Truman Capote moved frequently throughout his life, but much of it was spent in New York City. He lived at several addresses but spent ten years at 70 Willow Street in Brooklyn. It was there that he wrote Breakfast at Tiffany’s and In Cold Blood, easily his two most acclaimed works.
Rotating with the seasons, he lived in four places: in New York City, by the sea at Long Island, in the mountains in Switzerland, and in the desert at his Palm Springs pad. While less is known about his residences in Mediterranean countries and Switzerland, there is a bunch of stories surrounding his local homes, decorated with flowers, animal-shaped vases, and a favorite Victorian cat he found in Florence on his first trip to Italy.
Today we will lead you through all the infamous homes, where he spent different stages of life: success, doubts, hideaway, and peace. Stay until the end to witness the lifestyle of a novelist whose works have been adapted into more than 20 films and television productions.
Brooklyn Heights, NY
Born in 1924, Truman Capote spent his early years in Monroeville, Alabama. Although he only lived there for a short time, southern themes and experiences informed much of his later writing. When Capote moved to New York City as a young man, he quickly became enamored with the hustle and bustle of city life. He lived in various apartments in Manhattan, most famously at the one painted in yellow color.
Between the fruit-named streets of Orange and Pineapple in Brooklyn Heights, in the basement of this yellow brick home, Truman Capote wrote his famous novels In Cold Blood and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Capote lived in the neighborhood from 1955 to 1965, even telling a reporter that “it’s the only place to live in New York.” The house was constructed in 1839. Oliver Smith, a Broadway stage and set designer, was Capote’s infamous tenant.
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