The Chelsea art world keeps its doors open late on Thursday nights in a flurry of openings, never-empty wine glasses and the occasional three-piece band playing on the sidewalk. Back in the mid-'90s, following the gallery migration from SoHo to lower-priced, then-industrial Chelsea, you would find mainly painters, photographers and art aficionados huddled outside, discussing the latest exhibitions. These days, though, families, businesspeople and even celebrities have gotten in on the mingling. Here, it's normal to spot punk icon Debbie Harry walking her dog, Tim Gunn stepping into a well-waxed town car or the crew of Law & Order crowding the sidewalk with cameras and lights. By day, athletic types find a haven at the 30-acre Chelsea Piers sporting facility along the Hudson River. Come nighttime, revelers can either hit dive bars featuring duct-taped banquettes or jockey with clubgoers for entry to some of the most jumpin' spots in the City. And while Chelsea maintains its glamorous cachet—visitors devoted to rock 'n' roll still make the pilgrimage to the Hotel Chelsea to see where Jimi Hendrix, Tom Waits and Janis Joplin once partied—its art edge is now complemented by warm, homegrown shops, cozy dining rooms and more.

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