Mad to Live in Denver?
by Caryn Thurman on Wednesday, June 1, 2005 05:39 am
Well then you're in luck ... if you've got the bankroll you could be calling one of the new Jack Kerouac Lofts home. Yes, Kerouac wore khakis, but what most people don't realize is that he really loved open floor plans and brushed steel pendant lighting. Urban Neighborhoods, Inc. says the lofts "pay homage to a life of exuberant discovery and offer a fitting home for those who are 'mad to live.'"
9 reponses to "Mad to Live in Denver?"
The Sampas family......might not be too happy about this, since they own all the rights to the Kerouac name/identity/all his works/etc. Or, who knows, maybe they approved it.
I bet you the lawyers are scrambling right now ...
The Lofts Look Great, Though...They really do. Makes me want to move back to Denver. Reminds me of when I was there as a teenager working at Elitch Gardens and some guy got sick on the bumper cars (lightweight!) and started puking and, as the operator of the ride, I didn't notice and the others kept gunning for him and hitting his car making him puke all over the place. Finally, I saw what was happening, hit the red emergency stop button and was systematically fired that afternoon. So ended my foray into amusement park employment, and from there I moved on to Lake Tahoe, but that's another story...
Well, I'd be surprised if they didn't know -- although they seem to just be opening up for fabulous mad living, I think the development has been in the works for a while -- the earliest press release (I think) was dated 2003. So if they're scrambling now, they've got a lot of catching up to do. Or something. Maybe they get some free vacation digs.
Yeah, they do look pretty snazzy and the website's well designed. That's an interesting story about the bumper cars, I guess they weren't seriously expecting someone to push the red button ...
A riotous puking bedlam... oh, the humanity...
Who controls the Kerouac estate these days? I am always amazed at how he purportedly kept his records and writings in meticulous order. The lofts look great, though I would loathe to be snowbound for 6 or 7 months out of the year. I loved the sections of "OTR" that were set in Denver.
Hi djrob -- the Sampas family (Kerouac was married to Stella Sampas) still controls the Kerouac estate very tightly. They got into some major battles with Jack's daughter Jan before she sadly died -- things are more peaceful now, but it's a fact that nobody gets to commercialize the Kerouac name without the Sampas okay. So, yeah, I'm surprised this one hasn't been shut down yet. Maybe they worked something out.
Neal Cassady CondosThat's what I am waiting forIncludes the following features:1946 Hudson breakfast nook, a true to size model of one of Neal's favorite cars converted to a modern breakfast area. In dash bagel slicer, coffee grinder, and microwave. Start your day in beat fashion.Cathedral ceiling recreation room great for those hours of hammer flipping. Decor is 1940 Denver pool hall. Go ahead, spit on the floor.Gas station styled bathrooms true to era with condom machines and grease stained sink but modern too!Full size spa hot tub and a fifty two-nozzle shower area. It's not the twentieth century any more.Ugh!William Burroughs barn lofts?Brings New York eighties chic to rural Kansas . . .Double ugh!