Hotel Chelsea Up For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Oct 20th 2010 at 2:01AM

New York's famous Chelsea Hotel is up for sale. The hotel's website delineates its history, much of which is told on the plaques outside the hotel. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. Another plaque commemorates the fact that author Thomas Wolfe (writer of Look Homeward, Angel and other books stayed here during the later years of his life). Other plaques celebrate the hotel's legacy that includes Brendan Behan, James Schuyler and Arthur Miller. The hotel was more infamously, the site of the murder of Nancy Spungen (she of "Sid and Nancy" fame).

The Chelsea Hotel has been owned by three families for 65 years. The Hotel Chelsea's board has said that it hopes that a new owner would re-energize and revitalize the hotel but keep the spirit of the hotel as a haven for artists alive. Some have expressed concern that the sale means that the hotel's unique character will be destroyed, others say that the hotel has already changed from what it was.

The 12-floor, 250-room hotel was built in 1883 on 23rd Street between Seventh and Eighth avenues. It is a mix of transient hotel rooms and residential units but also has retail space and an 8,000 square foot terrace with river views. It was converted to a hotel in 1905.

Tags: hotel chelsea, new york city

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Real Estate Developments

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

BTDT Oct 20th 2010 9:07AM

Nice place. How much?

rwing Oct 20th 2010 10:26AM

Built in 1883?

Robert Tosi Oct 20th 2010 5:59PM

Yes,1883. Thats what the article says brainiac.

rwing Oct 20th 2010 10:29AM

Testing....one, two, three.

Jim Oct 20th 2010 10:58AM

Transient hotel? I'll stay away thank you!

wranglerm46 Oct 20th 2010 11:13AM

Transient meaning overnight or short stay hotel. Days Inn is a transient motel. It also has long term residents who pay monthly.

Dave Oct 20th 2010 5:47PM

Hi Jim, Transient only means that people are staying for a short period of time, it dosen't mean they are bad people. If you check into a hotel for one or two days that means you are a transient. Lots of hotels and motels are like that. Now if they are renting by the hour I would beware. Have a good one.

KathieB Oct 20th 2010 11:30AM

Would you people (jinyuelove) with your personal sex ads please go someplace where this type of garbage will be appreciated and stay out of here!

The Chelsea Hotel is a beautiful piece of architecture and chock full of history...would be a shame to lose it.

Mike Hill Oct 20th 2010 3:30PM

The "dating" site, which is a cover for an online prostitution ring, is run by Chinese "immigrants" based out of Toronto, Canada. The company is called SuccessfulMatch. You can see the "employees" on their Facebook page.

beeivy1 Oct 20th 2010 11:27AM

For sale? I guess they can't get rid of the bedbugs.

GIANNIRAE Oct 20th 2010 11:54AM

WRANGLER- Thanks for the explanation of transient hotel. I don't believe I've heard that term before. And, as the photo of the Chelsea appears to show a slightly dilapidated property, I assumed as I'm sure others did that homeless folks gathered here for overnight stays.

aj Oct 20th 2010 1:00PM

If it was built in 1883 and CONVERTED to a hotel in 1905 what WAS it in between those dates? Surely not a private home.

JP Oct 20th 2010 9:37PM

It was built as a cooperative apartment building.

Fran Oct 20th 2010 1:41PM

It's a shame that the first thing some people think of in connection to the Chelsea is Sid Vicious murdering his girlfriend, when a gazillion serious writers and artists have lived or stayed there over the building's long history. Even in the field of popular music, the first things that come to my mind are songs by Leonard Cohen about his tryst with Janis Joplin ('Chelsea Hotel #2'), or Bob Dylan 'staying up nights in the Chelsea Hotel/writing Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands for you' ('Sara').

Henry Oct 20th 2010 3:03PM

Never heard of this place but this is a place I would love to Investigate, we are LOUISVILLE PARANORMAL INVESTIGATIONS and on our web site on the BEST OF LPI page we have full body apparitions 1 without a head, a ball rolling on its own a mist walking down the stairs and a lot more, this would be a place of interest for us