New York City, New York story
A Choice in Brooklyn
While many writers of the mid-century clung to Manhattan, Truman Capote looked across the river to Brooklyn Heights. For ten years, from 1955 to 1965, Capote rented a garden apart…
Read the story
While many writers of the mid-century clung to Manhattan, Truman Capote looked across the river to Brooklyn Heights. For ten years, from 1955 to 1965, Capote rented a garden apartment at 70 Willow Street. The house itself was built way back in 1839 by Adrian van Sinderen and features over 9,000 square feet of interior space.
It was in this quiet Brooklyn sanctuary that Capote finished two of his most acclaimed works: 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and 'In Cold Blood.' He even wrote an essay titled 'A House in the Heights' where he famously declared, 'I live in Brooklyn. By choice.' The residence remains a quiet landmark of literary history, tucked away in a neighborhood that offers a peaceful contrast to the intensity of the city just across the East River.
Updated June 2026