Lights Out at Elmo

I wasn't able to make it to the closing night sendoff for Elmo, my favorite restaurant in Chelsea for the past two decades and just around the corner from my apartment of 23 years. But many of my friends, including Sebastian and Chris (below), were there and said it was a joyous yet bittersweet occasion, marking the end of an era. While I'm obviously saddened, I do find some solace in the fact that it's ending because the building was sold -- not because the business was failing -- which was made abundantly clear by the outpouring of emotion when the news first broke. Now where will I go to get tasty burgers served by boys in Daisy Dukes?

With my friend Jay in 2009

Elmo, Last of the Gay Chelsea Restaurants, to Close Its Doors

 

I could probably write a thousand-word post about all the fun times -- and great meals -- I've had at Elmo over the past two decades, starting when a Ross Bleckner hung over the bar. And I've been beating the drum about the death of Chelsea for more than a decade.

But for now I will just share this notice from its owner, who just announced that the venerable eatery -- the last of the onetime homo epicenter's gay restaurants -- is closing on March 13 after losing its lease to make way for more luxury bullshit. 

What a sad day in Gay NYC, where Arriba Arriba in Hell's Kitchen might just be the last non-hetero restaurant at all.

Christmas 2025

Bob Pontarelli writes:

Dear Friends,

For nearly 25 years elmo has been the destination for hundreds of thousands of guests to enjoy some of life’s best moments.

It’s been a place for a first date or dinner with friends. A place for important celebrations and fabulous parties….or simply a place to gather comfortably with members of your community at a home away from home. Elmo has also been a space for hundreds of staff to build lifelong friendships.

We’ve seen marriages between guests and also amongst co-workers. We’ve hosted countless events from birthday parties to memorial services and political fund raisers.

We opened just months after the events of 911 and stayed open and serving food and cocktails through Sandy, several blackouts and record snow falls. We survived COVID with style by launching our wonderfully successful speakeasy, Coby Club. We’ve enjoyed so many proud moments I lost count a long time ago.

It was just confirmed to me that our building—home to elmo for 25 years—has been sold. Our lease expires with that sale. The new owners will soon bring a residential building to our neighborhood.

Sadly, all things must come to an end and elmo will serve its last meal on Friday, March 13.

With this news I personally will try to embrace all the beautiful memories and wonderful experiences elmo has given me and will move forward with new ventures and philanthropic projects that hopefully will have a wide impact.

There are few businesses as challenging or as exciting as owning a restaurant in New York City.

25 years is a very long time. To own a restaurant that has enjoyed the astonishing success and iconic stature that elmo has is a privilege and an honor. It has been a wonderfully exhilarating ride.

I will always remain deeply and profoundly grateful for your years of support and for your friendship.

I’ll see you around.

Bob Pontarelli 

The proposed replacement building 

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Chelsea's Elmo Restaurant to Get 15-Year Anniversary Makeover

Nearly had a stroke when I walked past Elmo last night and saw signs all over the windows saying it was closing for renovation -- "renovation" usually being shorthand for "we're going out of business but want to throw our creditors off while we skip town." Damian, Tim and I -- who still eat at the venerable holdout from Chelsea's gay heyday as if Splash were still the hottest bar in town -- were so concerned, in fact, that we went in to question the staff still on hand. 

The young woman we spoke to assured us that this was a "real" renovation to mark the 15th anniversary of the place, which I can remember visiting opening week in 2002 back when it was best known for having a Ross Bleckner that was commissioned for the joint hanging over the front bar. She told us the entire thing will be redone -- including the downstairs lounge -- and that they will reopen for business in just one week. (Nice to see some men in Chelsea still operate very fast!) Longtime Chelsea residents will remember the location was the former home of Chelsea Lobster and before than Claire, which was known as the "Key West of the city."

Although Tim breathed a sigh of relief at the news, he still left flummoxed asking: "Where will we get truffle fries for the next week?" Congrats to Elmo on 15 wonderful years -- and here's wishing you 15 more!

UPDATE: East of Eighth, another legendary gay restaurant in Chelsea, just abruptly closed. Read HERE.

Tickle My Prostate

Kevin Clash, puppeteer who voiced Elmo, cleared of three sexual abuse lawsuits 

That may be so, but he did put his hand up Elmo's butt on countless occasions.

When Andy Cohen Met Elmo

Can a "Real Housewives of Sesame Street" be far behind?

Good Hed

#thatswhathesaid

The Letter 'P' Is for Prison

 ‘Sesame Street’ introduces first-ever Muppet with dad in jail 

Oh, the irony. "Sesane Street" finally gets around to inroducing a character whose father is in the slammer just as Elmo himself is headed to the big pen. Read HERE.

Bad Elmo

Jim Henson must be turning in his grave: If this monstrous Muppet isn't going off on Jews or plying underage boys with drugs and alcohol for sex, he's extorting money from Girl Scouts! Read HERE.

Can't Imagine Anyone Faulting Elmo for Molesting This One

Although Jon Hamm is way too old for him. 

(I wonder if the Mad Man put his hand up Elmo's butt.)

Felt Up ... Again

Ex-Elmo puppeteer accused of sexual abuse by fifth man 

 Where's the Count when you need him? ONE accusation. TWO accusations. THREE accusations. FOUR accusations. FIVE accusations.

Talking Tina

'Elmo' allegedly had meth-fueled sex 

with man who claims he was 16 

at start of 'years-long' affair

Can you tell me how to get to Sesame Street ... 'cause I wanna buy some meth:

Via The New York Post:

A Pennsylvania man claims he had a crystal meth-fueled sexual affair with former Elmo voice Kevin Clash, the boy toy claimed in a bombshell lawsuit. Sheldon Stephens, 24, made a out-of-court settlement with Elmo’s voice late last year before ripping up that deal. Stephens recanted his admission that sex with Clash was consensual, adult affair. Now Stephens is claiming, in federal lawsuit filed last night, that he started having sex with Clash when he was just 16 in 2004. Clash regularly sent a chauffeur to Harrisburg to bring Stephens to New York as part of a “pattern of sexual activity … over a period of years,” according to the plaintiff. “Through his various trips to New York, Sheldon also became acquainted with the chauffeur who transported him to Clash’s apartment,” according to the complaint. “On one occasion, a male chauffeur drove Clash and Sheldon to the chauffeur’s apartment, where they had a crystal meth sex party. While in the apartment, Clash smoked crystal meth while engaging in sexual activity with Sheldon.” The lawsuit does not state when the alleged drug-fueled sex affair happened. The lawsuit added: “While Clash had sexual contact with Sheldon, the chauffeur watched and masturbated.” Clash resigned from “Sesame Street” on Nov. 20 after Stephens and another young man claimed to have had underaged sex with the popular puppeteer. Clash's lawyer declined comment this morning, saying he hadn't reviwed the lawsuit yet.

Ride the Ride

Felt Soft

 Perhaps the only thing worse than being accused of preying on underage teens is being accused of preying on underage teens and not being able to get it up. Read HERE.

Down-on-My-Luck Elmo

This homeless critter was spotted outside the business in the basement of my apartment building.

Tickle-My-Prostate Elmo (UPDATED)

 I was away when this Kevin Clash story took a sharp turn, but something tells me I owe Sheldon Stephens an apology. Read HERE.

UPDATE: And do I hear a third?

Meet the Guy Who F**ked Elmo (UPDATE)

According to The Smoking Gun, this is the asshole who dragged Kevin Clash's name through the mud claiming he'd had a sexual relationship with the Elmo puppeteer when he (Sheldon Stephens) was underage. The Smoking Gun notes that the 24-year-old was once arrested for the knifepoint robbery of $250,000 in jewelry from a music manager for whom he interned. (The apple didn't fall far from the tree: Mom was arrested in 2011 for stabbing her husband with scissors.) That he would do something so vile to Clash and is an "struggling model/actor" tells me I'm only giving him what he wants by posting his name and photo. But I prefer to think of it was an America's Most Unwanted poster.  Read HERE.

UPDATE: I was away when this story turned a corner, but I have a feeling I owe Sheldon Stephens an apology. Read HERE.

All Aboard!