RL Chelsea Resident Contacts the Virtual Chelsea

Arthur "Artie" Nash, is the Chelsea resident who has been hanging the real "BRING BACK THE BARDS!" banners on the Chelsea.

Mr. Nash, a writer, historical archivist and "founder of the Bring Back the Bards Campaign" has been living at the Chelsea since 2005; and among others knew Herbert Huncke and Dylan Thomas's sponsor, John Malcolm Brinnin who brought Thomas to the U.S.A.

Mr. Nash has a great archive of pictures chronicalling the wanton destruction of the hotel by current management at : http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewAlbums&friendID=453774952

Artie has offered to send the virtual Chelsea other pictures if we need them.

Thanks Artie!!

Virtual Chelsea Event Hits youtube!!!

The NY Times interview and poetry read was filmed and edited by SL Chelsea Resident Pooky Amsterdam's company "Pookymedia".

Watch it here! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xz2iDwiM4B0

Chelsea Bohemian Poets Crash Sim!!!

Thanks to the amazing talents of the Virtual Chelsea's Marketing Director Skylar Smythe, what was an impromptu poetry read, became a full blown Sim filling Event!

We had so many people show up to read and listen to our great line up of poets, that some had to leave so that New York Times reporter "Saki Inkpen" could get in to interview Mykal!

Here's a link to Sharon Schuman's flicker page with pics of the event: http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharronschuman/3480796855/in/set-72157617313068059/

New York Times Interviews Mykal amongst a Chelsea Poetry Read.

From the Real Chelsea Hotel blog: http://www.chelseahotelblog.com/living_with_legends_the_h/

Greedy Gangsters Will Never Control the Heart and Soul of the Chelsea: Mykal Skall’s Virtual Chelsea Rules

In an interview with Jeremiah Moss on the Vanishing New York blog, poet and musician Mykal Skall confesses that while most people come to NYC to see the Statue of Liberty or various other tourist attractions, his dream was to come to the city and stay at the Chelsea. There will always be such rare individuals who don’t just automatically accept the Status quo, and since 1884, the Chelsea has been the place that has drawn them in.

Mykal, of course, is the man who created the Virtual Chelsea on Second Life, with the noble purpose of raising awareness of the greed of the minority shareholders who want to to turn this place into a boutique hotel. But as Mykal’s creation shows, though Marlene Krauss and David Elder may have temporarily seized the physical building that houses the Chelsea, they will never be able to gain control of the heart and soul of Chelsea. It is the true artists of the Chelsea Hotel past, present, and future, who will always own that soul – people who are passionate about the unique traditions of the hotel, and loyal to the Bards, who created and nurtured those traditions. Krauss and Elder and their cronies will never gain the trusts of the true artists, because they have no idea what makes them tick.

Hell, Krauss and Elder don’t even understand the BRAND of the Chelsea. They keep trying to rent the rooms to Midwestern tourists on package deals! That’s a bright spot, however, because it means they’ll continue to lose money until they cave in and Bring Back the Bards! Those of us left at the physical Chelsea will continue to fight the good fight so that those of you who dream of joining us will someday have your chance. And in the meantime there’s Mykal’s virtual Chelsea to preserve the ideals that make this iconic hotel great. – Ed Hamilton (Photo: A gathering of poets at the Virtual Chelsea via Sharron Schuman's flickr)

Pixel Scoop Writes about the RL/SL Hotels!!

From Pixel Scoop: http://pixelscoop.net/2009/04/29/chelsea-hotel-second-life/


The Chelsea Comes to Second Life™

Having featured in films such as The Interpreter, Sid & Nancy and Nine 1/2 Weeks, several music hits and numerous books, the Bohemian hub that is the Chelsea Hotel, New York is something of a Mecca for the creative.

More famed for its permanent residents than its guests, the hotel housed Dylan Thomas, Arthur Miller, Stanley Kubrick and Jane Fonda amongst others.

For those of you who don’t know much about the Chelsea, you can take a quick read here.
More relevant to my point however is the fact that his iconic establishment has now been replicated in Second Life. Mykal Skall has built the Chelsea with impeccable attention to detail right down to displaying the same artwork you’ll find in the real Chelsea and replicas of plaques at the entrance.

The Chelsea in Second Life has already attracted the attention of the New York Times and looks set to become a real focal point for the creative arts within Second Life. An impromptu event on Monday saw some twenty poets take to the stage in the Living with Legends lounge, an area that will host numerous poetry and live music events.

For anyone interested in taking part in anything even remotely creative within SL, it is definitely worth checking out available office space for rent. As well as raising awareness of the hotel and its more recent controversial takeover, which saw the popular Bards ousted from management, the virtual Chelsea is already becoming a meeting point for the artistically minded.

Whether you want to share your creativity, simply watch others share theirs or just explore an incredible build, go along and take a look.

The grand opening will take place on Sunday May 3rd at noon SL time. Want to be a part of the opening of this incredible location? Go on then….









Click here to teleport to the Hotel Chelsea in Second Life.

Written by Josue Habana in: Features, Places to Go Tags: mykal skall, places to go in second life, second life buildings, second life hotel chelsea, sl replica

Curbed.com Picks up Virtual Chelsea Story!!

Hotel Chelsea's Metaverse
Tuesday, April 28, 2009, by Lockhart

Beyond the surprising news that people still hang out in the interactive world of Second Life, there's the equally surprising tidbit that the Hotel Chelsea is nearly perfectly represented inside its virtual environment. Blogger Jeremiah Moss talked to its creator and reports thusly: "We chatted a bit about the vanishing city. About places like CBGB—which also used to have a replica in Second Life (that's where my avatar got his souvenir t-shirt), but that vanished, too. 'Of course,' Mykal said, 'we can always go to Vegas to experience New York.'" [Vanishing NY]

Story on curbed.com: http://curbed.com/archives/2009/04/28/hotel_chelseas_metaverse.php

"Stan Bardenboar" Re-installed as Virtual Chelsea Manager, RL Residents see glimmer of hope!

(from http://www.chelseahotelblog.com/)


The Long Greedy Arms of Minority Shareholders Marlene Krauss and David Elder Do Not Extend to SL


We hear that there's a lot going on over there at the virtual Hotel Chelsea in Second Life. For starters, the "Bring Back the Bard" campaign has been SUCCESSFUL and as you can see from this screen grab Stanley Bard has been firmly installed behind the desk. And, according to Mykal, the creator of the virtual Chelsea Hotel "I'm meeting actual hotel residents who have been in Second Life for some time! (did you know you lived in the midst of avatars?) This will help me to make the hotel even more accurate! As for rent? I plan on doing it the old school way... first of all real residents get dibs, secondly, your art is more important than your rent. Yes, it costs me a bit of money monthly to do this, but if it helps the cause of the hotel residents, it's worth it. If I could live there for real, I would.. this is my substitute for now... enjoy."


















For the full story with comments:
http://www.chelseahotelblog.com/living_with_legends_the_h/2009/04/the-long-greedy-arm-of-minority-shareholders-marlene-krauss-and-david-elder-do-not-extend-to-sl.html

Surfinbird Cabaret becomes first RL/SL Chelsea Crossover!

Surfinbird who is a RL photographer and long term resident of the Hotel Chelsea, visited the SL one. And thanks to his help and kind donations, we were able to make the Virtual hotel even more like the RL one!

Surf will be taking up residence in the SL Chelsea, just like the RL one. Look for his work in the hallways and be sure to stop in and say hi!

Thanks for all your help Surfinbird!!

Virtual Hotel Chelsea featured on Real Life Hotel Chelsea Blog!

(from http://www.chelseahotelblog.com/)


April 22, 2009

Bards Reign Eternal in Virtual Hotel Chelsea on Second Life

Been missing your mail? Pick it up at the virtual Chelsea Hotel on Second Life, where they still have the old time mailboxes. In a timeless hotel where Stanley Bard will always be the manager, cowboy artist David Combs still seems to be painting the lobby. May he paint throughout eternity! Though there’s a convenient cab waiting at the door, in an unfortunate oversight, there’s no Dan’s Guitars. Maybe virtual Marlene Krauss has evicted them. Ah well. And actually, I lied about Stanley being there. (Maybe somebody has to create his character—they should get right on that. If not, Arthur Nash will have to start a Second Life Bring Back the Bards campaign). Gigi Travis and Wee Willie Tillie should join and then they can be dueling failures.

Chelsea Hotel was created in Second Life by Michael Skall who has been "enamoured with the Chelsea Hotel for quiet a few years." In an e-mail he explains his project:


"Second Life (www.secondlife.com) a virtual online 3D world where all of the content is user created. I regularly perform my music there live, but I've also created the Hotel there from several pictures that I took while there. It's totally interactive, and even has one working elevator, that works sometimes... lol I've also built a virtual lounge where the El Quiote should be, call it virtual poetic license. I plan on hosting poetry reads there, as well as music. "SL" is a great venue to get music and poetry out in almost real time to people all over the world....
I would like your input if you see any way that this can help the cause of saving the Chelsea for what it should be? I may be able to raise awareness, and even have benefits, but I don't know what else I can do to help your cause...
I've attached some pics, and if you are or may get into SL (it's free btw) here's the SLURL you'll need to find it http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lanestris/57/149/99 The music is currently all Chelsea related, and if you click on the sign you get a history notecard, as well as the pictures and other plaques give a list of residents."


There you have it! El Quixote has been replaced with a lounge for the poets and musicians to perform their work! Well, better that it happen in Second Life than in First Life I say. Here are the pics if you haven't joined the brave new world of Second Life.