pair of aces: robert mapplethorpe & patti smith

I was thinking about all my loved ones in my hometown New York City who are homebound due to the current hurricane sweeping the East Coast. After reading news update after update, I found myself scrolling through the www looking at pictures of the Big Apple and I stumbled across these photos of Patti Smith & Robert Mapplethorpe. 

They remind me of my magical childhood in 1970's NYC, where even as a wee youngster, I too had a few pants suits that I paired with silver and feather necklaces. Mini mapplethorpe at the age of 4. I see a worn tee, blazer and wild child necklace in my near future. You can never go back but you can dig through your storage boxes and break out your feather and leather jewelry.

rest in peace chelsea hotel

News of the infamous hotel's shuttered doors just hit the left coast and needless to say, we are not pleased. Especially those of us who grew up in the Big Apple.

Apparently, the reservation board going dark has to do with the fact the hotel's pink slip is held by a new pair hands, who somehow intend to conduct major renovations on the hotel while keeping all the original objets d'art, molding, iron work etc. Hmmm.

And what about the current residents who reside in the hotel? They're allowed to stay, though most say they'll miss the revolving door of mid-westerners with fanny packs, overaged punks and just plain old NYC lovers looking to stay in the "haunted" hotel with the ghosts of Nancy Spungen and Dylan Thomas, not to mention garner a little creativity that must live in hotel's walls. Just ask Patti Smith.

The last time I went to the Chelsea Hotel was in 1999, just before my move to Los Angeles. My friend Arianna's mother was in town and I joined her family at El Quijote. I still remember the comforting depth of the sopa de ajo, laden with garlic and laced with delicate ribbons of egg. Yum.

Oh New York. How could you?