Chelsea Hotel’s storied doors auctioned
New York: More than 50 doors from New York’s fabled Chelsea Hotel that guarded the secrets of stars such as Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen and Jimi Hendrix are going on sale, thanks to an enterprising former homeless man.
The unusual auction comes after the historic bohemian hangout closed in 2011 for extensive renovations, which will leave only the original facade of the 12- story hotel on 23rd Street.
Since opening in 1884, the Chelsea Hotel became a refuge for writers and artists who would stay days, weeks or indefinitely. Among them were Mark Twain, Jack Kerouac, Bob Marley, Humphrey Bogart, Joni Mitchell, Madonna and Andy Warhol.
Cohen immortalised the building in his song “Chelsea Hotel No. 2,” later revealed to be about a fling with Joplin, while the hotel gained notoriety when punk rocker Sid Vicious was charged with stabbing to death his girlfriend Nancy Spungen there. Entering the story is a lesser- known resident, Jim Georgiou, who lived at the Chelsea Hotel from 2002 to 2011 when he was evicted for failing to pay rent.
He moved nearly across the street from the hotel with his dog Teddy and tried to make a living by selling records.
In 2012, Georgiou spotted workers preparing to throw out old doors and managed to recover more than 50 of them with help from friends, said Arlan Ettinger.