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Welcome to Hell’s Kitchen—one of Manhattan’s more uniquely named neighborhoods—home of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Complex.
For more than a century, Hell's Kitchen was true to its name and was home to organized crime outfits and gangs. One early gang war was even immortalized in the musical West Side Story.
Though there are many iterations of how our community got its name, the following is perhaps the most commonly-accepted version: Two cops, a veteran and a rookie, were observing a small riot near the corner of West 39th Street and 10th Avenue. The rookie took one look at the melee and said, "This place is hell itself." "Hell is a mild climate," his wizened partner countered, "this is Hell's Kitchen."
In the mid-19th century, piers in Midtown West were built to serve the new industries forming around the Hudson River Railroad. Three other railroad companies were also established during this time, using barges to transport freight to and from their yards in New Jersey.
In the late 19th century, this area was known for slaughterhouses. However, the heyday of the Hell’s Kitchen waterfront was the era between World War I and World War II, when transatlantic ocean liners dotted the waterfront.
After a period of real estate disinvestment and abandonment in the 1960s and 70s, the neighborhood was discovered by young urban professionals in the 1980s. With this gentrification, some started circulating new, more genteel names for the neighborhood, including "Clinton" or “Midtown West.”
Today, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum calls Pier 86 home. Neighboring NYC’s bustling cruise ship terminal and perfectly situated on the Hudson River, Intrepid boasts views of the Statue of Liberty, George Washington Bridge and the New York City skyline.
From historic Hell’s Kitchen to Restaurant Row, Broadway’s Best and the iconic Times Square, Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum Complex is just a fifteen minute walk from the heart of it all!
Whether you are a born and bred Manhattanite or an out of town guest, please use the following Neighborhood Guide to explore all that midtown west has to offer.
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