New HBO Documentary Explores 'Class Divide' in Chelsea

CHELSEA, NY — A new documentary called "Class Divide" released on HBO this week follows two groups of school kids in Chelsea from disparate socioeconomic classes. It follows the children of Chelsea who live in the projects, and another group of Chelsea children who attend Avenues, one of the most elite private schools in the country, located literally across the street.

The HBO documentary, directed by Marc Levin, paints a detailed picture of a rapidly gentrifying New York and how different groups are distinctly affected by it. It takes place on 10th Avenue and 26th Street, where on one side of the street, the Chelsea-Elliott Houses have been housing low-income families since the 1940s. On the other side of the street, there's Avenues: The World School, which charges a select group of elite students $47,150 per year in tuition and over $2,000 in fees every year to attend kindergarten through 12th grade.

The idea of the documentary is to see "what happens when kids from both of these worlds attempt to cross the divide?" the film's website says.

You can watch the film on HBO or HBOGo. Here's a trailer:

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