The Lower Manhattan neighborhood comes full sophisticated circle.
Tribeca, long one of Manhattan’s priciest enclaves, has returned to its roots as a haven for artists—though this time with deeper pockets. To the north in Chelsea, ground zero for the New York gallery scene, the High Line and the nearby $25 billion Hudson Yards development have sent rents skyrocketing, prompting some of the neighborhood’s leading lights to seek a new home.
Tribeca, long one of Manhattan’s priciest enclaves, has returned to its roots as a haven for artists—though this time with deeper pockets. To the north in Chelsea, ground zero for the New York gallery scene, the High Line and the nearby $25 billion Hudson Yards development have sent rents skyrocketing, prompting some of the neighborhood’s leading lights to seek a new home.
In the past year 25 galleries have relocated to a seven-block wedge of cobblestone streets and stately former industrial buildings south of Canal. Contemporary dealer Andrew Kreps arrived in spring, followed by former neighbor James Cohan and the Lower East Side stalwart Canada, with heavy hitter PPOW to follow in 2020. And the rest of the neighborhood is keeping pace: In March the Tribeca Gallery Walk launched, offering gallery visits and stops at key local historical sites.
In October the sleek Walker Hotel Tribeca opened in a landmarked building partly overlooking the increasingly cool Cortlandt Alley, giving the neighborhood a stylish, breezy lobby with a petite bar and midcentury-modern couches that make it a perfect after-art-show hangout. The hotel plans to partner with galleries like lower Manhattan pioneer Artists Space and next-door Kreps for loaned pieces and events. Come cocktail hour, the downstairs cellar bar will offer an appealing speakeasy atmosphere and an inventive drink list devised by veterans of the legendary Milk & Honey. If you need to put something in your stomach after a few whiskey-and-Cynar old-fashioneds, Chicago import Au Cheval has opened across the alley, serving up its signature burger—topped with a fried egg—that some are calling the best in New York right now.
