The Bard family ran the Hotel Chelsea for many years, and specifically, Stanley Bard was a fixture there. Bard was ousted a few years ago, and now the legendary hotel is being gutted and stripped of any of its original character. Part of the hotel's storied past includes other legends, like Patti Smith, who lived there during two tough times in her life, thanks in large part to Bard. But now, it seems she's turned her back on the man that once helped her out.
According to the Hotel Chelsea blog, she'll be playing a private concert there for residents (we're told around 80 remain) this Thursday, at an event held by developer Joseph Chetrit, who now holds the hotel keys.
Two people who still live there told us, "We really hope we can get the word out and get Patti to cancel." They believe she may not know "the person sponsoring her upcoming event, Joseph Chetrit, is the same developer who took Stanley Bard’s beloved hotel away from him and his family. And surely she is unaware that this is the same Joseph Chetrit whose demolition crews recently gutted over a hundred historic Chelsea Hotel rooms." Also, this is the same Chetrit who is currently trying to evict the remaining residents via the housing and Supreme court.
