The Barbizon

The Barbizon by Paulina Bren Teh history of the Barbizon Hotel For Women in New York City. Opened in 1928, this was just one of the hotels for women in New York. These hotels filled a need as women were entering the workforce and needed/wanted a safe place to live. The Barbizon became well known for the fashion models that lived there, along with people who would late become famous: Grace Kelly, Joan Didion, Sylvia Plath and Ali Mcgraw to name a few. The hotel went through many iterations, reflecting the social changes happening the country from the 1930s through the 70s. The hotel closed in 1979, and several developers tried to revise the property in some form, which was finally accomplished in the 2000s when the property was developed as multi-million dollar residences. But interestingly enough, there are a small group of women, now in their 80s and 90s, who still live there under the rent control laws.