Located on West 23rd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, Hotel Chelsea is firmly part of American lore. Originally opened in 1884, Mark Twain, Allen Ginsburg, Andy Warhol, Arthur Miller, Leonard Cohen, and Patti Smith are among the artists, writers, musicians, and poets who have called the hotel home. For over 100 years, the Chelsea remained an epicenter of Manhattan’s bohemian life and a tapestry of fascinating people, infamous events, and legendary works.
A new book by photographer Colin Miller and writer Ray Mock, Hotel Chelsea: Living in the Last Bohemian Haven, is part love letter to the bygone spirit of the hotel and part awareness campaign, offering insight into the complicated socio-economic dynamics of the hotel’s current iteration.
Photo of apartment of photographer and Hotel Chelsea resident, Tony Notarberardino. ©Colin Miller from Forbes