The Most Popular Celebrity Hangouts in Chelsea
If you have ever visited or lived in New York City, you have heard or experienced the appeal of the Chelsea neighborhood. Between its trendy tourist spots, low-rise buildings, arrangement of townhomes and 200-plus art galleries, it is a caps-lock DRAW.
This includes celebrities from all walks of fame. From Hollywood A-listers to pro athletes to the most well-known influencers, Chelsea is a magnet for marquee personages. Where are you most likely to spot them, though? Here’s a compilation of the most popular spots.
1 Oak Night Club
For decades, 1 Oak has been considered an institution among celebrities and socialites. In more recent years, it has become a frequent hotspot for visiting and local pro-athletes. Like the folks over at MyTopSportsbooks allude www.mytopsportsbooks.com, many of the most popular pros are young and flush with cash. They have no problem getting past the velvet ropes of 1 Oak.
In fact, if you are fortunate enough to get into the West 17th establishment, you are almost bound to see someone familiar. From members of the New York Yankees and New York Knicks, local sports stars are known to check in for post-game celebrations.
Chelsea Living Room
Located on West 14th Street, the Chelsea Living is a new-entrant to the celebrity hotspot pool. Despite only opening its doors in March 2024, it has already entrenched itself as one of NYC’s most popular lounges.
At one point, the quaint and intimate nature of the lounge was considered a locally guarded secret. Bigger names from Manhattan would frequent it, but it wasn’t publicized with pomp and circumstance.
Nowadays, though, the secret is out. As OK Living pointed out in an end-of-2025 review, its menu, dim lighting and “cozy” seating has turned into “Manhattan’s hottest supper club” that’s “beloved by Reese Witherspoon, Camille Kostek and other A-list celebs.”
Granted, you’re not as likely to catch someone you recognize at Chelsea Living Room as you are at 1 Oak. But you are going to have a much better chance of actually getting into the former.
Hotel Chelsea
Hotel Chelsea has been a place to be since the late-1800s. Since opening its doors on West 23rd street, it has played short- and long-term host to what celeb-spottings outlets refer to as an “eclectic” mix of luminaries.
That description does not oversell the cast of characters to have stayed under the roof. And the stories beyond some of their residencies would make most tabloid editor-in-chiefs salivate.
Famous playwright Arther Miller moved into Hotel Chelsea back in 1961 after splitting with the even-more-famous actress Mariylyn Monroe. Novelist and musician Leonard Cohen lived in Hotel Chelsea for a brief time in 1968—where he famously had an affair that spring with fellow resident and famous singer Janis Joplin.
Speaking of Joplin, she is widely considered the most notable resident of all time at Hotel Chelsea. The door to her room reportedly sold for over $106,000. That certainly fits the eclectic theme of this section!
Heck, the iconic author Mark Twain, known predominantly for penning The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, was allegedly one of Chelsea’s first-ever guests, though as Carissa Mosneess of Yahoo Entertainment notes, the exact details remain murky.
Other famous residents of the iconic establishment include Bob Dylan, Madonna, Andy Warhol, Patti Smith, Sid Vicious and more. Of course, as time has gone by, Hotel Chelsea is less of an A-list residency. While it has undergone extensive renovations since opening in the 1880s, it no longer services that kind of clientele as frequently. Many stay or live in more ritzier areas.
Still, Hotel Chelsea remains near the epicenter of the neighborhood, and marquee names who grew up during the counterculture era of the 1960s/1970s will pass through or sometimes set up shop for a bit to tap into nostalgia.