Story and Photos by Irene Sperber

The Terminal Warehouse in New York City has become a hot spot for art

While visiting New York City, the enclaves of smaller galleries can get short shrift* in our schedules.  Just wandering neighborhoods will open up vistas otherwise unknown.  While some rely on plenty of research beforehand, those of us not blessed with the Careful Planning Gene (CPG) prefer the surprise approach.  I highly recommend the “Gee-look-what-I stumbled-onto!” method.

Art at the East Meets West Project

The seven-story Terminal Warehouse, which falls into the newcomer category, is an old 150,000 square foot building taking up the block between West 27th and West 28th Streets and 11th and 12th Avenue. According to the PR blurb, the warehouses were built because of the railroad lines that dominated the middle Hudson River waterfront after the 1850s, as lumber yards, mills and factories opened up between 14th and 59th Streets to obtain easy access to cross Hudson railroad-car ferries and freight lines leading north. In 1891, William Wickes Rossiter built the most ambitious riverfront structure yet, the Terminal Stores, which included Gimbel’s, Wanamaker’s, Sheffield Farms Dairy and Vichy Celestin, which marketed bottled water.

Current Terminal tenants (um, maybe I could’ve rephrased that) include architects and galleries.  A sandwich shop, an offshoot of the popular Craft restaurant, called Wichcraft (ooh, clever), is the sole eatery.  You will either love the delicious fresh and creative fare or wrack your brain for the nearest Famous Ray’s Pizzeria. Terminal Warehouse is home to approximately 10 galleries thus far; 6 relocated jointly as a consortium called the New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA).

Partying at East Meets West

Oddly, I was invited to a party in the upper floors the night after I stumbled on the Terminal Warehouse. It was an East meets West synergistic mélange of music and art; Tiger Beer sponsored the Tiger Translate project, which supports emerging Asian artists. The Terminal Warehouse still has a way to go before it qualifies as “teeming”, but I enjoyed the architecture, lunch in the cavernous main hallway as well as meandering the gallery spaces thus far.

A cruise through the galleries of Chelsea proper is a must-do.  Location:  between West 14th and West 34th Streets west of 5th to the Hudson River. Don’t expect to scratch the surface as there are many, many galleries hidden in myriad buildings.  Do search the New York Times Friday Arts section for exhibition reviews to refine your touring area.

Moon over Chelsea

Aperture Gallery (547 W 27th St  4th floor) presents  Domestic Landscapes:  Photographs by Teunissen until May 10.  This work is to quietly ponder; leave your more boisterous friends home.  He has documented hundreds of old European homes built before the world wars. The gallery declares:  “His palette and sensitivity to light recalls the great Dutch Masters”.  This lofty claim is not without merit.