Living with Legends: The Hotel Chelsea Blog (www.hotelchelseablog.com) is celebrating its first anniversary on April 29, 2006. The irreverent blog turns the spotlight on roaches, junkies and fires, on obscure writers and artists, and on superstars connected with New York’s famed Chelsea Hotel. Legends was the first-ever hotel blog, and, as yet, the only non-corporate hotel blog in existence.
New York, N.Y. (PRWEB) April 25, 2006 -- Living with Legends: The Hotel Chelsea Blog ( www.hotelchelseablog.com ) is celebrating its first anniversary on April 29, 2006. The irreverent Blog turns the spotlight on roaches, junkies and fires, on obscure writers and artists, and on superstars connected with New York’s famed Chelsea Hotel. Legends was the first-ever hotel blog, and, as yet, the only non-corporate hotel blog in existence.
We started Legends last year because we saw the character of the neighborhood, and the hotel, rapidly changing around us. As the old bohemians were being priced out by gentrification, with no new blood to replace them, we feared that a century-old way of life was coming to an end. Before the chance passed us by, we wanted to document the wild, unorthodox, and still-living history of this unique and fascinating hotel.
The Blog is an invaluable research tool for anyone interested in literature and the arts. Permanent features of the Blog include exhaustive links to stories about the hotel, to articles about its many famous residents, and to works of art and literature produced in the hotel. In addition, daily posts poke fun at the travails of the creative people living here, and comment on the current happenings at what has to be the wackiest building in the world.
Though Legends is often accused of being corporate—due to its professional appearance and authoritative voice—it was launched as a labor of love by two long-time residents of the hotel. The writer Ed Hamilton, who pens the blog’s popular “Slice of Life,” column responds: “My stories are based on the day-to-day life at the hotel, and include the eccentrics who serve as inspiration for the genius of our more famous residents. I’m curious as to why anyone would think that Stanley Bard would pay me to write about junkies shooting up in the bathroom. I’m interested in the dark side of the creative dream – which I hope doesn’t exclude the humorous side.”
The blog is read by former & current residents and hotel guests from around the world. Legends is of interest to scholars and fans of our more famous tenants, and to all those interested in art and literature in general. It may also help travelers to plan a memorable vacation.
In 2005, Living with Legends was a finalist in Gridskipper.com’s World’s Best Urban Arts Blog competition.
Daily features of the Blog include “All Tomorrow’s Parties,” an events list filled with art openings, book signings, and up-coming happenings related to the hotel. Tuesdays bring Ed Hamilton’s popular “Slice of Life” column, a chronicle of daily life at the hotel. On Thursdays you can read short interviews with residents and tourists, and find out what brought them to the hotel.
About Chelsea Hotel:
New York’s famous Chelsea Hotel, a National Historical Landmark, was built in 1883 as a luxury residential building. It became a hotel in 1903, playing host to the luminaries of the theatre world which was then centered around 23rd St. Over the years the hotel has been home to such literary giants as Thomas Wolfe, Dylan Thomas, Tennessee Williams, Arthur Miller, William Burroughs, and others too numerous to mention.
Artists who have lived here include Larry Rivers, Julian Schnabel, and Philip Taaffe. Andy Warhol filmed Chelsea Girls here. Musicians who have lived here include Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Janis Joplin, and, more recently, Ryan Adams. And of course this is where the punk rocker Sid Vicious killed his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen. The Chelsea is operated by the Bard family, including the inimitable Stanley Bard, who has been in charge for over four decades.
For more information, contact Ed Hamilton at 917-771-2957
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