<p>During the last week, social studies teacher, <b>Mr. Robert Sandler</b> had <b>Sherrill Tippins</b>, author of <b><i>Inside the Dream Palace: The Life and Times of the Legendary Chelsea Hotel</i></b> come to his <b>NYC History class</b>. Sherrill taught students how the Chelsea Hotel started off in 1883 as a socialist cooperative inspired by Charles Fourier’s utopian communes in France. They learned how that community fell apart in the 20thc and it became a bohemian hotel for artists, musicians and writers. The students loved hearing stories about how cultural icons like Arthur C. Clark, Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin, Patti Smith, Jack Kerouac & Arthur Miller all lived at the hotel and created famous artworks there. </p><p>They also talked about punk rocker and Sex Pistol Sid Vicious alleged stabbing of Nancy Spungen in 1979 and how that event led to a period of decline for the famous hotel. Then we explored how the Chelsea Hotel had a renaissance in the 1980s and the current litigation between the last fifty tenants & developers who are trying to renovate the building into a boutique hotel. It was a fun & informative talk! <i>(photos courtesy of Mr. Sandler)</i></p>
