The Albert Hotel

What secrets do these walls hold? The Albert Hotel, a historic landmark in Greenwich Village, has seen a century of New York City life. It stands on the corner of University Place and 11th Street, a quiet sentinel observing the ever-changing city. The Albert Hotel isn’t just a building. It’s a repository of stories, a place where history and culture intertwine. Originally built in 1881-1882, The Albert Hotel wasn’t always a hotel. It began as the Albert Apartment House, next to the Hotel St. Stephen. Henry Hardenbergh, the architect of the Plaza Hotel and the Dakota Apartments, designed this initial structure. Over time, the apartments transformed into a second hotel, also named The Albert. By the late 1890s, the two hotels merged into a single entity. The hotel expanded over the years. A 12-story addition arose on University Place in 1903-1904. Later, in 1922-1924, a smaller addition appeared on the corner of University Place and 10th Street. The Albert Hotel was a haven for artists, musicians, writers, and political radicals. Names like Robert Louis Stevenson, Hart Crane, and Thomas Wolfe grace its guest list. In the 1950s, African-American literary figures like Chester Himes, Richard Wright, and Charles Wright found a home within its walls. Even Mark Twain lectured at The Albert Hotel in 1901. The Albert Hotel earned the nickname “the downtown Algonquin”. It buzzed with creative energy and intellectual discourse. The hotel hosted everyone from P.T. Barnum to Civil War General George McClellan. Joseph Brody’s Albert French Restaurant, with its painted bus tours by Salvador Dali, added to the hotel’s eccentric charm. Music filled the air at The Albert Hotel. The Mamas & The Papas penned “California Dreamin'” here. The Lovin’ Spoonful conjured “Do You Believe in Magic” in these very rooms. Tim Buckley crafted “Bussin’ Fly” within these walls. The hotel’s basement became a legendary rehearsal space for musicians like the Mothers of Invention, Jim Morrison, and Carly Simon. By the 1970s, the glamorous era faded. The hotel, in disrepair, was converted into apartments. Today, The Albert Hotel lives on as a cooperative apartment complex. The ghosts of its vibrant past linger, reminding us of the creativity and passion that once filled its halls.