Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

To DO

APRIL 3, 6:30 PM
The Museum of the City of New York will host a book signing and panel discussion.  Ed Hamilton will read from and sign copies of Legends of the Chelsea Hotel: Living with the Artists and Outlaws of New York's Rebel Mecca (Thunder's Mouth Press).  Panelists for the discussion to follow will include preservationist and housing activist Edward Kirkland and author/Chelsea Hotel historian Sherrill Tippins. Former Chelsea Now editor Lawrence Lerner will moderate the discussion.
                As an additional treat, a recent video interview of former hotel manager Stanley Bard, making one of his first public statements since his ouster in June of last year, will be shown.
The Museum is located at 1220 Fifth Avenue(@104^th St), NY NY.Seniors and students get in for $5.00.  Everybody else pays $9.00.

APRIL 11, 7:30 PM
Photographer Julia Calfee kicks off her book tour for INSIDE THE CHELSEA HOTEL with a very special event at Barnes and Noble. 
Barnes & Noble, Sixth Avenue at 8th Street, NY NY

APRIL 14, 7:30 PM
Pianist Bruce Levingston performs "Points of Departure" a concert at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall that explores the unique artistic relationships between four of the most prominent composers of our time and four of the most influential composers of the past. The concert includes world premieres of Pulitzer Prize-winner Charles Wuorinen's Heart Shadow (inspired by Salman Rushdie and Claude Debussy ) and 2007 Grawemeyer Award-winner Sebastian Currier's Departures and Arrivals ( inspired by Scarlatti and Liszt) as well as the New York premiere of esteemed German composer Wolfgang Rihm's Brahmsliebewaltzer (inspired by Brahms).
Carnegie Hall is located at 57th Street & 7th Ave.  Tickets $25, $30, $40 $100

Take A Walk On The Wild Side

Stop by the Barnes & Noble in the West Village (6th Ave. at 8th Street) to check out the window installation for Julia Calfee's new photography book, Inside The Chelsea Hotel.

Displacement @ Greenbelt: Chelsea Residents to take Part

We know it’s short notice but if you’re looking for something to do tonight from 6:00 – 9:00 there is a panel discussion addressing the crisis of diminishing availability of artists space in NYC,  with a special focus on the fate of 475 Kent Street, The Artists Settlement in South Williamsburg Brooklyn.  Residents of the Chelsea should be especially interested in this since the artists living at that address were recently forced out of their homes due to what they feel to be somewhat bogus building code violations.  They have organized to fix the violations and to fight this unjust verdict, and they may yet be allowed to return.

            Panelists will include: John Jasperse and Jonah Bokaer, Founders for the Center for Performance Research, a new affordable space in Williamsburg for rehearsal and performance; Guy Buckles,  Founder & President of the Art Building a new company dedicated to real estate solutions for artists; and Luis Garden Acosta, Founder and President of El Puente, A community human rights institution.

The second part of the evening will showcase films illustrating Williamsburg’s changing landscape, and in general the forces of displacement wrought by gentrification. As part of this mini film festival, Producer Jen Gatien will premiere a short clip from Abel Ferrera’s “Chelsea on the Rocks.”  Legends of the Chelsea Hotel author Ed Hamilton will also be on hand to discuss the film and answer questions about the present and future of the Chelsea Hotel.

{Room for Creativity: A Community Roundtable on Real Estate Strategies for the Arts, @ Greenbelt, 361 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn NY.  Greenbelt is located near the “L” train at Graham or “G” train at Metropolitan.  Consult hopstop.com for walk, bus or subway route. March 27, 6:00 – 9:00 p.m.}

The French Send Their Regrets

A loyal French reader writes: Maybe you might be interested to know that the hotel chelsea has been mentioned today on the most followed french public national radio station, france inter.

This was during an enterntainment program, called "le fou du roi". the reason was the re-interpretation of Leonard Cohen's song by a so-an-so french singer, called raphaël (we apologize, leonard...)
The conductor and the guests mentioned the fact that the management had changed, and regretted the plan to transform the hotel into a kind of "palace" for wealthy clients. They also said that it was an "unique and incredible place"

The link is: http://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/em/fouduroi/index.php?id=65634

You can listen to the program by clicking on the right top of the screen: "re-écouter". as it is quite long, You can go straight to 1:10:45, which is the moment when the hotel is mentioned.

cheers
fabio

Send Your Wishes For A Speedy Recovery to Betinna

Betinna has fallen and broken her hip.  She is recovering nicely at St. Vincent's Hospital in the Village.  Your cards and letters can be sent to her care of Room 707. Note New Room - 707.

DeNiro & Drukier Make Fools of New Yorkers on April 1st

38.9 million in tax-free Liberty Bonds: that’s what we’re giving Robert DeNiro and Ira Drukier for the privilege of looking up at their new luxury hotel from the street.  I was under the impression that these Liberty Bonds were for rebuilding ground zero – rather than for screwing up Tribeca.  According to DeNiro, the Greenwich Hotel, set to open on April 1, will be “…a place for people whose sense of home combines sophisticiation and authenticity.” The hotel features duplex suites with 30-feet skylights and chef kitchens and a Shibui Spa with a lantern-lit pool.  Shibui Spa?!  What the hell?! Most authentic “New Yorkers” don’t even know what that shit is – though we know damn well we’re not invited.  And our “sense of home” generally involves the concept that money-grubbers such as Drukier refrain from forcing us out into the street. (as he’s doing at the Chelsea Hotel). In what passes for a free-market economy, can’t DeNiro & Drukier pay their own way? (Photo: Newyorkology.com)

A John Tesh Easter at the Chelsea

Even the Easter Bunny feels the need to be creative when he drops by the Chelsea Hotel.  Though he probably faced a moral dilemma as to whether to grace our halls at all this year given the current sorry state of the management situation.   He left the eggs marked among other things “Eggthor C. Clarke,” “Escher Tongue” and “John Tesh”.  We’ll leave these to the readers to figure out. 

Dan Peckham Sets Us Straight on the New Anti-Harassment Law

Last week the city council passed a bill making it possible for tenants to sue landlords for harassment in Housing Court.  Great, I thought, at least it’s a step in the right direction – and I didn’t bother to think about it further.  But then I ran into Dan Peckham, “NYC Real Estate Legend” on the street Saturday and he set me straight.  He pointed out that tenants have always been able to sue for harassment at the DHCR,  (Here's the form) and that furthermore, it still puts the burden on the tenant (the city, by itself, is still not going to go after harassing landlords).  And even if the tenant wins, he still doesn’t get anything!  The city gets the money from the pitifully small ($1,000 - $5,000) fine, which in any event is not enough to deter the landlord, who often stands to make millions, from further acts of harassment.  As fanaticial as he sometimes sounds, Dan is generally right about these things.

Basically the law (Local Law No. 7) "creates a violation for harassment in and of itself, providing a new layer of protection for renters in New York City.  Some of the actions that qualify as harassment under this legislation include: using force or making threats against a lawful occupant, repeated or prolonged interruptions of essential services, using frivolous court proceedings to disrupt a tenant’s life or force an eviction, removing the possessions of a lawful tenant, removing doors or damaging locks to a unit, or any other acts designed to disturb a lawful occupant’s residence.  The law also prevents similar actions by third parties working on the landlord’s behalf."

Thorold Dickinson's World of Cinema

According to sources, Director Thorold Dickinson lived at the Chelsea in the late 50s for a number of years and was a friend and collaborator of Virgil Thomson. "Power Among Men," which was produced by Dickinson, features an original score written by Thomson. Beginning now through March 24, you have a rare opportunity to view Dickinson's films at the Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theatre.  (Image from Gaslight)

Unfortunatley, the Thomson film is not part of the offerings -- damn it. On the upside, you'll get a chance to see the orignal English version of "Gaslight" for which Ingrid Bergman won an Oscar in the American remake.

Arthur C. Clarke Dies at Age 90

We are sad to learn of the passing of former Chelsea Hotel resident Arthur C. Clarke.  Despite being ill at the time, Clarke graciously sent an e-mail to support the Bards back in June.  NPR and The New York Times have great coverage today.  (Thanks to Judith & Mary Anne for the tip.)
Other appreciations of Clarke: Teresa & Patrick Nielsen, Jeff Vandermeer, Peter Steinberg, Colleen Lindsay.

Chelsea Hotel: Past, Present and Future: 125 Years as a Haven for the Arts

On April 3, the Museum of the City of New York will host a reading and panel discussion to commemorate New York ’s famed Chelsea Hotel, home over the years to stars ranging from Dylan Thomas and Arthur Miller to Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen.  The public will have a unique opportunity to grill the experts on the past, present and future of the iconic landmark, including the recent corporate takeover that threatens the hotel’s historic role as a haven for the arts.  I will read from, and sign copies of Legends of the Chelsea Hotel: Living with the Artists and Outlaws of New York’s Rebel Mecca (Thunder’s Mouth Press).  Panelists for the discussion to follow will include preservationist Edward Kirkland and author/Chelsea Hotel historian Sherrill Tippins.  Former Chelsea Now editor Lawrence Lerner will moderate the discussion.
            As an additional treat, a recent video interview of former hotel manager Stanley Bard, making one of his first public statements since his ouster in June of last year, will be shown.  Some of the questions that Stanley may address include: How is he handling his forced retirement?  Does he plan to continue the fight to regain control of the hotel?  What’s in store for the future of the Chelsea Hotel?
     I’ll provide the inside scoop about how it was to live through the hotel’s recent transformation from a wild and wooly artistic flophouse into something that’s increasingly coming to resemble a fancy boutique hotel.  In addition, I’ll handle all questions about how to keep junkies out of your bathroom.

Noted author and historian Sherrill Tippins (February House), who is presently at work on a history of the Chelsea Hotel (Dream Palace: The Extraordinary Life of the Chelsea Hotel), will discuss the Chelsea’s origin as an arts coop and how it has persisted as a cultural institution and haven for the arts throughout its 125 years.  Will she break our hearts by telling us that Sarah Bernhardt and Mark Twain never really stayed at the Chelsea?  Any questions about ghosts at the Chelsea should also be referred to her.
      Edward Kirkland, Chair Emeritus of the CB 4 Chelsea Preservation and Planning Committee, will be on hand to answer any questions about the Chelsea’s landmark status.  Will the new corporate management company be able to tear down the famous staircase? What was the Chelsea like when it was originally landmarked? Kirkland is the man to ask.
     Former Chelsea Now editor Lawrence Lerner, who in his time at that paper expanded coverage of education, illegal hotels, real estate development, affordable housing, the LBGT community and myriad other issues, was present at the Chelsea Hotel’s recent takeover, providing in-depth coverage of the issues surrounding the Bard family’s ouster. 
            Seniors and students get in for $5.00.  Everybody else pays $9.00. The Museum is located at

1220 Fifth Avenue(@104^th St), New York NY 10029. The event begins at 6:30 p.m.

Paintings Slashed

It’s hard for me to even write about this, as it shows such a lack of respect for the Chelsea Hotel and its tradition of creativity, and of welcoming a like-minded public to share in that tradition. I can only point out that such incidents are past and parcel of BD’s intentional program of neglect and of allowing the hotel to run down. The slashed paintings are by Arthur Weinstein, a fine artist who deserves better than this. Anyone with any information about this vandalism is urged to alert the proper authorities.

BD Also Forces Out Those Who Pay

A former resident, someone who cares deeply about the Chelsea, and who will be missed by those of us remaining, writes in to correct a common misperception:

I think it should be established that BD Hotels does not just push out those behind in their rent, they force people who pay their rent. It still baffles me. They calculate each room based on an assumption that it will be rented every single night of the month at a premium rate and that is without figuring in the cost of renovation and furniture.
My rent was raised with no cap on what it would eventually go to....Just an arbitrary number would be billed each month. Who can live like that? It was too unpredictable and threatening. And I am still deeply saddened to have left.
I really think that the board of the hotel are being led down the wrong path. Change is inevitable-- but honoring the tradition of the hotel in hosting residents and guests would reward them far more. And in this unstable economy, it would be wise.

This is apparently what is happening to Jann Paxton as well: BD is just charging him whatever they feel like, month to month. (The letter above suggests that there may be other rationale involved, but who knows?)
It's also important to point out that the residents who were forced out because they owed back rent are not necessarily deadbeats. Some of them owed money only because BD jacked up their already high rent to a level they could no longer afford. BD's purpose wasn't to get a tenant who cuold pay more (probably no one would pay that much), or even to rent the rooms by the night, as the rooms from which they removed tenants now mainly sit empty.
BD's intent is to destory everything that makes the Chelsea what it is today. It's true that what they're doing makes no economic sense at this point, but I assume their future plans will become clear in time. And yes, the board probably is being hoodwinked: Marlene Krauss and David Elder couldn't have outsmarted Stanley without Born & Drukier's help (they tried for and years and years), and now they've created a monster that just might turn around and bite them on the ass. -- Ed Hamilton

After the Fall

George Chemeche has written a poem which has to do with former Governor Spitzer.

After the Fall

The day the earth stood still, I understood

the importance of being sober, vigilant, and cool.

In our small town tavern, whispers had it,

Breaking News are due any time soon.

We held our breath, anticipating the impending threat.

There was talk about invisible species landing in the shopping mall.

About robust locusts hovering over Town Hall.

Rumors about invasion of body snatchers,

extra-terrestrial dwarfs, and hideous astro-monsters.

Some wondered whether falling meteors seek to crush us to dust.

Some mentioned the eruption, which leveled Pompeii.

Some, to our volcanic mountain, pointed with dismay.

From mouth to ear, the whispering increased:

Dormant bacteria and contagious disease,

yet to invade our veins via nostrils and fingernails.

Some talked about mad goats smuggled by Saudi sheiks.

Some rolled with laughter at the latter joke.

Some swore the whole hysteria is a Jewish plot.

Others blamed witchcrafts, Ayatollahs and Arafats.

Some praised the Media Age.

The bartender favored the Ice Age.

We were torn between hope and rage.

Our handy beggar declared,

" ‘Be of good cheer: it's I, he not afraid.’ "

He begged our pardon and nothing else.

Some believed it's doomsday at work.

Some jeered, "The Messiah won't meet his date."

An armchaired veteran quoted La-Passionaria's speech,

" ‘It's better to die on your feet than live on your knees.’ "

A sarcastic reply uttered from the waiter’s mouth,

"To live or die, I'm a weak-kneed patriot."

At last, a downcast governor broke the long awaited news,

"I knew not what’s right and what’s wrong. . . ”

(A giveaway wont take our breath away.)

"They ain't worth a red cent," the beggar shook his head.

Then, in a wink, Advil and Paxil took turns

to cool down our agitated nerves.

Dog tired, yet relieved, we toasted one for the road,

blessed our gracious Lord and called it a day.

George Chemeche
New york, March 13, 08

Upcoming Events

TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 8:15 PM
Faculty vocal recital by tenor Lee Steward, with pianist Charis Dimaras, performing a program that includes three world-premiere song cycles by New York City composer Gerald Busby.
Ithaca College, Hockett Family Recital Hall, Whalen Center, Ithaca NY

TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 8PM, FREE
Ed will read from LEGENDS OF THE CHELSEA HOTEL: LIVING WITH THE ARTISTS AND OUTLAWS OF NEW YORK'S REBEL MECCA.  He'll be joined by BUST columnist Janice Erlbaum whose new book, HAVE YOU FOUND HER, is a psychologically captivating follow-up to GIRLBOMB: A HALFWAY HOMELESS MEMOIR, one of the New York Public Library's 25 Books to Remember.  Before and after the reading, DJ Maxx Klaxon (Splice, Popular Front Records) spins sublime electro, subversive pop, and subterranean rock. Rapture Cafe & Books, 200 Avenue A (Between 12th & 13th Streets) NY NY

THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 6:30 PM ($)
Joining Ed for a reading and discussion will be author/Chelsea Hotel historian Sherill Tippins and Edward Kirkland, Emeritus Chair of Community Board 4's Preservation & Planning Committee. Former Chelsea Now editor Larry Lerner will moderate the discussion.  (We'll post more details about this event next week.) Oh yeah, Stanley Bard will make a guest appearance via video.
Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY

APRIL 11, 7:00 PM
Julia Calfee will have a signing and presentation for her new photography book, "Inside The Chelsea Hotel". Barnes & Noble, 6th Avenue & 8th Street, Greenwich Village, NY NY

THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 7:30 PM
Ed will be reading and signing books at The Beat Museum, 540 Broadway (at Columbus), San Francisco, CA.

Famous Chelsea Insanity Claims Further Victims

     We have it on good authority that BD is refusing to put through the calls of a resident it claims owes back rent, and what's more, even telling people who call that the resident doesn't live here!
     Longtime phone operator Amy Miller has only been gone for a couple weeks and already we've fallen toa new low in customer service. I'm afraid the famous Chelsea nuttiness is finally rubbing off on the management as well -- to think they can get away with this nonsense.

Slept Through It

Last Friday at about 5:00 a.m. the fire alarms went off and dozens of residents and guests gathered in the l obby -- but we didn't hear the alarms, and a lot of fellow residents didn't either.  They must not be loud enough, or maybe they don't go off on all floors.  And our question is: isn't this a little bit dangerous?  I guess we could've still escaped through the window once the smoke started coming under our doors -- but really, we'd prefer a bit more of an advance warning.  Hey, maybe it's time to check those alarms.  (Photos: flickr i'm back bitches)

Bottom-Feeders Krauss, Elder, and BD Sink to Slimy New Low in War on Chelsea Hotel Tenants

Thanks to Chris Schott for keeping the plight of the Chelsea in the news.  Writing in the Observer today, he exposes important details of BDs plan to gradually destroy everything that makes the Chelsea great.  He interviews four residents who were forced out (or are in the process of being forced out) of their apartments in the past month: Marta Rodriguez, who ran the facial salon, Musician Adam (Jaz Jericho) Rushfield, Painter David Combs, and Singer/songwriter Jann Paxton. He also interviews Artie Nash about his problems with the new management.

            Marta is unfortunately already gone. That’s her reward for spending $50,000 to renovate the place.  They’re not looking for anybody to pay any more in rent either: they are just going to warehouse this and the other spaces for reasons yet to be determined.

            Adam, who gave a farewell concert on his last night in the Chelsea, owed some back rent—primarily because BD jacked up his rent unfairly (he was already paying market rate) and he refused to pay it.  (We’ve written about his case in detail elsewhere in the blog.)

            David, the cowboy artist who often painted in the lobby, was a very visible member of our community, and he will be missed.  However, as David was outspoken in his support of BD, there are many Chelsea Hotel residents, who, quite frankly, don’t have much sympathy for him.  But there was no malice in the things he said.  He was merely naïve, and couldn’t see the writing on the wall: that there is something inherently wrong with BD coming in the back door like it did and taking the hotel away from Stanley Bard.  David was blind to what seemed obvious to most of us: that this corporation was not brought in for the benefit of tenants, or to keep the hotel the old way.  But whatever his opinions, David deserved to stay on —particularly as he fought so hard to stay here, painting daily in the lobby until he finally prevailed upon Stanley to give him a room.

            We spotted a note demanding  payment on Jann Paxton’s door a couple of months ago, but were not certain who lived in the room.  Apparently Jann does not get out much to socialize with other residents for the very simple reason that he is bedridden with a terminal illness.  For the same reason, I presume, he doesn’t have much income coming in and owes a lot of back rent.  He has nowhere else to go and feels he will certainly die if he is evicted.

I suppose our question regarding this final case is the same as everyone’s: what kind of depraved person (or organization) tries to evict a dying man?  Oh yeah, the same kind (Marlene Krauss and David Elder) that unceremoniously throws 72-year-old Stanley Bard out on his ass after 50 years of service.  The same kind (David Elder) that deprives 80-year-old Piri Thomas of his rightful inheritance by tying up his money in the courts in the hope that he’ll die before he has a chance to spend it.  Please, will someone in this organization show some compassion in Jann Paxton’s case!

            To date, BD has forced out, by our count, twelve or thirteen Chelsea Hotel residents.  There have probably been others that we don’t know about, and there will doubtless be more to come.  There were extenuating circumstances in all these cases, but what BD is doing is going after the easiest cases first.  They will work their way up to the rest of us in due time.  The thing to remember it that we can’t afford to be complacent.  If you haven’t already done it, seek legal help.  And don’t suffer in silence: if they come after you, let somebody know. -- Ed Hamilton

[Note: while Stanley backed out of the April 3^rd panel discussion at the Museum of the City of New York due to a scheduling conflict, he has promised to give us a video statement to show at the event.]

Spielberg Should Visit Chelsea

It seems that Steven Spielberg is launching a social networking site for people who have encountered ghosts or other manifestations of the super natural.  The site ought to get a lot of traffic from this place, that’s for sure.  Spielberg once saw a ghost at a hotel called the Excelsior House and fled in terror.  Well, not all the ghosts here are quite that scary, so we’d like to invite Spielberg to check in (if he can tolerate the frosty welcome from BD) and see what happens.  (Just don’t get a room on the 1^st floor, and for God’s sake stay out of the basement!) The accommodations might not be quite up to his standards, but the spirits don’t seem to mind. -- Ed Hamilton

Top Secret Ad Campaign Revealed

Through our diligent work, we have uncovered this confidential, highly encrypted communiqué between BD and its ad agency.

Tagged

How the Chelsea Measures Up to The Plaza and The Algonquin

On his Dorothy Parker website, our friend Kevin Fitzpatrick compares his favorite haunt, the Algonquin Hotel, with “the other great literary hotel in town,” the newly renovated Plaza.  Though he is quick to apologize for this slight to the Chelsea, I feel that, upon due consideration, I have no choice but to reply: apology not accepted!  Of course he doesn’t want to include the Chelsea in his comparison: the Chelsea is worth at least six or seven Algonquins, stacked on top of approximately 10 Plazas, with one Times Square Howard Johnsons on top like a rum-soaked maraschino cherry!
     To right this egregious libel, we are reprinting his chart, while adding our own column for the Chelsea.  (Time constraints prevented the addition of a column for the Time Square Howard Johnsons.)  In your face Algonquin!  We kick ass!  Whoo hoo!!!! -- Ed Hamilton

 

Jack White Visits Chelsea to Aid Dylan Revenge Plan

We ran into Jack White the other night at the Chelsea, wearing a cowboy hat with a big white feather that made him appear even taller than he is, and a huge fur coat of a kind only a true rock star such as himself could pull off.  If he was trying to go incognito, I must say he failed rather miserably!  We wondered why he would grace our hotel with his presence, and now we know:  he’s working on an album with Bob Dylan and wanted to soak up some of the rarified ambience of the legendary performer’s former haunt.  Well, we’re confident that –even with BD in charge – he was not disappointed. 

    The two artists are working on an album of songs that Hank Williams left uncompleted at the time of his death --  which is kind of funny since, isn’t it part of Dylan’s legend that he tried to steal a trunk of songs out of Woody Guthrie’s basement after the old folkie croaked?  I think those songs were later recorded by Wilco – much to Bob’s consternation, I’m sure – but now, in a way, he has his revenge. 

    Oh, another Chelsea connection:  Hank William’s granddaughter, Holly Williams, used to live here.

Steel Plates Forged in Satan’s Oven:Threaten to Snuff Out Creative Lifeforce of the Chelsea

Could it be part of Born and Drukier’s diabolical plot to deprive us all of the last shreds of our already tenuous sanity?  The cars rattle by, one by one, like fully-loaded freight cars over a rickety old railroad bridge.  Minute-by-minute, hour-by-hour, the cars roll by, clackety clackety clack over the steel plates as my patience flows out like sand from the (blasted, noisy) hourglass of the days of my life.

Am I making any sense at all at this point?  On Saturday we were awakened early in the morning by construction crews jack-hammering up the pavement.  Oh well, it is New York; time to get up anyway.  The racket went on all day.  Still, about standard.  But the workers left the road torn up, the long hole—stretching from 8^th Avenue to the hotel--covered by a hastily placed series of steel plates.  And they haven’t been back since.

            One sleepless night was bad enough, but that second one was torture, and as I write this we are bunkering down for a third!  We’ve called 311 repeatedly, as have any number of hotel residents and others on the street.  We listened incredulously to their response: “we’ll send somebody to look at it in 10 days” (!!!!!)

Now, we’re no fools.  We know they can secure those steel plates better than that.  Better yet, maybe they can get back to work and finish up whatever it is they’re doing.

Our only suggestion to those of you who are suffering with us: Call 311 again if you haven’t already, and keep calling.  That’s the only solution I can think of.  Perhaps someone else knows another place to call and complain (like, whatever city department they are from).  If so, don’t hold back on our account.

All joking aside, this has got to be bad for BD as well.  An unsuspecting tourist checked into the room right next to us this afternoon—looked like a businessman—and all I could think was, oh you poor soul, you have no idea what’s in store for you.  He’s probably from someplace quiet like Kansas too,   He’ll no doubt be down at the front desk at 2 in the morning asking to be moved to a room on the back of the hotel.  And if he doesn’t get it he’ll be asking for his money back.  You can’t rent somebody a hotel room where it’s impossible to sleep.

So what about it, Born and Drukier?  You guys are some real big shots and high rollers and all.  Can’t you grease some palms or call in some favors or something?

In conclusion—literally--does anyone in the hotel have a revolver?  I’ll generously spring for the ammunition, since I know we’re all going to be ready to blow our brains out before the sun rises again over our fair 23^rd Street. -- Ed Hamilton

Fever Marlene Still Waiting for the Man at the Chelsea

Milwaukee alterna band Fever Marlene wrote and recorded their second album, "White China" (Is that like the heroin man? Shades of Lou Reed!), over a four night stay in room 219 at the Chelsea . The 10 song album features a DVD documentary of the writing process and a photo journal. "White China" is set to be released on March 7, 2008.