BY WINNIE McCROY | In what is a victory for both the proprietor of Chelsea Guitars and the neighborhood as a whole, the new owners of the storied Chelsea Hotel have agreed to let Dan Courtenay’s iconic guitar shop remain in the building. Thanks to some forward-thinking businessmen, the shop that has been providing musicians with high-end guitars and equipment for 25 years will continue on as the official music store of a hotel that’s boasted a music store in their lobby since 1908.
In an earlier story (May 3, 2018’s “Guitar Shop Owner Hopes Egress Won’t End His Era at the Chelsea Hotel”), Chelsea Now reported that Courtenay’s tiny shop, located at 224 W. 23rd St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.), was slated to be shut down and/or demolished so that an alternate entrance to the Chelsea Hotel could be built. He had until June 30 to vacate the premises. But after the community rose up to support Courtenay — a longtime local small business owner and a neighborhood resident to boot — the owners seemed to reconsider the value-added benefits of hanging on to their exclusive piece of old-time, authentic New York City.
“Negotiations went to the 11th hour, but the fact is that this [May 3] article, which at first I was loathe to do, ended up changing everything,” Courtenay said, noting that shortly after its publication, he received many calls of concern and support from community groups and politicians, including State Senator Brad Hoylman and Speaker Corey Johnson, who is also the City Council representative for Chelsea.
In addition to meaningful assistance from electeds, Courtenay also expressed gratitude for the groundswell of support from neighbors who stopped by his store, spoke to their elected officials and community boards, and called the hotel owners to let them know how important this issue was to them. It appears that the new owners got the message loud and clear.
Construction will have to be done in the back of Chelsea Guitars to install a door, and Courtenay will lose his bathroom and some storage space. Teams have already come by to measure the space, and are seeking an alternative storage space for some of Courtenay’s huge stock of high-end and vintage guitars. There may also be some changes to the facade.
But Courtenay is thrilled that he will get to stick around to see the Chelsea Hotel finally get its long-awaited facelift, and local preservationists are happy that a fresh-faced Chelsea Guitars shop will be part of that renovation.
After months of losing sleep worrying about his perilous fate, Courtenay said he is now sleeping well, confident that his business will remain in its longtime home for the next few years. Courtenay noted that he just signed a lease that permits him to stay in the location at the same rent until 2021. He had nothing but good things to say about it.
For more information, visit the store at 224 W. 23rd St. (btw. Seventh & Eighth Aves.) — and online, visit chelseaguitars.com.