From Thomas Wolfe to the Mamas and the Papas: The Venerable Hotel Albert in Greenwich Village

A lecture by historian Anthony W. Robins

Everyone knows the Algonquin Hotel and the Chelsea Hotel, but the Hotel Albert on University Place and East 10th Street has hosted a riotously rich group of creative New Yorkers. Designed by Henry Hardenbergh, architect of the Plaza Hotel and the Dakota Apartments, the Albert was home to many famous writers in its early years, including Robert Louis Stevenson, Hart Crane, and Thomas Wolfe. Mark Twain lectured at the Albert in 1901, and Walt Whitman is said to have been sighted there. Political radicals also found refuge in the Albert – and John Scopes stayed here while rounding up supporters for his famous “monkey trial” in Tennessee.

In the 1960’s, The Mamas & The Papas wrote “California Dreamin’ and Lovin’ Spoonful wrote “Do You Believe in Magic” here. Other musicians who spent time at the Albert included the Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell and James Taylor. Many of them used the Albert’s basement for rehearsals and impromptu jam sessions.

This illustrated lecture examines the Albert’s history and its illustrious roster of residents from the 1880s to the 1970s. It’s based on the history of the Albert written by Mr. Robins for the current co-op.