Living with Legends

A reader writes in: 

Hello,
I'm sure you get asked this all the time, but I'm wondering if you could suggest a place in New York that has the kind of atmosphere that the Chelsea had a few years ago. We stayed there back then and had a great time, but I've been following some of the recent changes and I notice that the rates have risen out of our price range. Hopefully there's still something like it left in New York!

Jonathan, Ontario Canada

Well, Jonathan, sadly enough the Chelsea Hotel is hardly unique in its predicament as a victim of gentrification.  Similar hotels such as the Hotel Breslin over on Broadway and the Riverview on Jane St. and under seige as we speak.  The Gramercy on  Lexinton went down a few years ago, as did the Pickwick — now the Pod Hotel — run by BD — and the Allerton around the corner on 8th Ave — now called The Gem Hotel. It's a discouraging trend in general.  Maybe you can still get some of the old Bohemia vibe at the Carlton Arms over on 3rd Ave and 25th or at the Gershwin on 27th.

Actually, we're not ready to give up the ghost here quite yet, and so your best bet may still be the Chelsea Hotel.  Through a combination of media nd public pressure, and the incompetence of the management, we've been able to fare a lot better than almost any other residential hotel that's under similar seige.  So come visit us here before it's too late.  You can still get a decent room rate if your presistent in your inquiries.