West 29th St, Chelsea

West of 8th Ave, 29th is pretty dead which is great for people who live there that want some peace and quiet. But, it also makes the area a little precarious at night.

There aren't really any bars or restaurants at all until 8th, so I'm sure walking to your apartment at night is pretty scary if you live on this street. Once you get past 8th Ave, the commerce is interesting to say the least. There is a fencing sword shop, a theatre and a Drycleaning School: that's right, a school for Drycleaning. This is one of those blocks that makes New York so unique. But, I can't say I've ever had the need to purchase something at any of these places.

The block between 7th and 8th is, to me, one step up from creepy, mid-town shopping. It's a lot of wholesale types of places in just slightly nicer buildings. Although if you're walking through the area, Guy and Gallard is always a reliable place to get a coffee / snack and it's right on the corner. Another noteworthy spot on this block is People's Improv Theatre or The Pit. It's one of the more renowned Improv joints in the city. It's nearly as good as UCB but not nearly as cutthroat and nasty as most of UCB.

The block between Broadway and 6th is nearly the same is the prior as far as bizarre stores that you wonder, "how do they stay in business?" It's actually kind of worth it to take a gander at these places if you're a tourist, I suppose, so you can get a real feel of just how eclectic and often weird this city is. One cool historical thing about this block is that most of the buildings on the south side of the street used to be dance halls that people like O. Henry frequented wherein the dancers were also prostitutes. Boardwalk Empire does a pretty good job of showing that kind of lifestyle (besides being a great show).

West 29th is an interesting street and I wouldn't want to live in this area, but there are a few things worth doing. Just don't bank on having a meal here. There's, honestly, nothing good to eat.