Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Old Chelsea Haunts
Finally, when talking about residents of the Chelsea, you can't ignore the ghosts. They say
the most haunted locales are hospitals and cemeteries, where people die and stay dead,
respectively. But a lot of people die in apartment buildings and residence hotels like the
Chelsea. It deserves ranking among America's most haunted. Most everyone who lived at
the Chelsea has a ghost story or two. Some of them are playful—others troubling.
PAUL VOLMER
Once, a neighbor of mine gave me a couple hits of acid. Now I wasn't really sure
if I was interested in acid, especially after seeing my acquaintance Adrian freak
outwhenhislegabsorbedthefortyhitsandheendeduponLetterman.So,Ididn't
want to bother with it. I put the acid aside on the dresser. So, of course, while I
was doing my rounds as night watchman of the building, Neicy found it and took
it.
I came down to the first floor, which is where Sid was supposed to have killed
Nancy, and there was Neicy standing right there in that apartment and talking to
someone. But no one was there talking back to her! Neicy was gesturing and hav-
ing an animated conversation with, I guess, a ghost. A friendly talk. I could defin-
itely tell it was a lively conversation she was having with this ghost! I walked up
to her and said, “Neicy, who are you talking to?”
“I'm talking to Nancy,” she said.
“Well, it's very late,” I said. “I think it's time for you and Nancy to go to bed.”
I coaxed Neicy out of the room and brought her back home to sleep. I didn't think
NancySpungenwouldbeaverygoodinfluence.ButNeicyhadtakenoneofthose
hits of acid, and it made her go and talk with the spirit world.
Afterwards, Neicy didn't want to talk about it. I think it scared her and she
didn't want to relive it.
Some people have said there are ghosts at the Chelsea, and it does seem like a
possibility. There is a feeling of ghosts, such a feeling of serendipity there. I met
people who had been on the fringes of the Kerouac scene, or of the Warhol scene.
Ghosts of times past. I met one of Nico's ex-husbands. Lots of writers lived there.
There were all of these lingering connections to bigger movements who felt like
they were still there, kind of like ghosts.
MARLOWE WEST
Search WWH ::
Custom Search