Chelsea Green

Chelsea Green. . , What was here before? , The site of this pocket park was once Grammar School No. 55, built in 1865 to accommodate a booming population. The neoclassical schoolhouse taught hundreds of boys and girls from the Sixteenth Ward in separate wings. The school closed around the turn of the century, was later demolished demolished, and became a site of Department of Street Cleaning, which would later become the Department of Sanitation (DSNY)., Chelsea was very industrial with little to no open space for more than a century. The area was revived with the landmarking of the nearby “Ladies Mile” district in the late 1980s, the burgeoning art gallery district to the west, and a large LGBTQ+ presence. As the community became a more attractive place to live, the need for more parkland grew., How did this become a park? , In 2010, the Friends of 20th Street Park formed to advocate for green space in their community. The DSNY facility site was in a prime location to give the community between Fifth and Eighth Avenues a park within ten-minutes’ walking distance. In 2015, the land was transferred to NYC Parks. With support from over 4,000 residents and various community groups including the Council of Chelsea Block Associations, New Yorkers for Parks, Save Chelsea, Flatiron Alliance, NYC Park Advocates, and many local politicians, Chelsea Green became a reality., This quarter-acre community hub located on West 20th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues provides numerous functions for residents. The park features an engaging play area with shaded seating and a lawn made from synthetic turf. In keeping with the artistic nature of the neighborhood, an area of the park is a dedicated space for performances and displays of public art., Chelsea Green, opened in 2019, was the first new park built in the Chelsea neighborhood in 40 years. Grassroots efforts from a tight-knit community created this much-needed green oasis that will be enjoyed by all for many years to come., What is this park named after? , The park takes its name from the surrounding neighborhood. Chelsea, which became the official name of the neighborhood after retired British Major Thomas Clarke in 1750 bought 94 acres of land and named the property after a veterans’ hospital in Britain.