NEW YORK CITY *** BBB! represents an ongoing campaign advocating a return of the Bard Family as stewards of the Chelsea Hotel
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In June 2007, the Chelsea's majority owner Stanley Bard, his son David and daughter Michelle were impolitely shown the exit door after managing the Hotel continuously since 1955 and nurturing into existence an internationally-renowned "Rest Stop for Rare Individuals" -- painters, writers, composers and eccentrics with their often larger-than-life personalities
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Some came to the Chelsea to create, some to destroy, others as spectators to the former. But none called its dimly-lit corridors 'home' without first meeting with the Bard Family's approval
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A few of their names are synonymous with great American Art & Pop Culture: Janis, Leonard, Jimi, the Dylans, Arthur, Andy and Edie. Others are not so well known, but contribute to the Bards' human menagerie, nonetheless
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Naturally, many within the Chelsea Hotel community as well as many on the outside looking in were deeply affected by the Bards' dismissal and a campaign of 'peaceful indignation' was formed to bring them back
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The BRING BACK THE BARDS! campaign has thus far had success restricting the ability of 'New Management' to force out long term residents including the elderly, to deny rent stabilization, and carry on disruptive renovations without legal authorization
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Above all, the BBB! campaign points out how
crucial the Bard Family is to the atmosphere of free spirited tolerance that the Chelsea is loved for, and how the organic quality of what the Bards created has suffered during months of mismanagement.
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Historically a source of inspiration, the Chelsea Hotel has lately been described as forbidding, threatening and even dangerous for some who openly disagree with the downward spiraling course that those who displaced the Bard Family have chosen
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Join our fight for the Soul of the Chelsea! Send Email to BringBackTheBards@Yahoo.com
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Who I'd like to meet:
Stanley and David Bard, behind the front desk, as Chelseaites fetch their own mail.
Had the pleasure of being at The Chelsea on many an occasion. Once being moved to a suite (at no extra cost) due to some over enthusiastic partying disturbing the residents.
Recently had the total displeasure of returning to the newly re-titled Hotel Fleeceme. Not to be repeated in a hurry, not at least whilst those insufferable cunts are running the show.
The tours and toiletries they can shove.
Bring back the soul, bring back the pleasure.
Bring back The Bards, and I'll bring back my custom.
i will be back at the chelsea at the end of the month. i would like to catch up and learn what my friends and i can do to help. the chelsea has have an amazing influence on my life and i want it to have a chance to do the same for future visitors.
i live in the area for 13 years and it's sad to see what the hotel looks like these days. its feels and looks empty. the outside once flourished with greens and now its crying for the seed of life. what were they thinking.
oh, chelsea. i haven't stopped thinking of you and your palpable presence since i last visited. how, please explain - HOW?, if you have been designated as a building on the US National Register of Historic Places, is management allowed to destruct at will???????????????????? please, there has to be some kind of legal ramification for this. why is this spiraling out of control? please stop breaking my heart. get real. save face. and history. (to be sure - the "feel" in the air and the spirits who contribute(d) to the greater whole are what makes this place what it is. trust, the rooms are nothing to write home about. no one in their right mind would stay here if they didn't want to revel in the proximity to ground zero for artists. no one would know about the chelsea without this draw - you are lead to the chelsea on your own terms and soon there will be nothing left at the end of the rainbow.) bless the guts of 222 w.23rd.
And now the Chelsea "welcome mat" is gone. Sad. What has become of the place I called home when I first moved to New York? What has become of the hotel where I stayed when I visited NY when I was trying to find my way in my early 20s? I have so many happy memories that involve the Chelsea. So sad. I'm heartbroken.
wow i have been reading your posts and its a dam shame whats going on over there. to those with a heart and spirit that was more than a piece of metal it represented history . it should be in a museum. to those heartless and soulless people running the chelsea there time will come karmas a bitch. citizen chris p.s. stay strong and keep your head up
What the hell! Are THEY going to make a discreet backdoor mail pick-up for all the residents? Keep them from mixing with the tourists? When are THEY going to understand that people like me stay at the Chelsea BECAUSE of the people that live there! I can't wait to be back in May and from the look of the Joey Ramone MB I'm not the only punk that is staying there for the show! Hey Ho Lets Bring Back The Bards!!!
madness. i can't stand it. i can't. that deserved to stand until nothing was left standing anywhere on earth. and, too boot, it looks to have been an unceremonious hack job. and the complete finger. what did become of it? please tell me someone rescued it into their room. or did new management torture it to death before everyones very eyes whilst evicting sick, elderly tenants in ceremony?
ha! the folk who came to take away the garden remnants had to sit around due the elevator mysteriously going out that day... :) and some deny the existence of the ghosts...
Hello dahhhlink....I am a california girl, hailing from san francisco, but i ts pretty safe to say, "I left my heart at the chelsea" am literally sitting at jfk right now, crying into my amstel light, wishing my time there could become a frozen moment in time...just as the beautiful soul of 222 w. 23rd. <3 BRING BACK the BARDS
remember when the east elevator used to say "LOOBY" in the doorwell on the lobby floor? Those were good times... then someone had to go and make the second 'O' into a retrofit 'B'. Bring back the bards, and bring back the LOOBY.
Ha ha...yeah. I'll be sure to do that. The last time Stanley checked me in was maybe three years ago. As usual, I had told whoever took my reservation over the phone we would be late checking in and as usual we were in fact late. This was the only time there ever was a mix-up with a reservation but somehow our basic room ended up being rented out by the time we arrived and the rest of them were booked. Stanley gave us one of the nicest suites I've ever been in at the Chelsea and didn't charge extra for the upgrade. Of course, this was only after I got the "this is one of the busiest weekends of the year...you should have told us you would be late" speech. Oh, I do miss seeing him behind that counter LoL
Thanks so much for the add. I have many happy memories of staying and living at the Chelsea in the early 90s. Stanley was always good to me. Bring back the Bards!
Thanks for adding me! I have a link to Ed's blog on my website; try to bring attention to what's going on there every chance I get. BRING BACK THE BARDS!
Posted at 2:09 PM Feb 25 view more
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OOXX
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Thanks for all!!
kiss
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