Hotel Chelsea facts for kids

The Hotel Chelsea – also known as the Chelsea Hotel – is a famous hotel in Manhattan, New York City. It was built a long time ago, between 1883 and 1885. This 12-story building is located at 222 West 23rd Street, in the neighborhood called Chelsea.

The Hotel Chelsea has been a home for many famous writers, musicians, artists, and actors over the years. Even though it doesn't take new long-term residents anymore, some people who lived there before still call it home. For example, Arthur C. Clarke wrote his famous book 2001: A Space Odyssey while staying here. Poets Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso also used it as a place to share ideas. The writer Dylan Thomas was staying in room 205 when he became ill and later passed away in a hospital in 1953. Arthur Miller also wrote about his time at the Chelsea Hotel in the early 1960s.

This historic building has been recognized as a special place. It became a New York City landmark in 1966 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Quick facts for kids Hotel Chelsea
Seen from across 23rd Street
Alternative names	Chelsea Hotel
Etymology	The neighborhood of Chelsea, Manhattan
General information
Type	Hotel
Architectural style	Queen Anne Revival, Victorian Gothic
Address	222 West 23rd Street, Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Coordinates	40°44′40″N 73°59′49″W / 40.74444°N 73.99694°W / 40.74444; -73.99694
Construction started	1883
Opened	1884
Renovated	1905 (hotel conversion) 1960s (facade and lobby) 1990s (facade and some interiors) 2011–2022 (conversion to luxury hotel)
Owner	Chelsea Hotel Owner LLC
Management	BD Hotels
Height	180 ft (55 m)
Technical details
Floor count	12
Grounds	17,281 sq ft (1,605.5 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Philip Hubert
Architecture firm	Hubert, Pirsson & Co.
Developer	Chelsea Association
Other information
Number of rooms	155 (125 hotel rooms, 30 suites)
Hotel Chelsea
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Lower Manhattan Show map of Lower Manhattan Location in New York City Show map of New York City Location in New York Show map of New York
Location	222 West 23rd Street Chelsea, Manhattan, New York City
Built	1883–1884
Architect	Hubert, Pirrson and Company
Architectural style	Queen Anne Revival, Victorian Gothic
NRHP reference No.	77000958
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	December 27, 1977

History of the Chelsea Hotel

A close-up of the hotel's sign.

The building that is now the Hotel Chelsea was built between 1884 and 1885. It first opened in 1884. It was one of New York City's first private apartment buildings where people could own their apartments together, like a cooperative.

The building was designed by Philip Hubert. Its style is called Queen Anne Revival and Victorian Gothic. You can see its unique look in the pretty, flower-decorated iron balconies on the outside. It also has a grand staircase that goes up all twelve floors. This staircase is usually only for hotel guests. When it was built, it was the tallest building in New York.

At first, the Chelsea was successful because it was in the center of New York's theater district. However, after a few years, things changed. The economy became tough, and many people preferred living in houses. Also, the city's theater district moved to a different area. Because of these reasons, the Chelsea apartment building went bankrupt.

In 1905, the building reopened as a hotel. Over the years, it had different owners and managers. In 2011, the hotel was sold to a new owner, Joseph Chetrit. It stopped taking new guests so that it could be renovated. Many long-term residents were allowed to stay in their apartments.

The hotel fully reopened in mid-2022. It still has about 40 permanent residents. The restaurant El Quijote, which has been in the Chelsea since 1930, also reopened after renovations.

Famous People Who Lived at the Chelsea

The Hotel Chelsea is very well-known because so many famous people have lived there. The New York Times newspaper once called it a "roof for creative heads." This is because many writers, musicians, artists, and actors have stayed there.

A journalist named Pete Hamill said the hotel's guests included "radicals in the 1930s, British sailors in the 40s, Beats in the 50s, hippies in the 60s." While early guests were rich, by the mid-1900s, the Chelsea attracted many creative people who didn't have a lot of money.

New York magazine noted that people at the hotel often became very close, like a family. Even though many famous people lived there, they usually liked their privacy. They didn't like it when others tried to use their friendships to become more famous themselves.

Writers and Poets

The Hotel Chelsea has been home to many writers and poets. Some of them even wrote their famous books while staying there.

• Arthur C. Clarke wrote 2001: A Space Odyssey at the Chelsea. He called the hotel his "spiritual home."
• Thomas Wolfe lived there before he passed away in 1938. He wrote several books, like You Can't Go Home Again. He often walked around the hotel for ideas.
• William S. Burroughs wrote his book Naked Lunch while living at the Chelsea.
• Edgar Lee Masters wrote 18 poetry books during his time there.
• Welsh poet Dylan Thomas became ill in room 205 and later died in 1953.
• American poet Delmore Schwartz spent his last years at the Chelsea.
• Irish poet Brendan Behan lived at the hotel for several months.
• Many poets from the Beat poetry movement also stayed at the Chelsea.

Other writers, authors, and journalists who stayed or lived at the hotel include:

Actors and Filmmakers

The hotel has also been a home for many actors, film directors, and comedians.

• Actress Sara Lowndes lived next to musician Bob Dylan before they got married.
• Edie Sedgwick, an actress, accidentally started a small fire in her room.
• Viva, another actress, lived there with her daughter Gaby Hoffmann.

Other entertainment personalities who lived or stayed at the Chelsea include:

Musicians and Composers

Many musicians and composers have found inspiration at the Chelsea.

• Composer and critic Virgil Thomson lived at the hotel for almost 50 years.
• Composer George Kleinsinger lived on the tenth floor with his pets.
• The activist Stormé DeLarverie and drag queen Candy Darling were also long-term residents.

The Chelsea was especially popular with rock and rock and roll musicians in the 1970s.

• These included Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols.
• Many rock bands visited, such as the Allman Brothers, the Band, Jefferson Airplane, and the Stooges.
• The Kills wrote much of their album No Wow at the Chelsea.
• The Grateful Dead even performed on the roof once!

Other famous musicians who stayed in the Chelsea include:

Visual Artists

Many visual artists, like painters, sculptors, and photographers, have also lived at the Chelsea.

• The painter John Sloan lived there until 1951. He painted pictures of the Chelsea and nearby buildings.
• Joseph Glasco lived at the Chelsea and painted Chelsea Hotel (1992) there.
• The painter Alphaeus Philemon Cole lived there for 35 years until he passed away in 1988 at 112 years old!
• Artist Vali Myers lived at the hotel from 1971 to 2014.
• Conceptual artist Bettina Grossman lived there from 1970 until her death in 2021.
• Even though Andy Warhol never lived there, many of his friends and co-workers did.

Other artists who have lived at the Chelsea include:

Other Notable People

The Chelsea Hotel has also hosted other interesting figures.

• U.S. congressman-elect Andrew J. Campbell lived there.
• The choreographer Katherine Dunham rehearsed at the hotel.
• Communist Party USA leader Elizabeth Gurley Flynn lived there.
• Event producer Susanne Bartsch also stayed at the Chelsea.

Several fashion designers have also called the Chelsea home:

• Charles James, a famous American fashion designer, moved in in 1964.
• Designer Elizabeth Hawes lived there until her death in 1971.
• Billy Reid used one of the rooms as his office and showroom.
• Natalie "Alabama" Chanin briefly lived at the Chelsea Hotel in 2001.

Images for kids

• 

  El Quijote restaurant at the Hotel Chelsea at night (July 2022).

• 

  Art fills the staircase of the Hotel Chelsea (2005).

See also

In Spanish: Hotel Chelsea para niños