delis and clothing boutiques are plentiful. Chelsea has also become the new center for art galleries in New York City. Most recently, Chelsea has grown into an alternative shopping destination with Barneys CO-OP, Comme Des Garcons, Balenciaga boutiques, in addition to the nearby Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney, and Christian Louboutin boutiques. Join us for the movie tour that not only allows you to tour and explore, but also shop till you drop!
On top of diversity and luxury, Chelsea’s nightlife also makes it an adventurous destination. The infamous 27th Street (AKA: “Club Row”) holds some of the cities most notorious clubs such as Marquee, Cain, Bungalow 8, Home, Guesthouse, Pink Elephant, and B.E.D (now closed). These nightclubs have become especially popular because of the celebrity sightings; Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Fergie, and many others are regulars at many of these clubs, making the guest list very exclusive. Many of these clubs have also been featured on popular TV shows and movies like Sex and the City and Gossip Girl.
Chelsea also enjoys a rich history in the film industry. It was considered an early center for the motion picture industry before World War I. Several of Mary Pickford’s first pictures were made on the top floors of an armory building on West 26th Street.
Chelsea Piers
One of the most entertaining and fun sites of Chelsea is Chelsea Piers, located at pier 62 of Manhattan. Burn off steam with indoor rock climbing walls, ice skating, bowling… or just relax and check out the spa. See the Silver Screen Studios used for Law & Order: Criminal Intent, studio D where the first four seasons of Spin City were filmed, and sites featured in The Apprentice.
Hotel Chelsea
Hotel Chelsea is a world-renowned residence for artists, musicians, writers, philosophers, and eccentric characters. It has a fascinating and unique history and culture, earning notoriety from events that range from President Chester A. Arthur dining with artist Charles Melville Dewey, to the alleged murder of Nancy Spungen by her boyfriend, Sex Pistols’ bassist, Sid Vicious.
The famous Law & Order series has filmed many scenes here, and the hotel has been the backdrop for a number of other films including9 ½ Weeks, Chelsea Girls, Chelsea Walls, and The Interpreter. The story of Nancy Spungen and Sid Vicious was made into a film, Sid and Nancy, which was filmed at the hotel.
Empire Diner
Not just any diner, but a railroad style diner! With its creative structure, no wonder it appears in numerous films and movies. Take a peek at the diner where Will Smith takes Rosario Dawson to in the alien-fighting movie Men in Black II and from scenes in Woody Allen’s Manhattan, as well as Igby Goes Down.
Chelsea Market
Food Network is located at Chelsea Market in New York City. Although they don’t offer studio tours, you might find this one-stop, NYC culinary food shop, gourmet lover’s wholesale-retail wonder world of interest. You could easily spend several hours in this gorgeous building checking out gourmet boutiques (wine cellar, cupcakes, Italian pasta, artisan cheeses, breads, fresh seafood, gelato, espresso, teas, etc.)
* In an effort to stay current, we are constantly updating our tours with new locations and cannot guarantee the presence of locations mentioned on our site. If you have a particular interest in locations from a specific TV show or movie, please let your tour guide know and we will do our best to accommodate your request.