Chelsea Market & Whitney Museum in NYC Before Long Island

 

I woke up in my room at the Hyatt Place Chelsea. It was my first full day in New York City, and I had a lot planned.

 

I began by finishing the massive chocolate cake from the previous night’s dinner at Hav & Mar. I then got dressed and ready to go to Chelsea Market.

 

When I first started planning my trip, Like A Local Tours* had approached me about taking one of their tours. The Chelsea one caught my eye and the idea of staying in this emerging neighborhood came about.

 

It was rainy so I didn’t want to ride my scooter down to the Chelsea Market. It was nice to be somewhere where there were accessible rides available. I took a Lyft and arrived before my cousin, Marissa.

 

The Like A Local Chelsea Market +Highlands + Yards Food & History Tour* had just started when I arrived. The group was in front of Fat Witch Bakery and the leader, Chris, got me one of the delicious brownies they were eating.

 

That was just the beginning. We continued with a selection of food throughout the Chelsea Market. Among them were unique flavors from Doughnutery, such as Chai Me To The Moon, Pumpkin Pie  Brulee and Paris Time (Lavender, Vanilla & Pistachio); Pasties de Nata (Pastel de nata is a Portuguese egg custard tart pastry, optionally dusted with cinnamon); Takumi Carnitas; and Zach & Zoey Honey (I took home some of the wildflower).

 

Tables and chairs were set up between shops and restaurants, encouraging people to gather with friends, even if they had decided to sample from various places. There were a few places I couldn’t get to because of stairs, but most of it was easy to ride my scooter through.

 

We continued sampling across the street at Market 57, after Chris filled us in on some of the history of the area. In this area of Hudson Yards, we had the James Beard Ultimate Experience and a look at Little Island through the large windows. It was still cloudy so the views of the Hudson River were not as scenic as they could be.

 

From there we headed through the Meat Packing District with more of a history lesson of the area as we passed landmarks, including Diane Von Fürstenberg’s apartment. We were also able to get a look at some of the Highlands. That was to be the next part of the tour, but we were running a bit late for our next stop, so we bid the group goodbye as they headed up there.

 

Marissa and I went to the Whitney Museum of  American Art. I had never been there before, and I was excited to go. The museum was very accessible, and I was able to wheel all over without any problems.

 

The art was all on the modern side of American art. I especially enjoyed the collections of New Yorker Edward Hopper, to which they had they largest selection in the world, and Georgia O’Keefe. The Whitney was getting ready for a collaboration they were doing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

 

Marissa went back with me to the hotel, where we said goodbye. We would meet up again in few days at the TWA Hotel at JFK Airport. In the meantime, I had arranged to take NYC Wheelchair Transportation to Long Island, where I had spent most of my life before moving to the Midwest.

 

I was spending a few days in Westbury at the Viana Hotel & Spa, visiting with friends and family. I had discovered the hotel online, while searching for something convenient. I had not previously heard of the property. It belongs to the Wyndham family.

 

I loved the property from the moment I walked in, with an open lobby, and my extremely large, accessible room. Then, I became even more impressed when I had dinner at the Marco Polo restaurant. The potstickers were great and presented beautifully. The Korean BBQ Pork Ribs, which were slow roasted in a Korean glaze, were fork tender and tasty.

 

It looked like I was really going to enjoy my stay at Viana Hotel.

 

*To receive a 10% off a Like A Local Tour, click here and enter FROST10 at checkout.

 

I was hosted on this trip by ILoveNY, but opinions are my own.