November 5, 2009
Boys, Boys, Boys - NOT It’s Thursday, which means another round of great articles in the New York Times Style section. There was one today that really made me take notice: Where the Boys Aren’t. The article showcases modern day New York women-only residences where ladies of all ages (though mostly in their 20’s) can get their own room, hot breakfast and dinner, maid service, use of a large garden and a roof deck with a spectacular views for only $1,000 a month - a total steal! The catch?  Men are only welcome in common areas. Since their heyday in the 50’s and 60’s, New York women-only residences have reduced significantly in number and aren’t viewed as glamourous as those of the former era. In fact, I assumed they vanished from the city decades ago. So why do I find this all so interesting? My father dated Kate Reagan while they were attending UNC Chapel Hill. And as most college loves go, after graduation they went in separate directions - him to DC, her to New York. To this day, my dad still talks about Kate and compares my move here to hers, describing the differences of young girls now and then. Turns out, when Kate moved to Manhattan, she lived at the Barbizon, which the NYT article describes as: “The most famous for Women on East 63rd Street, was memorably depicted in Sylvia Plath’s 1963 novel “The Bell Jar” as populated by well-to-do “girls” whose parents “wanted to make sure their daughters were living in a place where men couldn’t get at them and deceive them.”  Other famous Barbizon girls include Grace Kelly, Candice Bergen, Ali McGraw and Plath herself. My dad and Kate still keep in mild contact through email and now Facebook (kinda cool, kinda weird…) and to this day, my dad is still trying to get me to meet Kate - after all, she still lives in New York.  Honestly, I think it’d be kind of cool to meet her and get a sense of what my dad was like way back then, particularly since he seems to have selective memory. Here are some highlights from the article, but I’d definitely give it a full-read, especially the slideshow. Apartment houses that provided temporary refuge for young ladies hoping to find fame, or start a career (or snare a husband) in the big city occupy a distinct sliver of New York lore. Though the Barbizon and others, such as the Parkside Evangeline on Gramercy Park, have succumbed to developers’ offers over the years, sold and remade into condos or luxury hotels, the smattering of all-female residences that remain are thriving, most with waiting lists of prospective tenants Bygone conventions like curfews disappeared years ago. “On Saturday night, you start seeing everyone all dolled up and walking out the door…. you might see them walking in again on Sunday morning or afternoon.” Other rules are very much alive. “Please note: Male visitors may not use the elevators without a staff escort,” reads a sign near the dining room at the Webster. The appeal today is not so different than it was in the past: safety, cleanliness and — especially attractive in modern-day New York — a good real estate deal.

Boys, Boys, Boys - NOT

It’s Thursday, which means another round of great articles in the New York Times Style section. There was one today that really made me take notice: Where the Boys Aren’t. The article showcases modern day New York women-only residences where ladies of all ages (though mostly in their 20’s) can get their own room, hot breakfast and dinner, maid service, use of a large garden and a roof deck with a spectacular views for only $1,000 a month - a total steal!

The catch?  Men are only welcome in common areas.

Since their heyday in the 50’s and 60’s, New York women-only residences have reduced significantly in number and aren’t viewed as glamourous as those of the former era. In fact, I assumed they vanished from the city decades ago.

So why do I find this all so interesting? My father dated Kate Reagan while they were attending UNC Chapel Hill. And as most college loves go, after graduation they went in separate directions - him to DC, her to New York. To this day, my dad still talks about Kate and compares my move here to hers, describing the differences of young girls now and then.

Turns out, when Kate moved to Manhattan, she lived at the Barbizon, which the NYT article describes as: “The most famous for Women on East 63rd Street, was memorably depicted in Sylvia Plath’s 1963 novel “The Bell Jar” as populated by well-to-do “girls” whose parents “wanted to make sure their daughters were living in a place where men couldn’t get at them and deceive them.”  Other famous Barbizon girls include Grace Kelly, Candice Bergen, Ali McGraw and Plath herself.

My dad and Kate still keep in mild contact through email and now Facebook (kinda cool, kinda weird…) and to this day, my dad is still trying to get me to meet Kate - after all, she still lives in New York.  Honestly, I think it’d be kind of cool to meet her and get a sense of what my dad was like way back then, particularly since he seems to have selective memory.

Here are some highlights from the article, but I’d definitely give it a full-read, especially the slideshow.

  • Apartment houses that provided temporary refuge for young ladies hoping to find fame, or start a career (or snare a husband) in the big city occupy a distinct sliver of New York lore.
  • Though the Barbizon and others, such as the Parkside Evangeline on Gramercy Park, have succumbed to developers’ offers over the years, sold and remade into condos or luxury hotels, the smattering of all-female residences that remain are thriving, most with waiting lists of prospective tenants
  • Bygone conventions like curfews disappeared years ago. “On Saturday night, you start seeing everyone all dolled up and walking out the door…. you might see them walking in again on Sunday morning or afternoon.”
  • Other rules are very much alive. “Please note: Male visitors may not use the elevators without a staff escort,” reads a sign near the dining room at the Webster.
  • The appeal today is not so different than it was in the past: safety, cleanliness and — especially attractive in modern-day New York — a good real estate deal.