The Cultural Services of the French Embassy In the U S

If you wander the streets of NYC you inevitably end up wondering about some of the many diplomatic buildings that line them. Most are closed to the public, and even those that are open often offer little more than visa services, the Cultural Services of the French Embassy is a notable exception. First, the Payne Whitney house as it was called, is an historic landmark; it was designed by noted society architect Stanford White in the Renaissance Revival style and was still being finished when he was murdered in 1906. Located on ever fashionable Fifth Avenue across from Central Park and just down the block from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it serves as a space for French culture in NY. Based on the events and reception we attended the restored first and second floor spaces are well worth visiting if the opportunity presents. For a time the entry room also displayed a fragmentary sculpture of an archer or cupid installed by White on a fountain at the house. The piece has since been re-​attributed to no less than Michelangelo and in 2009 the French State lent it to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where it is now on display.

Attended Rendez-​Vous with French Cinema NYC annual events, once closing and last time opening reception. The place itself is gorgeous: it has a beautiful marble lobby with a fountain (or fountain like structure, i have never seen any waterworks taking place) The last event was packed to the point that you couldn’t move around without involuntarily dry-​humping everybody. It was still fun because of the champagne and festive crowd, that included some French film celebs. Would definitely re-​visit.