Tue. 06/01/2010 - Chelsea Market

SEE #1: CHELSEA MARKET 

It was the first day of "Official Tourism". And for the first destination, I picked the Chelsea Market. I've been wanting to go there for some time to check out 'Imports from Marrakesh' that sells Moroccan decorative objects.

Chelsea Market is an indoor arcade where over 30 retail stores and restaurants are gathered. The market covers from 15th to 16th Street, from 9th to 10th Avenue. The building was once the 'National Biscuit Company (Nabisco)' complex that used to produce famous Oreo cookies there. But after the National Biscuit Company moved out, from 90's the building started to be occupied by high-tech companies and broadcasting companies. And the ground floor became today's Chelsea Market.

{Nabisco Memorabilia}

202 is a restaurant + clothing store + home decor store. Clothes and home decorative objects are all by Nicole Farhi, and it is a sister store to London's Westbourne Grove location.

{202 by Nicole Farhi}

{Eleni's Cookies}

Eleni's Cookies is a well-known cookie store selling all hand-painted "art cookies" and cupcakes. Since they are hand-painted, the prices are quite high, ranging around $65 to $75 or more per 20 cookies. These are pretty cookies, but I have to say the taste is not the prettiest. Here are some of my favorite Designer Handbags and Shoes collections. You see, there is a brand NEW Celine bag from this season. Oh, is it Givency, that Green One?

{Designer Handbag & Shoe Collections by Eleni's Cookies}

CREDIT: ELENIS.COM

Dickson's Farmstand is a butcher selling high-quality meat and meat products. 
They also have sandwiches for lunch and roast chicken available from 5pm.

{Dickson's Farmstand}

{Ronnybrook Dairy}

I am not so sure what those wood cabinets are for. Ronnybrook produces dairy products like milk and yogurt that you can buy only from so-called "Gourmet Groceries". Here at Chelsea market, you can buy its products and also enjoy ice creams or shake made by its dairy products.

So......here's comes Imports from Marrakesh, basically the reason I had to visit the Chelsea Market today. It carries textiles, tiles, small furnitures and home decor accessories imported from Morocco. I almost regretted that I asked the guy to show me the rugs...especially, the one you see below. I am so tempted now to buy it, reasoning that it is much less expensive than I expected and it will be beautiful besides my steel bed.

{Imports from Marrakesh}

Actually this was not made for a rug. But it is a blanket/cape that women living at high mountain area wear and they also use it for their wedding. It has two knotted hooks attached on the longer side. It can be hung or be used, of course, as an area rug. It's all hand-made with wool and cotton, and the silver ornaments are weaved together. 
It was too pretty to resist. The guy showed me a couple of more similar styles, but this one had perfect amount of colors, tassels, and ornaments. 
(They also make jingly sound which is not annoying but pleasant, I think I really want this) 

I originally went there to check out the wrought iron daybed, but they didn't carry it at the store, and the guy said it would take 3 months to get it from Morocco. But I saw this chair, all hand-made with wrought iron. My place is far distant from this style, but I think this will work as long as I don't upholster the cushion with colorful fabric and I don't add pillows you see in the picture. I successfully walked out of the store not buying anything nor depositing money to hold anything. But if I don't take this chair, I think I will eventually at least take that rug...

Next stop was Buon Italia. The Italian grocery store. Everything is from Italy, of course. I think I did a lot of impulse buying today, and one of them was buying groceries that I don't even know what they are for.

{Boun Italia}

One is Rissoto rice, which I know what it is. But the one on the front, I don't know what it is for. I will cook it, following the instruction on the package and will show it later how it looks once it's cooked. 
(It contains something like dried vegis and herbs etc)

{Amy's Bread: The Factory}

The Factory is right next to the bakery, and you can see them from making dough to baking in those gigantic ovens. 
The people working there are so camera-ready.

{Outdoor Table Setting Display at Anthropologie}

There are also two of very fancy restaurants at the market, Buddakkan and Morimoto. Both of them are by famous restaurateur Stephen Starr from Philadelphia. But Morimoto is with famous Iron-Chef Masaharu Morimoto and restaurant designed by Tadao Ando. Fancy doesn't always mean good food. Especially both serve Asian fusion style food which I am not so fond of.

{Buddakan's Grand Hall}

CREDIT: BUDDAKAN

{Morimotto}

CREDIT: ARCHITECTURAL RECORD