The Plaza in New York - Author Adventures Literary Road Trips

The Plaza, Home of Eloise and The Great Gatsby

Eloise, first published in 1955 by Kay Thompson (1909-1998), is about a little girl who lived at The Plaza in New York City. Visit the famous lobby and dress up for The Plaza’s Afternoon Tea. Children can write directly to Eloise through The Plaza’s website at https://www.theplazany.com/eloise. The Plaza also has a store full of Eloise books, toys, and gifts available for purchase.

More About Kay Thompson

Have you ever seen the 1957 movie Funny Face starring Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astaire? The woman who played the editor of the fashion magazine was the same Kay Thompson who wrote Eloise. We recommend the film to anyone interested in fashion, Paris, classic jazz, or “empathicalism.” (Also see our page on Jack Kerouac in Massachusetts.)

Kay Thompson was the godmother of Liza Minnelli, daughter of actress and singer Judy Garland. It has been rumored that Liza Minnelli was the model for the Eloise character.

Eloise is also an animated film series for children featuring several classic stars, such as Tim Curry and Lynn Redgrave, as well as Neil Patrick Harris, Doris Roberts, and Mary Matilyn Mouser as the title character.

F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Plaza

Notably, F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940), whose homes and hangouts are identified on many pages of our site, is an important author who frequently visited The Plaza, and used it as a scene in the novel, The Great Gatsby. The 2013 release of the feature film based on the book was partly filmed at The Plaza as well.

For another Gatsby location, see Rosecliff Mansion in Rhode Island.

Read more about F. Scott Fitzgerald through these pages:

The Plaza is the fifth stop on our New York Author Adventures Trail.

Patricia Smart