Chelsea: the white-box galleries and the river
Free contemporary art in the old warehouses, then out to the Hudson for the sunset. This is a Claude-drafted route awaiting the editor's walk.

1. The Chelsea Hotel
The red-brick pile on West 23rd with the iron balconies — Dylan Thomas, Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen's 'Chelsea Hotel No. 2'. It's a working hotel again after a long refurbishment, so the lobby's worth a glance, but the building is the point from the pavement.

2. West Chelsea galleries
The blocks of 20th to 24th between Tenth and Eleventh are the densest gallery quarter in the world — Gagosian, David Zwirner, Pace, and dozens of smaller white-box rooms. Entry is free and nobody minds if you just look. Tuesday to Saturday; most are shut Sunday and Monday.

3. Chelsea Market
The old Nabisco factory where the Oreo was invented, now a brick food hall running a full block. Loud, packed at lunch, genuinely good — push through to the far end where it spills toward the river. You can also just buy a coffee and keep walking.

4. Hudson River Park lawns at Pier 64
The grass piers between 22nd and 26th — sunbathers, dog-walkers, the New Jersey skyline across the water. Pick a spot on the lawn and stay. This is where the walk slows down.

5. Pier 62 & the carousel
Part of the Chelsea Piers stretch — a hand-carved carousel, a skate park, the marina full of masts. The kayakers launch from the boathouse nearby on summer weekends, free if you're willing to queue.

6. Pier 57 rooftop
The old bus depot reborn with a free public rooftop park looking straight down the Hudson. Climb up near the end of the afternoon; the sun goes down over Jersey and the whole river turns gold. Then the 14th Street trains are a short walk back.

Chelsea: the white-box galleries and the river