The last of the New York City Flophouses in NYC. I used to live in Hell's Kitchen and used to pass this place all the time. Now it is gone for good.
Here is a recent review of this place
"I stayed in this hotel during a convention in the city, every hotel was booked, and my bus left from Port Authority so I figured I would spend the night. I open my $59 a night hotel room to find vermin and feces. I saw a mouse scamper under the dresser and proceeded to hear rats for the rest of my stay, noises like "errr errr, tist tist, piiiiiiin piiiiin" haunted me. I could feel them scappering around, ready to prounce. Then I needed to pee.... I open the bathroom door to the smell of feces. I thought I was in a sewer hole like Timothy Robbins in Shawshank Redemption. I held my breathe and let lose but it was terrible!"
Another more enthusiastic: "When I stayed at ELK, I thought it was great because I like adventure and the hotel was so bad, that it was good. Then after going there last summer, I have watched 2 films where the main characters stay in the Elk Hotel. "The Beach" and "Fighting". I think that is amazing and it really showed me the culture of New York City."
and another equally funny one:
"Do not enter
Apart from the king size rats, giant roaches, disgusting bathrooms and mean staff, this place could possible be the best hotel in all NYC"
You can read more about the Elk Hotel here:
vanishingnewyork.blogspot.com/2012/02/elk-hotel.html
www.nytimes.com/2004/06/13/nyregion/times-square-at-100-u...
observer.com/1999/06/two-hours-25-at-the-last-notell-hotel/
wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=25451 
