New York City, New York story
A Choice in Brooklyn
In the 1830s, 70 Willow Street was just a sturdy home built by Adrian van Sinderen. But a century later, it became a sanctuary for one of America's most famous writers. From 1955…
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In the 1830s, 70 Willow Street was just a sturdy home built by Adrian van Sinderen. But a century later, it became a sanctuary for one of America's most famous writers. From 1955 to 1965, Truman Capote rented the garden apartment here.
In the quiet of this Brooklyn Heights neighborhood, Capote finished two of his most acclaimed works: 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and 'In Cold Blood.' He loved the area so much that he wrote an essay called 'A House in the Heights,' where he famously declared, 'I live in Brooklyn. By choice.' It's a peaceful spot today, but for ten years, it was the engine room for some of the 20th century's most influential prose.
Updated June 2026