Living with Legends

As you may or may not know, our blog was recently profiled on The New York Times Editorial Page. The NYT has a hell of a circulation, and so we received e-mails from all over the world, from new friends/readers and old. A few of our favorites:

I’m told–have you heard this?—that if you’ve been mentioned twice in the Times they have to print your obituary when you die.  Something to look forward to?
(Gee, can’t wait.)

This has gotta be a first—a blog cited in a NYT editorial!!!!!!!!!!  Cheers!!!
(We don’t know about that.  Anybody have any ideas?)

I used to work across the street from the Hotel Chelsea.  On November 22, 1963 I was in the Hotel Chelsea lunchroom having lunch when John F. Kennedy was shot. It was the first time I ever went there.  There were three of us and we all had grilled cheese sandwiches with tomato on them.  As we were crossing the street to go back to work, this is when we first heard the news about JFK.  We thought it was a joke.  It was unbelievable news!
(We had never heard that the Chelsea had a lunchroom before.  A dining room, of course, but we thought that was gone long before the sixties.)

Hi from Rome, Italy. I just discovered (thanks to the nyt online) your blog and I already love it.  I read everything about Andy and Edie and am very pleased you blog about them.  Unfortunately the system does not accept my comment to a post but I wanted to let you know anyway.
(Sorry about the system.  You can comment, we just have to approve it before it goes up.  We had to do this because people were putting up scandalous comments about residents and the management.  Not that we’re above that ourselves, mind you!)

What about the El Quixote restaurant where we had many delicious Sunday dinners at $5 per in the 70s.  We ate there a couple years ago. Still good food, higher price. (Check out the chicken livers.  They’re still pretty cheap.)

You are wonderful.  At last something about the center of the universe that is not the Village Voice….  You make me feel insane to miss out on the Le Chelsea experience….  I’m from New Zealand (where football is rugby union, not girly gridiron.  (Is all that padding for real?  We think a mouth guard is too much.))  Do you send out e-zines?
(Yes, you are correct in surmising that, under all that padding, those are girls.  But we do like our teeth here in the states.  They come in handy, you know.  And if you feel insane now, just wait until you’ve sat in our lobby for a few hours.  Let us know when you’re coming.)

Enjoyed the brief Chelsea Hotel article in the NYTimes today. As a child I paid 25 cents (or less) to use their pool. This was after a friend and I would visit the Hudson Guild. We were summer campers at the Hudson Guild Farm.  What memories! Thank you!  (Name redacted, Colorado)
(Well, we didn’t know the Chelsea had a pool either.)

From the late 1950’s until the early 1970’s I had clothing alterations done by Mrs Krauss, whose first name I don’t remember.  She and her husband operated their business on the upper West side but lived at the Chelsea.  More than a seamstress, she was a couturier who had previously worked for Helena Rubinstein.  The most beautiful clothing hanging in her workroom was owned by Betty Furness, the actress who was a long-time customer of Mrs. Krauss.

When they got older and business got tough, Mr. and Mrs. Krauss relocated their workroom to their apartment at the Chelsea, where Mr. Krauss treated me to his delicious homemade Hungarian-style stuffed cabbage.  It was then that I learned that Mrs. Krauss’ brother was the owner of the Chelsea Hotel. These are bittersweet memories of truly wonderful people, no longer with us, whom I dearly loved.  I hope you will include them in remembering and honoring oldtime residents. With nostalgia,
(I hope the Krauss’ got a break on their rent.)

hello from louisville Hi Mr. Hamilton, What a great idea. To create a blog about the Chelsea Hotel. Congratulations to you! I am also from Louisville and have enjoyed viewing your work at various exhibitions. Most recently at the Speed. I lived in NYC in the early 1980’s and was the founding director of a small art gallery there. I’ve always enjoyed my stays at the Chelsea when visiting. Such a cultural history. But it’s been several years since I’ve been there. Can one still rent a room for a night or has it gone more apartment then Hotel these days? Well, I just wanted to say hi, thank you for creating the blog and keep up the good work!
(Ooops, wrong Ed Hamilton. I hope the sculptor is not too upset.)

Hello – I’m not sure where to find Debbie Martin on this blog, but want you both to know that "Blogging the Hotel Chelsea" was a sweet holiday treat. It reminded me of a visit I made to the hotel in 1955 or ’56 to meet an editor (I’ve forgotten her name, but not that she had a parrot!). I thought I’d died and gone to heaven 50 years ago – a little midwestern girl who lived in novels and found that the bohemian life was alive and well in the Hotel Chelsea as well. Now, I can’t wait to spend time vicariously at the Hotel Chelsea. Oh, please tell Ms. Martin that I don’t understand why you don’t get many reader comments. Your site is a delight! Sincerely, (name redacted, Massachusetts)
(Someone who shares my concerns)

It appears that we’ve discovered even more people to interview about their visits to the Chelsea.