The Chelsea Hotel New York : An Interview with Bizymoms Top Blogger 2010 Recipients Ed Hamilton

1. You have an interesting and mysterious title for your blog “Living with Legends...Last Outpost of Bohemia.” What was the inspiration behind it?

With NYC under attack from real estate developers we really felt that the Chelsea Hotel that the world knew and love couldn’t last for much longer.We wanted to preserve the stories of the tenants and the guests during the years while the Hotel was changing from a bohemian flophouse to a boutique hotel. Everyone who lives at the Hotel has a story to tell and we wanted to provide a place where those stories could be told before it was too late.

2. The Chelsea Hotel New York is home to quite a few popular figures.Tell us more about these popular long-term residents.

All of kinds of artistic types pass through the Chelsea Hotel in abundance, though if I had to pick the one that is most prevalent or most popular it’s the troubadours. Musicians who have lived or stayed at the Chelsea Hotel have included Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, and Janis Joplin.

The room next to us, 821, where Dee Dee Ramone of the Ramones once lived, played host, in the span of a week to another punk rocker, a concert violinist/country fiddler, and finally an old Black bluesman. The punk rocker was a British guy named Bruno Wizard from a 70s band called the Homosexuals, and he had actually known Dee Dee. The bluesman, who was a phenomenal musician, told us he usually lived on the street.

3. Which top New York City hotels are the biggest competitors of the Chelsea Hotel?

That’s a difficult question. No one competes successfully with the Chelsea’s counter culture vibe. It’s a brand that can’t be captured and put in a bottle. It’s arguably New York City’s least conventional hotel and therein lies its charm. Very few hotels in the world can purport such an eclectic guest list. The Hotel’s charm didn’t happen by accident. Since 1942, the hotel has been managed by the appropriately-named Bard family, and until 2007 was run by Stanley Bard who took over as managing director from his father in 1955.

4. The Hotel Chelsea blog shares its name with a popular book. What is this “Legends of the Chelsea Hotel” book about?

My book, Legends of the Chelsea Hotel: Living with the Artists and Outlaws of New York’s Rebel Mecca, is an extension of the popular blog, www.chelseahotelblog.com. I try to take readers into the depths of the hotel and pay homage to former residents such as Patti Smith, William Burroughs, Harry Smith, Vali Myers, and Sid Vicious as well as some of the infamous guests. The book is about these legends and how they influence the lives of the artists and writers of the present, how the greats of the past figure in the collective memory of the hotel.

5. Please share a few vacation travel tips for holiday goers who wish to stay at the Chelsea Hotel.

You must dine at El Quijote which has been a fixture of the Chelsea Hotel family for 80 years. Visitors will be charmed by its antique décor and will appreciate its affordable prices. Also, if you value quietness ask for a room on the back of the Hotel. The front of the Hotel faces 23rd Street and can get quite noisy at times. Just remember, anything can happen when you stay at the Chelsea. Expect the unexpected. Just last week the Hotel was under siege by Hollywood. They were shooting scenes for Kate Hudson’s upcoming movie, “Something Borrowed.” Be prepared to trip over an actor or two trying to get to your room.

6. After an exciting and tumultuous past, what plans does the Chelsea Hotel has for the future?

The people who pass through, tourists and transients, who stay a few days or a few months, are a big part of what makes the hotel great. Most of them (until the new management took over at least) tend to know something about the hotel, or to be involved in the arts, and they appreciate the unique character of this place. As permanent residents we are kind of the experts, and most of us enjoy talking with newcomers about the place.

(Unfortunately, due to evictions, there are fewer permanent residents now, and the new management is not letting any more in, so if the Bard family doesn’t return, the Chelsea will eventually become just a regular tourist hotel.) However, if tourists and dreamers continue to call for the return of the Bard Family the Hotel’s future is very bright.