Hotel Chelsea
Hotel Chelsea or the Chelsea was one of the first apartment cooperatives in New York City and later become the hotel it is historically noted for today. It is not the architecture or history of creating the Chelsea that makes the hotel so famous. Rather, it is the events and people within the building that makes the hotel so historic and forever a landmark of New York City. It is noted for the numerous writers, designers, musicians, actors and actresses, and artists who have lived there and enriched its walls and history.
Located at 222 West 23rd Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues in Chelsea, Manhattan, the brick building has seen much bankruptcy and a multitude of managers and owners. However, this hasn’t stopped the hotel from becoming a hotspot for inspiration, photoshoots, a safe haven for the survivors of the Titanic, the birth of timeless writing pieces, and a home for many visual artists.
To name a few artists: Arthur C. Clarke wrote “2001: A Space Odyssey” during his stay at the Chelsea. Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso found the Chelsea the place where philosophy and art could be exchanged. Author of The Lost Weekend, Charles R. Jackson committed suicide in his hotel room in 1968 and while staying at the Chelsea writer Dylan Thomas died of pneumonia. Musicians such as Iggy Pop, Jimi Hendrix, Sid Vicious, Little Annie and Madonna have lived in the Chelsea as well. Madonna, Taylor Momsen’s Pretty Reckless and many other musicians have conducted photoshoots in the Chelsea’s historic and high-ceiling rooms while other bands such as La Roux have shot music videos at the Chelsea. Even the walls of the Chelsea are decorated and reflect the artists that have walked its long corridors. Artists such as Larry Rivers, Frida Kahlo, Ho Cheng, and others have their art hung on the walls. The Chelsea is also famously associated with Warhols superstars, a group of personalities created and promoted by Andy Warhol that would gain Warhol publicity and in return get a few minutes of fame through Warhol’s films and artwork. His film, Chelsea Girls, was based at Hotel Chelsea and many of the Chelsea residents got their 15 minutes of fame through Warhol’s film and artwork. Hotel Chelsea, though not open to any new permanent residents, remains one of the anchors to New York City’s past and current diverse and rich culture—the culture that makes it one of the greatest and artistically driven cities out there in the world.
