Did you see the tantalising photos from the set of A Complete Unknown the upcoming biopic of Bob Dylan starring Timothée Chalamet? Shot on location in New York City, the famous Hotel Chelsea featured prominently in the pics.
(Pic from u/EllieBlue2021 on Reddit. More here: www.reddit.com/r/timotheechalamet)
The Chelsea Hotel has long been associated with artists, writers and musicians. From Dylan Thomas to Sid Vicious, everyone stayed at The Chelsea. It’s an essential destination for the rock’n’roll and literary pilgrim.
And it’s still standing, protected on the National Register of Historic Places. Which is good news, right? Right?
Gentrification
These days the Chelsea Hotel is a good spot – brace yourselves, purists – for brunch.
Was there ever a less Bohemian meal than b-r-u-n-c-h? Naked Brunch by William Burroughs, anyone? No, I didn’t think so.
So what happened to the Chelsea Hotel? Gentrification barely covers it. This is gentrification gone supernova. So does that mean you should scratch it from your bucket list? On the contrary. The fact remains: it’s an historic building in the story of 20th Century culture. And if, like me, you’re in the business of nosing-around in such places, it’s still a must-see if you’re in NYC. And there are still a few period details to delight the eagle-eyed and curious visitor.
Booking
If you want to grab a bite to eat there, the booking system is pretty unreliable. You are asked to call and leave a number and they’ll get back to you… which they don’t. I suspect they are inundated by over-excitable rock’n’roll tourist-types such as you and me. We got round the gatekeeping by simply pitching up early (ish) in the day, during the week and there was plenty of free space.
As a price guide at the higher end for accommodation, the Deluxe Two Bedroom Pied-a-Terre is + Spa is $3,200 per night.
And brunch was great. And it was a thrill to be there. Once again, if you’re anything like me (and I assume you are otherwise why would you read my blog and join my tours?) visiting such places, be they gentrified or even demolished, you’ll be able to pick up a vibe from the location. If these walls could speak…
The Building
Originally a housing cooperative the building opened in 1884 before its conversion to an hotel in the early 20th Century. Designed by French-American architect Philip Hubert, it’s 12 storeys tall and described as being both Queen Anne Revival and Victorian Gothic. In its current incarnation the Chelsea is for the most part a luxury hotel, but a few apartments remain along with a handful of older residents from the Bohemian days.
If you’re looking for something of the spirit of the old place, the gents loos are a glory. God alone knows the shenanigans witnessed by this perfect period porcelain. Did the ghost of Herbert Huncke, the man who is said to have coined the phrase Beat Generation, just brush by as I snapped my pics?
Cast Of Characters
In 1978 Sex Pistols bassist Sid Vicious was charged with the murder of Nancy Spungen here, but died of a heroin overdose before the trial. The room has since been reconfigured and renumbered to discourage tourists of the macabre.
Beat poets Gregory Corso and Alan Ginsberg, as well as the aforementioned Burroughs also resided here. As did playwright Arthur Miller and science fiction novelist Arthur C. Clarke. Dylan Thomas lived, wrote and died here.
The hotel features vividly in David Mitchell‘s novel Utopia Avenue – reviewed here in my music book review show My Back Pages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IWzjAKry7UQ&t=102s
For a detailed article about the recent conversion and gentrification, have a look here: www.worldofinteriors.com/story/the-chelsea-hotel-new-york
We Have The Music…
A few pieces associated with The Hotel Chelsea…
It’s not only rock’n’roll – which is one of the reasons why we like it. The classical composer and critic Virgil Thomson lived at the Chelsea for more than 50 years. His cool and detached piano portraits, many of them written at the Hotel Chelsea, make for fascinating listening…
For more on this colossal figure of American music and criticism in the 20th Century, and for some fascinating insights into the Chelsea as an important location in the LGBTQ+ history of NYC visit www.nyclgbtsites.org
Arguably the most famous song associated with the old place is Leonard Cohen‘s Chelsea Hotel #2 (1971). In its infamously explicit lyric, Cohen reflects on his fleeting liaison with Janis Joplin in room 424 back in 1968.
Indeed the Chelsea is well aware of its own legend. There’s a plaque immortalising Cohen’s immortalisation on the front of the building. How meta is that?
But it’s not only a boys’ club. Nico‘s Chelsea Girls (1967) (written by her Velvet Underground bandmates Lou Reed and Sterling Morrison) uses the hotel as its canvas. It describes the scene as Andy Warhol made his movie of the same name at the Chelsea in 1966.
The vignettes described in the lyrics, of white powder and amphetamine and S&M queens will surely send palpitations through the hotel’s PR dept. of 2024. Nico’s dispassionate voice against a melancholy wash of flute and strings is as haunting as pop music gets.
And why were they filming the Bob Dylan biopic there? Head for Dylan’s 1973 album Desire and the track Sara for the line “Staying up for days in the Chelsea Hotel / Writing ‘Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands’ for you”.
Bob wrote much of 1966’s Blonde On Blonde album in room 211 living with the actress Sara Lownds, the inspiration for the track above and his wife from 1965 to 1977…
Map
When visiting New York City, find The Chelsea Hotel at 222 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011…
The Bob Dylan in 1960s London walking tour goes out twice a year and is available all year round as a private tour.
