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The Keller Hotel: Then and Now
We’re coming up on the sixth anniversary of the landmarking of the Keller Hotel at West Street and Barrow Street in the Far West Village. The Keller Hotel (built 1897-98) is one of only three remaining intact former sailors’ hotels on the Greenwich Village waterfront, and as you can see from the before and after photo above, retains much of its original character.
Click here to read the full landmark designation report for the Keller Hotel in GVSHP’s Resources page (where you can view historic reports on all of our neighborhoods’ landmarked buildings), and find out how this building changed over the years to reflect the varied uses of the city’s waterfront space.
I found a letter written by my father to his Uncle on the Hotel letter head. The stationary has a black ink rendering of the Hotel on the left followed by the phone number of the time 7967-Springs. Then in bold letter head THE HOTEL KELLER “the home of the Traveler” 385 West Corner of Barrow Street. under the letter head reads: largest and most modern Hotel on New York’s Water Front(left of the header)…..
Passenger elevators, steam heat, electric light, Restaurant and Cafe (right of the header)…..
Under the right header: New York ,———fill in date which is February 6, 1922
The letter reads boy age 9:
Dear Uncle,
We saw many indians abd their house of mud and they were selling many things.We saw how they make a cup out of durt (dirt),many desert and snow. The day five, it was snowing and day after (the day he write the letter) we went inside to see the Aquitainia. I kiss you and Auntie Gina tomorrow we sail.
Your Loving Nephew,
A short salutaion written by his mother……Saluti and signed by my grandmother
What kind of indians did the child see??
The Keller Hotel on West Street (corner of Barrow) and one block South of Christopher Street in New York’s fabled Greenwich Village is long gone.In the 1970’s and through the 80’s, it was known as a notorious “flea-bag” hotel with quite a reputation.The front street level floor was a gay bar that catered mostly to blacks and transvestites. The hotel was one block South of the infamous gay bar “RAMROD”and served also as a hotel-style gay bathhouse for anonymous sex liaisons. Drug infested and well known in that area in front of the defunct West Side Highway as a magnet and hang-out for nothing but trouble…way back in the day !