Chelsea is one of the oldest neighborhoods in New York City to keep its original name. Back in 1750, an entrepreneurial Englishman named Thomas Clarke bought a “ten-square-block span” of land near the water in New York, and named the estate ‘Chelsea’ “after a soldier’s home near London” (Williams). The original Chelsea stretched between 8th and 10th Avenues, and 19th and 24th Streets (Williams). Although Clarke bought the initial chunk of land and entitled it Chelsea, he is not said to have been the official founder; his grandson, Clement Clarke Moore – the writer of The Night Before Christmas – who divided the original estate in the 1830s is considered to be instead. After this division, Chelsea really began to develop and grow. https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/ocejospring14chelsea/history/
I’ve been reading Kerouac since the lockdown began in March 2020, so when I returned to New York City at the start of 2021, I wanted to visit as many of his most-frequented spots that still (kind of) exist.
Samuel Cox statue 7th St & Ave A . Pic 2 by: ALLEN GINSBERG “Jack Kerouac wandering along East 7th Street after visiting Burroughs at our pad, passing statue of Congressman Samuel “Sunset” Cox, “The Letter-Carrier’s Friend” in Tompkins Square toward corner of Avenue A, Lower East Side; he’s making a Dostoyevsky mad-face or Russian basso be-bop Om, first walking around the neighborhood, then involved with The Subterraneans, pencils & notebook in wool shirt-pockets, Fall 1953, Manhattan.”
The “PHYSICAL GRAFFITI” Building featured on @ledzeppelin ‘s iconic album cover. . 96 and 98 East 8th Street / St. Mark’s Place (Manhattan) NYC 🗽 January 2021 *also the steps at this location were used for the Rolling Stones’ “Waiting On a Friend” video. Mick Jagger sitting right on them…
