Living with Legends: Hotel Chelsea Blog

Tilley Vanilli: New Manager Moonwalks Into the Hard Rock Chelsea Hotel

Forget Stanley Bard.  Pity the mere mortal who is chosen to fill the voluminous shoes of the highly competent and supremely good-natured Glennon Travis, loved and respected by Chelsea Hotel denizens past and present. Who has been singled out to bear this immense burden?  The suspense is killing you isn’t it?

Well, the wait is over, Chelsea Happy Campers.  We've heard the new guy starts today.  He's a chap named Eustace – er I mean Andrew Tilley, who hails from England, attended Kelly College, and worked at, among other places, the Hyatt Carlton Tower in London and the Balmoral in Edinburgh.  Well, bliney mates, here’s a bloke who should class up the joint.

Silly Tilley. The big question for me is why you would be crazy enough to take this job. Have you bothered to take a look at this blog? How about reading the court papers in the recent arbitration filing (BD NY vs. Chelsea 23rd Street Corp). You’re dealing with some real snakes here in Marlene Krauss and her faithful servant David Elder. They fired both Stanley Bard, who had been managing the hotel for 50 years, and BD, one of the top hotel firms in New York. Think you can do better? If you thought you were sick of Elder already, just wait: he’s gonna be dogging your ass around this hotel, giving you all kinds of senseless orders and interfering with every move you make (read the court papers). Having worked at hotels in Kuwait and Dubai however, perhaps you’re at home under such oligarchic, oppressive regimes.
     Which brings us to the equally intriguing question of why Marlene would hire this guy? Sure, Piccadilly Tilley is the king of the gimmick, masterminding such promotional offers as free gasoline and free theatre tickets and room rates that match the temperature outside while at the Paramount Hotel in Times Square. And no doubt Marlene was impressed that Rockabilly Tilley was hired to transform the Paramount into a Hard Rock Hotel, as that is probably the sort of lame-ass fate she envisions for the Chelsea. On the other hand, as I gather from recent comments on Trip Advisor, he wasn’t able to accomplish that transition. Though a press release says the hotel was “rebranded” in 2007, guests still think they’re at the Paramount, and complain that the rooms are old and dirty and poorly maintained. Sound familiar? I guess for this job, despite the “Help Wanted” sign on the front of the hotel, there just weren’t that many applicants.
     But really, Tilley, all jokes aside: Welcome to the World Famous Chelsea Hotel. If you’re really serious about managing the place – as opposed to evicting us all and gutting the building – we’d like to invite you to introduce yourself and discuss your plans at a meeting of the Tenants Association. I’m sure everyone would love to hear what you have to say! Though he’s no Stanley or David Bard, there’s at least one thing in Tilley’s favor: he has no Myspace page – yet! -- Ed Hamilton

To Stay or Not To Stay?

This is the question raised by a blog reader from Norway:

"After reading about the conflicts at the hotel, I have a very simple question. I was planning to stay three nights at Chelsea in July, but my impression is that this will mean putting money into the hands of greedy barbarians. Am I right? And if so, could you recommend a better alternative?"

Add your recommendations to the comments section!

Mail Withheld from Chelsea Hotel Resident as Punitive Measure

It has come to our attention that some residents of the Chelsea Hotel may not have been receiving their mail in a timely and appropriate manner, perhaps as a punitive measure for being late on their rent.  We had heard rumors to this effect before, but never anything definitive until now. 

In the case we know about, the Chelsea Hotel management – now under the direction of David Elder – had a apparently been intercepting the mail of a resident, and, instead of putting it in the residents box, giving it back to the mail man, and, we assume telling him that the resident no longer lived here.  This was in apparent retaliation to a dispute (we won’t go into details) that the resident was having with management. 

The way the resident found out that his or her mail was being intercepted, was that he or she asked a credit card company to send him or her a new card and when it was never received, the resident called and they said it had been returned to sender.  The resident subsequently called the postal inspector, explained the situation, and said, “I don’t want to make a big deal about it if it’s only this one time.”

The postal worker who the resident talked to replied, “One time is a felony,” and assured the resident the matter would be investigated fully. Anyone with a similar complaint – or anyone who suspects that their mail is being withheld or tampered with in anyway – should call the postal inspector at 877-876-2455 and select option 3.

Film of Dan's Guitars Shows a Slice of a Vanishing New York

     Well Michael Maher, the Australian documentarian who produced a film about the blog and the gentrification of the Chelsea and a piece about Coney Island, is at it again.  Be sure to catch his latest, a short piece about that legendary meeting place of musicians and eccentrics of all sorts in a store front of -- where else but -- the Chelsea Hotel.
     Highlights include footage of a guy trying to sell proprietor Dan Courtney a guitar, and of Johnny Cash's son-in-law, John Leventhal, a regular at the shop, expressing the opinion that if he comes in enough times maybe Dan will give him one of these beautiful guitars!  Neighborhood fixture Vlad the Bluesman of 23rd Street puts in a brief appearance.
      Be sure to stop by the store and give Dan some business or just hang out.  Maybe Coby will play the banjo for you!  With the way things are going aroudn here Dan's Chelsea Guitars may not be around forever.

Dubious Tribute to Marlene Krauss Scrawled on Facade

     What's this hotel coming to?  First the barbarians were disassembling the staircase for souvenirs and slashing paintings for sport, and now they've taken to desecrating the outside of the building.  Its a problem of poor -- or actually no -- management.  Can you imagine anyone daring to pull such a stunt on Stanley's watch?  He would have hunted the hapless miscreant down and stood over him while he scrubbed the offending graffiti off with a toothbrush.  I can assure you of that!
     The offending scrawl lies outside of Room 219, which is apparently used for wild parties these days.  It's the former home and office of the Cowboy Doc -- if anybody remembers him -- and more recently the Cowboy Artist had a show there, so apparently the spirit of frontier lawlessness still reigns in these parts.  But if you've got a cocklebur in your britches, partner how 'bout runnin' shareholder David Elder out of town on a rail, instead of taking it out on the poor unoffending building? 
     Speaking of minority shareholders, I'll betcha David Elder climbed up there and wrote that himself!  Probably he was trying to reclaim the spot from which his masked doppelganger dumped water on his head.  But what the "C" stand for?  Chump? Cretin? Maybe he thinks his dark mistress Marlene's last name starts with a "C".
     How am I supposed to know what's going on in his devious little peabrain?  The "C" also seems to have a superscript, but I can't read it from the street.  Maybe once it's enlarged that will clear up the mystery, but I rather doubt it! -- Ed Hamilton

Another Heedless Act of Cultural Vandalism

     With the Chelsea Hotel in the hands of money-grubbing outsiders, and our favorite restaurant, Florent in the meatpacking district, set to close on Sunday, who could imagine it could get any worse. And yet the developers continue to shock and appall us with their brazen disregard for the cultural heritage of New York City.
     One of the latest cultural icons on the chopping block is 133-139 MacDougal Street, home since 1918 to the famou Provincetown Playhouse, which premiered works by Eugene O'Neill (said by some to have lived at the Chelsea) Edna St. Vincent Millay, Edward Albee, Sam Shepherd (Another Chelsea reisdent), and David Mamet.  The building was also home to the Liberal Club, and the Washington Square Bookshop. (We also recently ran into an acquaintance, Karl White, who we met a couple years before on the Algonquin Hotel walking tour, and he told us about a friend's great aunt, Stella Hanau, who once lived at the Chelsea and was involved in the Playhouse in its earliest years.) (Photo courtesy of the GVSHP. Yellow area is the area NYU proposes to retain.)
     The building is owned by NYU, one of the most rapacious developers in the City.  The latest victim of their wrecking ball lies in the heart of the proposed South Village Historic District -- which is probably why NYU is moving to demolish the building now, despite its obviously cynical support for the proposed designation.  After a huge public outcry at this heedless act of cultural vandalism, NYU added insult to injury by agreeing to preserve the facade and four walls of the theatre, a miniscule part of the entire building.  Do we really need another hidious dorm, or whatever it is they're planning on throwing up, in the heart of the most beautiful and culturally significant neighborhood in NYC?
     Lets hope these Barbarians can still be stopped.  Hey maybe Marlene Krauss can sell them the Chelsea to use as a dorm!
     To learn what you can do to help, contact the Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation. -- Ed Hamilton
   
    

New Rent Increases Shouldn’t Affect Chelsea Hotel Tenants

New York City really has got it in for rent stabilized tenants as the Rent Guidelines Board just passed increases of 4.5% on one year leases and 8.5% on two year leases.  This is not the free market talking; it is, rather social engineering in its most repellant form, as the city sells out to the money interests who want to drive the working and middle classes out of New York . 
     Fortunately, the Chelsea doesn’t seem to be subjects to these increases.  Although the 4.5% per year figures applies to Class B hotels such as the Chelsea, most of our apartments were never registered with the DHCR – a prerequisite for legally increasing the rent. 
     Furthermore, even if you live in an apartment that has been registered, the Board has put a loophole in the law that works in your favor.  It basically says that if less than 85% of units in a hotel are inhabited by Rent Regulated Tenants, then the allowable increase is 0%.  This is my interpretation anyway.  The loophole is confusingly worded.  And as far as I can tell no major media outlets mentioned the loophole. The loophole may be intended to put the breaks on hotels that are aggressively forcing out rent-stabilized tenants, which, especially in SRO hotels, results in increased homelessness.
    So if you do get a increase in October – which is not out of the realm of possibilities given all of the money business that has been going on around here lately – be sure to consult a lawyer.  Various agencies in the city offer free legal advice, including the Westside SRO project. -- Ed Hamilton

UPDATE: Demand for Payment Notices

More people than originally thought have received "demand for payment" notices.  If you received this notice and cannot afford an attorney, please contact the West Side SRO Project ASAP.  You can contact them by calling 212.873.6600.  They are familiar with the situation at the Chelsea Hotel and can give you advice on responding to the demand for payment.

Edler Grins; Residents Cringe

Just when things were pretty quite on the home front, several “demand for payment” notices have gone up on doors around the building. Some of the notices are for relatively small sums of money ($3,000). Perhaps people are traveling and simply haven’t paid their rent in a month or so.  So if you’re out of town, you may want to have someone take a look on your door.  I’ve been seeing David Elder in the lobby this week, grinning his shit-eating grin.  Perhaps this is why. He’s the guy who signed the demand notices.  We are still awaiting the arrival of a new manager at which point surely Elder will be banished to the Hinterland, never to darken our doorway again.  -- Ed Hamilton

The Resistance Will Continue To Be Blogged

It has been a year since minority shareholders Marlene Krauss and David Elder unwisely ousted the Bard family and brought in Richard Born and Ira Drukier to manage the Chelsea Hotel. Many of the Ghosts who had been resting peacefully in the basement and lobby for hundreds of years were not amused and resistance ensued.  Unfortunately, Richard Born and Ira Drukier were not experienced as ghostbusters and were therefore driven from the hotel in record time.
Sit back, enjoy the show and get ready for round II.  We hear Marlene Krauss will have a new team of experienced ghostbusters in place soon.  Thanks to everybody who sent in photos. (Watch closely to see former director of operations Glennon Travis prove once and for all that he's a Eurotrash Beachbum.) (More photos on flickr)

Layabout Lounge -- Or Whatever the Hell Ferri's Pipe Dream Was Called -- Vanishes Into the Ethernet

     Wow, that was quick. No sooner had we mentioned Charles Ferri's obnoxious proposal to put a "Legends Bar and Cafe" in the Chelsea Lobby, than the whole page mysteriously disappears from the Internet. (Ed's note - Not really).  Marlene must have bitch-slapped Ferri all the way back to Dubai for that presumptious little gaffe!  Now she and her trusty sidekick David Elder can focus their energy on more realistic projects like the spa in the basement and the express elevator to the roof.  Not to mention the pay toliet in the old Balabanis' Tailor shop.
     I'll bet Marlene bitched out Elder for crashing at Ferri's pad too.  Man, I almost feel sorry for Marlene, having to rely on such a dork to do her dirty work.  Amost but not quite! I pray that Almighty God, in his mercy and wisdom, binds them together with eternal and unbreakable bonds, and assigns them to manage a Hard Rock Hotel in Hell. -- Ed Hamilton

Ghosts of Chelsea Haunt BD

Well ain't that a bitch.  It seems that BD, showing total disrespect for the landmarks commission in making the top story of their Greenwich Hotel too big and visible from the street, may now have to remove the offending structure from their building and start again.  And to add insult to injury, NY Times food critic Joe Frank Bruni recently panned the new restaurant Ago that they opened on the ground floor of the building.  (They made him wait 52 minutes for his reservation! Hey guys, get a photo of Bruni and shove it in all of your employees faces unitl it's inprinted on their brain, okay?  (Is Glennon Travis your new maitre'd, or what?)
     We can only attirubte all of this misfortune to the bad karma you guys built up when you took over the Chelsea.  You dind't seriously think our ghosts were going to leave you alone, did you?  They are like the Furies of the ancient Greeks! We have sent Sid and Dee Dee and Hiroya after you to dog you to your grave!  Ha ha ha ha hahaha!  -- Ed Hamilton

Alejandro Escovedo Takes Us Back to 1978

Former Chelsea Hotel resident Alejandro Escovedo has a new album, "Real Animal" set to be released on June 24.  He recently peformed "Chelsea Hotel '78" at the New Orleans Jazz Festival.  A song dedicated to living at the Chelsea Hotel during the days of Sid & Nancy.

Pantsless Man At Wit's End

As proprietors of the Chelsea Hotel blog, people call us from near and far with various odd requests related to the hotel.  One woman was writing a book on Valerie Solanis and asked if we had any choice tidbits (we did), while some Japaneses documentarians wanted to know about an obscure recording that Harry Smith had made of Allen Ginsberg singing his folk songs (news to us!). Several Brits lately have been asking about Quinten Crisp.  Most frequently it's journalists asking for general info about the hotel, like the number of rooms, or else for details concerning the ongoing political situation (new manager soon).  And everybody wants Stanley Bard's phone number (don't have it!)
     But a voice messsage we received last night takes the cake:  "Hi, I"m _______ and I need to get in touch with either Debbie or Ed.  The front desk referred me to you because I have a pair of pants at the tailor next door that I need to pick up."
     Why, not to fear, we've stored them neatly pressed, in our hall closet with the rest of the unclaimed clothing.  Actually, the Balabanis closed their shop a couple of weeks ago due to rising rents, and moved back to Greece.  Since I doubt they would have taken any sewing projects with them back to the Old World I fear that your pants, like the ardious rule of BD, have been consigned to the dustbin -- or at least the sale rack of history.
     So, no, we don't know what happened to your pants, but if we ever find out, we'll be sure to pass aong the information.  Maybe you should ask David Elder as he's the one who gave the Balabanis their walking papers. 

Chelsea Layabout’s Café & Bar to Possibly Open in Lobby, Serve Non-Chelsea Residents

Check out Chris Shott’s article in today’s NY Observer wherein he poses the question: who would be foolhardy enough to take a job managing the Chelsea?  Somebody who’s never heard of the damn place, that’s for sure.  He trots out a list of the usual suspects, such as Schrager and Balasz, but I suspect they know too much about the situation to get involved.  (Stay tuned to the blog, we’ll know soon enough.)

Speaking of clueless, Shott also helpfully directs us to Star Lounge owner Charles Ferri’s website, which features, of all things, a proposal for a café & bar in the Chelsea Hotel’s lobby!  Does he think that that he’ll be allowed to just waltz in, la dee da, and start slinging cranberry cocktails?  He apparently hasn’t been paying attention, either to the legal issues, or to the attitude of the residents.

Maybe he figures he can pay off Manny and get the El Quixote to forget their non-compete clause which bans other establishments from selling liquor in the building. He’s already said he doesn’t want residents in Star Lounge, and so I assume the same goes for the new lobby bar, but how are we supposed to avoid it?!  (Note that Wifi is for “Café Members” only.)  I guess we’ll have to tunnel out through the secret passageway to 22^nd street --prodded along by the same helpful bouncers who already assaulted one of our number.  Oh well--what me worry?--they already moved most of the comfy chairs out of the lobby anyway. 

Another thing to consider is that, according to highly reliable sources, Ferri already owes a substantial amount of money to the hotel.  If he can’t make enough to pay his rent on the Star Lounge, why on earth would minority shareholder Marlene Krauss want to give him the opportunity to owe more?  Also, this idea of letting minority shareholder David Elder, his creditor, crash at his pad (and our sources tell us it was more than once) is also highly suspicious, and smacks of self-dealing on Elder’s part—exactly what he and Krauss self-righteously accused Stanley Bard of.

As for the name of the bar: no comment.  Get an original thought, dude.  Hey, is that a comment?  I really thought I was going to be able to resist the urge. -- Ed Hamilton

Advice for Marlene Krauss for Curbing Employee Truancy

With David Bernstein’s time at the helm as general manager of the Chelsea Hotel scarcely a rumor and with hotel lay-about David Elder running off to California or god knows where at the slightest sign of trouble we thought Marlene needed some sort of device to keep the rumored incoming manager held accountable.  In this age of rocket science, Internet gimmicky and wondrous marvels of science they have fortunately invented such a device. It’s complex and will require a team of technicians to operate and we simple bloggers hardly pretend to understand it.   We simply present a picture. 

On the other hand let’s remember that before all of the recent hullabaloo Marlene Krauss had two dedicated professionals working for her 12 hours a day six days a week and she didn’t appreciate it.  Maybe she should take a temporary holiday from brainwashing infants with radio waves and come in here and run the show.  We’ll show her where to get her time card punched. 

Glennon Travis Swears This on a Stack of Bibles

     Poor, poor, misunderstood, mistreated Glennon Travis.  When he arrived at the hotel "the physical plan and administrative structure of the hotel were in complete dissarray," and the "public areas and shared bathrooms were inundated with drug addicts and others who did not belong at the hotel."  (When did he start exactly?) Nevertheless, he heroically performed his duties, increasing the number of transient rooms from 95 to 107 by throwing artists onto the street and providing employees with uniforms so they wouldn't slog around in their messy street clothes.  In return he was "physically threatened on several occasions and spit on" by the rambunctious ingrates at the Chelsea Hotel!  Despite his constant requests, nobody will pay for an electronic key system, and the loathsome David Elder "effectively lives at the hotel" at no cost and routinely interferes with operations.
     This is all to be found in an affadavit sworn out by Glennon in the ongoing case of BD NY Hotels vs Chelsea 23rd St. Corp.  The courts are in the process of deciding what monetary damages, if any, should be awarded to BD to compensate them for their unceremonious termination.
     Glennon also tells a hilarious story about how David Bard came to the hotel looking for some NY Giants tickets that had been sent to him.  Not finding them in his box, he looked on David Bernstein's desk.  Discovering this highly suspicious activity, Glennon orderd Bard to cease and desist.  So Bard went and got David Elder -- ostensibly in charge at this point -- and they came back and proceeded to search through Bernstein's desk together to look for the tickets.  Once again, Glennon sprung on them and ordered them to stop.  This embarassed Elder, who took Glennon to a public area of the hotel and "stated that he wanted to make it clear that I should remember that I work for him."
    Wow, a real clash of the intellectual titans here folks.  It's like Einstein vs I don't know, Immanuel Kant or somebody.  Later that day, Madame Currie -- er, rather, Marlene Krauss -- called and pretended to sympathasize with Glennon saying "Elder should not have threatened you like that," and also asking him to not to tell anybody from BD about her call. -- Ed Hamilton

Interest Across the Pond Intensifies

Writer Paul Berger has a bang up piece about the Chelsea and its recent turmoil in The Guardian this week. Left out of the piece for reasons of space is the sad saga of long-time Chelsea resident Jann Paxton who is dying of cancer and – apparently receiving no sympathy from Krauss and Elder -- facing eviction from his rent stabilized apartment.  For more about Jann read Paul Berger’s blog and Chris Shott’s recent article on the former singer/songwriter.
The Brits had another opportunity to learn about the Chelsea situation on Thursday when Ed was a guest on Big George's late night radio show on BBC.  George's interview celebrates the rock -n- roll history of the hotel. Big George and his friend JoAnne were recent guests here at the Hotel and they are very concerned about the removal of the Bards from the Hotel.  (Photo: Paxton's Dog Ginger, by Paul Berger)

Krauss & Elder Seeking Certificate of Non-Harassment

Another thing that the court document we linked to earlier reveals is that Krauss & Elder are seeking a Certificate of Non-Harassment (CONH) a requirement if they want to do any major construction on the building.  Harassment is defined as any course of action undertaken by a landlord to force a legal tenant to vacate his rent-stabilized apartment.  This can include not making necessary repairs.  So, in order to get the CONH, Krauss and Elder must repair all the violations for which they have been cited by the DHCR.

Of course, it’s great if they make repairs around this place, but that’s not Krauss & Elder’s primary motivation.  What they want to do is make the minimal repairs necessary to get the CONH.  After that, repairs will cease.  So if you need anything repaired call 311 and report all the violations you can think of.  Violations include:  cracked plaster, peeling paint, inoperable fixtures, exposed wires, rotting floors – basically anything you would fix yourself if you owned the place.  These violations can be in your apartment, or in the common areas.  -- Ed Hamilton

Chelsea Hotel to Paying Guests: “Get Lost”

Well, Ha! Don’t that just beat all.  The Hotel was apparently overbooked recently – due to an internet glitch, or just the stupidity of Marlene Krauss and David Elder.  Guests were showing up with reservations but there were no rooms, so the people at the front desk had to send them to other hotels – and make up the extra cost.  Book a room at the Chelsea, end up at the Plaza.  Can you imagine this happening to Stanley?  You can bet he’d find them a closet some where in the Chelsea – and by God they’d like it too!

Elder Reveals Plan to Evict Permanent Residents

     Legends has just obtained the following court document in the arbitration hearing BD NY Hotels, LLC vs Chelsea 23 St. Corp. We link to it here in its entirety because it is a sworn affidavit from minority shareholder David Elder in which he states his intention to evict permanent tenants and turn their apartments into transient hotel rooms.

     For the purposes of his financial calculations, Elder gives what he calls a “conservative” estimate to the effect that 20 of the 120 permanent units can be converted to transient use. (This is in addition to the 16 apartments secured by BD’s efforts to force out tenants.)  Though this may not seem like a lot, remember, this is 20 of us (or maybe more, depending on how many live in these apartments.)  So who will it be?     The people who are behind on their rent?  The elderly or unstable living in “cluttered” apartments?  Those who have been luxury decontrolled? The people who haven’t yet hired a lawyer? Probably it will be a few from each of these groups.

     What’s more, these are rooms that will never again house permanent residents – thus hastening the end of the Bohemian life style that has existed at the Chelsea for 125 years. 

     The other interesting thing that Elder reveals is that he and Marlene Krauss are planning a $15 million capital improvement project.  Of course, money spent on certain types of capital improvements can be recouped by raising our rents (yes, this goes even for rent stabilized tenants), and presumably Krauss and Elder are hoping they drive some of us over the luxury decontrol threshold and/or make our apartments prohibitively expensive. -- Ed Hamilton  (Image: PAGE 2 of the )

Third Floor Mystery Ghost?

A recent guest at the hotel writes:

Hey Ed,

The night after we ran into you in the hall, Joan came running in after using the computer downstairs with tears in her eyes. I'd never seen her look so frightened! I'm the coward not her. She said there was a silhouette of a man in the reflection of the door as she waited for the elevator. She looked away and when she looked back it was still there.
Then in the morning we got a silent phone call. But that could of been anything or anyone.
Just wondering if those sort of things have happened to you or anyone else you knew?
Be safe in your haunted abode!

My money is on Larry the Hipster Ghost. Any other guesses.

Lobby Rangers Rogered Royalty

Lets hope that this uninviting layout is not intended to be the permanent configuration of the lobby.    In addition to removing a number of comfy chairs and the couch, our new slumlord David Elder – back from self-imposed exile in LA – has arranged the chairs so that no two comfy ones are side by side, making it hard for guests and residents to hang out and converse. 
      Elder’s lobby consultant must be a friend of Vellonakis – the jerk responsible for the anti-people parks that have sprung up around the city lately – since the new lobby design has the same effect: that of stifling the freedom of speech and assembly by making people want to move on.  This adversely affects tradition of conversation and collaboration that has long existed at the hotel, not to mention the free and easy Bohemian lifestyle that people come from all over the world to experience and celebrate.  Besides that, it’s hard on the elderly and infirm of the hotel, who tend to use the space as their living room. 
     Most likely, Elder simply doesn’t care who he hurts, and is only trying to impress Marlene so she’ll make him the manager.  Unfortunately for him, she knows him even better than we do. -- Ed Hamilton
(Update -- a couple of chairs have now been returned because residents complained.)
Before -- Comfy Seating Area

 














New Anti-People Area -- No chairs and a hard bench