Chelsea

Historic area of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, immediately north of the Thames where it is crossed by the Albert and Chelsea bridges.

Chelsea

City in Suffolk County, northeastern Massachusetts, USA, on upper Boston Harbour between the Mystic River and Chelsea Creek, 5 km/3 mi north of Boston; population (1998 est) 27,500. Connected by bridges to Charlestown and East Boston, it provides storage yards for oil and coal tankers. Chelsea is also a commercial centre, including railyards, produce terminals, and shopping malls.

Chelsea has been settled since 1624 but was damaged by major fires in 1908 and 1973. Industries in the region previously included textiles, shoes, clocks, chemicals, and building supplies. In the 1990s Chelsea was severely depressed, and the possibility of annexation by Boston had been raised. A large naval hospital is on the Mystic River. The district surrounding the naval hospital, as well as two others in Chelsea, are included on the national register of historic places.