Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Pimp My Room
We've already established that some of the Chelsea's more colorful characters lived on the
other side of the law. Stanley Bard would let them move in as part of his management
strategy—remaining sensitive to the economy. When times were good, he rented rooms to
a more respectable bunch of artists. When the economy stank, as it did during much of the
80s, he adapted by renting rooms to pimps, prostitutes, and drug dealers. They always paid
on time.
In her book
At the Chelsea,
Florence Turner adds that she and her artist friends were al-
ways thankful when they saw a pimp had moved in. Then Stanley would ease the pressure
on the artists who owed him money. “The pimps, unknowingly,” she wrote, “were patrons
of the arts.”
PAUL VOLMER
Pimps lived there, even pimps with hookers who lived in their rooms. As long as
theydidn'tturntricksinthehotel,theycouldlivethere.Stanleywouldturnablind
eye to just about whatever went on.
MARLOWE WEST
Sometimes Paul and I and the guys in Skin Tight would get wind of a party in
some room. We'd show up and be like “Whoa!” because it seemed like there was
more than a party going on there; there was a feeling of some kind of business
dealing about it, like a connection for drugs or prostitution. So we would just po-
litely thank them and make our way out.
JERRY WEINSTEIN
We used to take in some pretty rough guys. We had several hookers, for example.
OneoftheshticksIusedonthehoteltoursIusedtogivewasthattheChelseawas
“a very fertile place.” Arthur Miller wrote many plays when he got here. Brendan
Behan's only child was born when he lived here. A lot of writers do very well
here. Jacob Dylan was conceived here. So it's a very creative place. We used to
say that it was so fertile at the Chelsea that even the hookers got pregnant!
TIM SULLIVAN
Coffie was a big black guy, a pimp who had about five girls, and they were all
gorgeous. He was your classic pimp, and a nice guy Nobody bothered the pimps.
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