Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

A Reign of Confusion

All of the residents of the Chelsea received this notice in their mail box today. 

TO PREVENT ANY CONFUSION please be advised that BD Hotels is no longer the managing agent of the Chelsea Hotel.  All inquiries should be directed to David Elder, Office of the Manager.

I asked Glendon, the new director of operations what the meaning of this was and he insisted that it was a hoax. But how are we to know???  As one resident noted, "it’s like Donald Trump’s apprentice is running the hotel."  "Amateur hour," I believe he said.

“Options within Realism” Features Three Works by Bernard Childs

  Childs was born in Brooklyn and began his life as an artist in Italy in 1951.  The earliest of his paintings that still exist are dated 1952, the year he moved to Paris. He was in the 1959 Documenta II, the same year the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam gave him his first museum show.

     In 1966, he settled at the Hotel Chelsea with his wife Judith and commuted to Paris until the end of the 1970's.  He completed and signed his last painting here at the Chelsea in November of 1984.
     The photo is of "Karma", 1965, oil and graphite on linen (36x28-5/8 inches). Another 1965 painting and one dated 1977 are also hanging in this brilliantly installed exhibition of artists from many countries and a number of generations.

“Options within Realism,” is on display at Jason McCoy Inc until August 17 and showcases the work of a variety of modern masters and contemporary artists. The gallery is on the 11th floor of the Fuller Building at 41 East 57th Street (Northeast corner of 57th and Madison).  Summer schedule: Monday-Friday, 11 am to 5 pm.

Linda Troeller's Atmosphere

Linda Troeller's new memoir, Atmosphere was recently featured in the Village Voice and the New York Times.  Linda has lived at the hotel since 1994 and her book documents the period from her arrival until 2006. In an interview in Chelsea Now Linda calls her work "an artistic interpertation of the atmosphere of the Chelsea." Below is one of her beautiful moody photographs of Christo, Jean-Claude and Stanley Bard.

 

Christo and Jean Claude, like many of the artists in the book, wrote a love letter to the Hotel.

Dear Chelsea Hotel,

In 1964 a Paris gallerist told us that when we were going to go to NYC she said artists always stay at the Chelsea Hotel. We came for an exhibition at Leo Castelli Gallery and needed to construct the storefront piece for the show in our room, as we had no money to rent a studio. Since we were from France, we weren't sure if this was allowed so Christo would use his hand saw late at night. One of the storefronts needed a doorknob and we loved the one on our bathroom door, so we exchanged that one for one from the local hardware store. The piece is now in the collection of the Hirshorn Museum in DC.

Christo and Jean Claude, Artists

Sign Sign Everywhere a Sign

1. Casebeer, Joe & Tosh checked in. 2. BD Hotels got tacky. 3. Casebeer & Joe got rowdy. 4. David Edler got a sign. 5. The missing rosettes were mourned. 6. The original "Bring Back the Bards" banner reached a milestone. 7. Check out the "Bring Back the Bards" flickr pool for photos from around the world.

 

Bartleby the Scrivener vs. Klingon Death Rays

     The article in The New York Observer devotes several paragraphs to the claim that Stanley is a bad businessman.  Mainly, it’s board member Marlene Krauss – Harvard MBA in case you missed that – who is taking Stanley to task:  “Frankly, it’s time that somebody watched what Stanley is doing.”
     Somebody should watch what Marlene (Harvard MBA, '67) is doing as well.  Her Summer Infant company has recently been sued for poaching employees from a competitor and stealing trade secrets. In a separate case, Summer Infant was sued for patent infringement as well.  Summer Infant had to recently recall 5,000 of their Garden Play Yard crib rail toys because they posed a hazard of cuts and puncture wounds.  Most hilariously, Summer Infant Baby Monitors were recently found to be receiving NASA broadcasts from the Space Shuttle!  What is this woman doing to our children?
     Anyway, Marlene (Harvard MBA, ’67) never made a peep when the Chelsea was in the middle of a depressed neighborhood and Stanley was still managing to turn a profit. It’s only now that the property is so valuable that she gives a damn and is “embarrassed to pass it on…” to her children. At least it won’t be as bad as puncture wounds and Vulcan Mind Probes. Resistance is Futile!
    I do at least like the headline on this piece, apparently an editor’s sly joke; “Nasty Checks into the Chelsea!” You can say that again.

Piri Thomas Weighs In: The Trustees Have Been Doing Us Dirty

  The Village Voice spoke to writer Piri Thomas about his dealings with Hotel Chelsea layabout David Elder. Here's what he had to say:

When reached at his California home, Thomas—who is battling his step-son David Elder, the man who residents say orchestrated the boardroom coup that ousted hotel lifeblood and long-time hotel manager Stanley Bard—was surprised that he has become a cause celebre among hotel residents. He couldn't believe that his once obscure case had been thrust into the spotlight after languishing in the courts for years.

But Thomas said he hoped to prevail:
"The trustees have just been doing us dirty," Thomas said. "They have been spending all the money so that we won't have any. It's just been terrible."

Thomas' wife, Suzie Dod Thomas, said she didn't want to comment on the case outright but clarified some information that's been reported. The next big date in the case is August 20 when a court-appointed mediator will consider Thomas' motion to have Elder removed as a trustee of the estate, she said. The appeal regarding the $1.2 million is indeed still pending, she said.

Revelatory Work

Where have all of the revelatory poets gone,
long time passing? 
Where have all the revelatory poets gone
long time ago?
Where have all the revelatory poets gone?
Replaced by BD Pod People every one.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Credits: Legends of the Chelsea, Snap Films 

Luca Brasi Sleeps with the Shrimp Tails and Lobster Shells (The Blog's Response to the Observer's Story)

“Oh my God!” thought David Elder as he sat in his purloined office at the Chelsea Hotel.  “My strategy of befriending the members of the Chelsea community doesn’t seem to be panning out.”  Elder had just tuned in to the blog to see that we had reported on his recent attempt to (in our humble opinion) defraud his stepfather, author Piri Thomas, of $1.2 million.  “The old man will be dead in a couple of years anyway,” Elder thought indignantly.  “What the hell does he need money for!?” 

But Elder was not without a conscience, and soon enough, the enormity of his foul deed overwhelming his tiny brain, he sunk into self pity and wallowed around there for awhile.  “Born and Druckier said they’d make me a billionaire real estate tycoon!” he whined aloud.  “They didn’t say that nobody would like me!”

But Elder was quick to rally his defenses.  He had been watching The Godfather the night before, and all at once a brilliant idea to get sympathy struck him like a bolt out of the blue.  He ran next door to the El Quijote, all the way through the dining room and into the kitchen, where he began to root around in the trash can behind the dishwashing machine.  Sorting through the slimy mess, with a whoop of triumph he soon extracted his prize.

            The mailman, who arrived the next day, was less than enthused.  As he pulled the soggy, dripping, poorly wrapped package from his mailbag and handed it across the front desk, the mailman, who was perhaps Italian, or who had at least watched the movie more closely, declared, “It’s supposed to be a raw fish, you meathead! Not a half-eaten cooked one with a bunch of sauce and gravy all over it!  And Mama Mia!  Put it in a plastic bag or something so it doesn’t get all over the other mail!”

Elder ignored the unprovoked film criticism.  “Ooooh, a package for me!” he exclaimed, trying his best to act surprised.  “How wonderful!  What could it be?” 

As he unwrapped it, or rather as it fell apart in his hands, he thrust it out at arms length and grabbed his heart.  “Holy Mackerel!!!” he cried in mock terror.  “Mercy me!  The Saints preserve us!”

            Bearing the reeking, sopping mess before him, Elder ran out from behind the desk, green beans and a stray potato skin trailing off onto the carpet.  “Stanley, Stanley!” he cried.  “Look, look!  Those evil Bohemian mobsters sent me a fish in the mail!”

“That’s terrible, David,” said Stanley, characteristically unconcerned.  “Why don’t you go out on the street and get some fresh dog poop and put it in front of your door as well.  That’ll really show ’em!”

EXTRA:

            In related news, Born and Druckier are laughing their asses off because they were able to get this stooge to take the heat off of them while they work on more important matters—like how to throw us all out into the street and chop up the rooms into cookie-cutter boxes to maximize floor space. -- Ed Hamilton

The New York Observer: Nasty Checks Into the Hotel

An article in today's issue of The New York Observer spotlights the recent changes at the hotel.  Mr. Bard's right. This place is nuttier than ever.  Marlene Krauss, once again, points out that she attended Harvard Business School and therefore knows everything there is to know about running a business.  No quotes from Elder, but through a spokesperson he confirmed that he received a fish head and revealed that someone sent him dog poop.  (Photo: Chris Shott, New York Observer)

Jerry Weinstein Gives One of His Famous Tours

The public loves the Chelsea but they don’t love corporate hotels.  Can you imagine this sort of tour being given at the so called Pod Hotel or any other of BD’s glorified flophouses.  The public like the hotel because it’s old and quirky and genuine.  There’s no place else like it on earth.  There’s a million places like the Pod Hotel or the Maritime and nobody would give a good God Damn if they were wiped from the face of the earth tomorrow.   It’s all just part of the plastification and Disneyification of New York which has gone much too far.  Even in this throw away society some things should be off limits.  (Photos from Jerry's 7/22/07 92nd Street Y tour of the Chelsea Hotel)