NYC Cool — Hell’s Kitchen
An Iconic Neighborhood that Serves Great Food with History Lessons
Image by Megan Bucknall from Unsplash
Tucked between the Hudson River, Broadway theaters, the Garment District, and Times Square lies a place-to-be Manhattan neighborhood called Hell’s Kitchen. The area refers to an historic NYC neighborhood located between 34th and 59th Streets that can be best understood when seen through various lenses. The Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood is a product of a long history as a gritty, turn-of-the century slum that was populated mostly by impoverished Irish immigrants who lived in tenements and worked in stifling, dangerous, high-pressure factories. Since the 1970’s however, Hell’s Kitchen has become a focal point for city-funding, has been transformed by gentrification by young professionals, and with the opening of The Actor’s Studio in 1947, Hell’s Kitchen is now a center for aspiring singers, dancers, actors, designers, writers, visual artists, chefs, local diners, and NYC visitors.
The Hell’s Kitchen Vibe
The name Hell’s Kitchen is attributed to a long history of poverty and crime, that when coupled with folklore, made the neighborhood a metaphor for an area so dangerous that even gangsters and thieves weren’t up to the task of inhabiting such a Hell’s Kitchen. While it’s true that the neighborhood was a dangerous place to live through the early 1980s, today’s Hell’s Kitchen features a world-class Restaurant Row on West 46th Street, it has become a destination for moderately-priced, terrific food for theater-goers and college students, and Ninth Avenue has emerged as a NYC center for the L.G.B.T.Q. community. With the city’s popular Hudson River trails to the West, The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, its art-filled pedestrian streets, and it’s welcoming and lively night scene, Hell’s Kitchen is a mix of old and new, grit and sophistication, business and art, and great food at all price-points.
Things To Do in Hell’s Kitchen
Hell’s Kitchen offers so much! Beautiful trails, parks, great shopping and art galleries, coffee shops, gelato, all-night waffles, gelato, crepes & falafel stands, and great great restaurants. A few suggestions on things to do:
Hudson River Park: Walking & biking trails with skyline and river views.
DeWitt Clinton Park: Green space & playgrounds for frisbee and picnics.
Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum: Space & sea exploration.
The Irish Arts Center: Irish-immigrant history & culture.
Drama Book Shop: Books, scripts and art.
Restaurants/Diners/Cafes: Click HERE for Fall 2022 recommendations.
Hell’s Kitchen is a colorful, historically-significant neighborhood on the west side of mid-town Manhattan. With parks, water, galleries, museums, shops and eateries galore, consider some time in this New York City gem.