Barbizon

Reflecting a decorative and eclectic blend of Italian Renaissance, Gothic and Islamic influences, the 23-story Barbizon Hotel represents one of the earliest residential alternatives for women moving to New York City to take advantage of the new professional opportunities of the 1920s. Young women began leaving the traditional family home in search... of career opportunities brought on by the era's economic expansion. The Barbizon provided a refuge for many of these women, and its owners sought to create an environment that reinforced the values of the families from which the women had come. Codes of Conduct and Dress were enforced, no men were allowed above the lobby floor, and prospective tenants needed three letters of recommendation to be considered. Despite these apparent constraints, the Barbizon later hosted many social, intellectual and athletic activities and, and in recent years attracted a variety of famous tenants, including entertainers Grace Kelly, Candice Bergen and Liza Minnelli. The Barbizon was also active in promoting women's organizations, providing meeting space to groups such as the National Junior League, the Arts Council of New York, and the Wellesley College Club. Today, the Barbizon operates as a standard hotel. Left, a Barbizon belle on the move, 1980. Right, Ford model (and Barbizon tenant) Carmen DellOrefice poses for the November 1, 1948, Vogue cover, by John Rawlings. By Sara Krulwich/The New York Times/Redux; from the Condé Nast Archive. For a small-town girl with a dream, from the Roaring 20s through the 1960s, there was no address more glamorous than New Yorks "women only Barbizon Hotel. A combined charm school and dormitory, it would shelter a parade of yet-to-be-discovered damselsJoan Crawford, Grace Kelly, Candice Bergen, Sylvia Plath, Ali MacGraw, and many morenurture their ambitions, and leave some with broken hearts. The author delves into the Barbizons mystique, as well as the darker side of its Stork Clubandstardust allure. She sat by the window, watching the world rumble ...Read More