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Clement Moore, author of A Visit from St. Nicholas , developed this land in the 1830s. The finest of the townhouses built here are the seven known as “Cushman Row,” Nos. 406–18 West 20th Street, which are among the city’s best examples of Greek Revival architecture. Houses at Nos. 446–50 West 20th are in the Italianate style, for which Chelsea is also known.

Seedy it is, yet there’s a definite mystique to this 1884 building bedecked with wrought-iron balconies. Once a fancy apartment, it became a hotel favored by musicians, artists, and writers. Former guests, commemorated on brass plaques outside, include Tennessee Williams, Mark Twain, Jack Kerouac, and Brendan Behan. Dylan Thomas spent his last years here. Notoriously, it was also the place where punk rocker Sid Vicious killed his girlfriend Nancy Spungeon in 1978. Step into the lobby and take a look at the wild artwork, and soak up the ambience at the bar.

An excellent neighborhood lodging, close to Chelsea’s shops, flea markets, cafés, and galleries. Pleasantly furnished rooms are a decent size, with all the necessary amenities, and the bathrooms are new.

In 1924, a warehouse was converted into one of the first Off-Broadway theaters and showcased plays by the likes of Edward Albee, Eugene Ionesco, David Mamet, and Harold Pinter. Today, the “Cherry Lane Alternative” uses established playwrights to mentor talented newcomers.

Arthur became the 21st President when James Garfield was assassinated. George Edwin Bissell sculpted him in 1898, standing in front of an elaborate chair.

Founded in 1973, in a former school building, this is a museum dedicated to the principal that children learn best through self-discovery. It uses a variety of participatory activities and fantasy world environments to engage its young visitors in learning that is fun. The Tisch Building, as the museum is known, has been renovated in a $6.5 million expansion headed by the museum chairman, Laurie Tisch Sussman. The museum’s many activities include exhibits to intrigue older children, while Word Play is an enticing environment for newborns to four year olds.

Five floors of educational hands-on fun with exhibits like Body Odyssey, exploring a giant crawl-through body; Inventor Center, using scanners and digital images; and a TV studio where kids produce their own shows. Under-fours have their own play area.