It rained for part of our New York City Adventure in 2022 so we had a delightful excuse to spend time exploring Chelsea Market.

Most normal people go there for the food and shopping. In fact, it’s a destination for foodies. The ground level concourse is packed with sights, sounds, people and delicious smells of various cuisines. The design nerd in me couldn’t get enough of all the cool fonts and signs, the exposed brick, murals and pops of colors at every turn.

Everyone else was looking for fun things to buy but I was more excited for the history of the place. You see, this 1890s era building was originally the home of the National Biscuit Company. In case this doesn’t ring any bells, that company would become Nabisco in 1971. This building is where the Oreo cookie was invented and produced beginning in March 1912.

Yes! The mighty Oreo with all its yummy goodness designed for dunking in milk, came from right here in Manhattan!

The building was reimagined in the nineties to allow for this consumer’s paradise as well as office space upstairs.

We got lost in the flow of the crowd, enjoying the hustle and bustle of this busy attraction before stopping for brunch. This was mine and it was dangerously delicious.

We browsed at a wonderful little bookseller. I had left my book behind in Pittsburgh so I was obligated to buy one so I would have something to read. In case you’re wondering, this is the book I bought.

We admired Asian inspired gifts.

I got separated from the group stopping to admire pretty flowers.

Then there were the murals.

In all, Chelsea Market was a feast for the senses for this country mouse. It’s a prime place to people watch and wile away a rainy day. If you find yourself in New York, this is a fun detour for a meal and some entertainment. Also, there are clean restrooms here and those are hard to come by in this city.

Here’s one more look at the Concourse.