Coming out of the closet is never an easy feat for the Gay population. Living a life that truly embodies your genuine essence and self-realization from the former Straight lifestyle is an enormous achievement. But when exactly has this happened not to just a person, but to a neighborhood? Chelsea, New York City was not always Gay.
She has gone through many faces, many styles, and has not always had the eclectic locale she embodies nowadays. She was theoretically straight at one time in her evolution from plain old Chelsea, to the fabulous Chelsea, New York City.
Chelsea dates back to 1750 where Thomas Clarke, a retired soldier who was looking for a quiet secluded place to settle down the last half of his life, first discovered her. “Dead as Chelsea” was an old saying amongst the soldiers back in the 1700’s, and because Clarke settled down three miles away from where New York City was originally sprawling, he felt this land was quiet and “dead” thus giving birth to the area we now know as Chelsea.
Chelsea Introduced and welcomed many artist to inspiration and achievement in their work throughout the years. Novels, such as “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” by Clement C. Moore, were written during time spent in Chelsea. Brownstones and immigrants started to be introduced to the area during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s as Irish, and Italians moved into their new homes. The Chelsea hotel was constructed in 1883 and became more renowned during the 1960’s and 1970’s giving temporary homes to artists like Bob Dylan and Andy Warhol.
Chelsea started to go through a dark phase where people considered her dangerous and unsuitable for safe living conditions. Ken, a Chelsea inhabitant tells us that; “Chelsea was known as the projects. The West Village however was very Gay.” The people living in Chelsea now say she came out of the closet around 1995. The people who live in Chelsea now describe her as “friendly”, “seen and be seen”, “eclectic”, and nonetheless “fabulous”. Chelsea has always been a home to the rich texture of people that evoke the true essence of who she is as a neighborhood. Nationalities from all over the world call Chelsea their home. Chelsea is now home to 137,155 people from every race, ethnicity, age, and sexuality you can name. It has truly become a melting pot of people that say she is “A lovely place” Alex, a restaurant owner tells us.
This unique area of Chelsea is also home to five of New York City’s parks including the well-known High Line which gives many New Yorkers as well as tourists a grand city view walk along the old west side train tracks. Chelsea also has the running, biking, and rollerblading paths on the west side that gives New Yorkers a place to exercise in the warm months as well as relaxing on the grass that covers the Chelsea Piers.
Chelsea also cares about the children that live in her vicinity and brings in over five grade schools from public to private. It seems that Chelsea can balance the trendy feeling and the family feeling of the neighborhood. On the other hand, some people say Chelsea has lost much of its shine over the years. Pat, a native of Chelsea recalls Chelsea as being “A family neighborhood with many Irish and Italian families. It is no longer a family neighborhood though. It has become too trendy.”
Although Chelsea was straight at a time in her life, before the Gay population migrated its way from the West Village north, she has always held a friendly artistic “be who you want to be” type of feeling to all who visit, live, and work in this fabulous neighborhood. Chelsea has only been Gay now for fifteen years, but all who live here see no sign of that changing. She will always be Gay, and she will always be Chelsea.