Holden Caulfield and His Girlfriend

Holden Caulfield used to meet his girlfriend near a clock in a hotel in New York City. The hotel was fictitious.

Waldorf Astoria Hotel, Thirty-Fourth Street and Fifth Avenue (original location). 1 drawing on brown paper : colored crayons over pencil sketch ; sheet 29.3 x 23.1 cm. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

When I visited the Waldorf Astoria (then owned by Paris Hilton’s family), as recommended by me good fiend John Blandly,

Park Avenue foyer of the Waldorf=Astoria Hotel, New York City, on Christmas Day, 1987. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I saw this fantastic big clock in the middle of the lobby, with a padded bench around it. I then realized that this was the place Holden Caulfield (or J. D. Salinger) was talking about.

New York 501576 fh000002 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

He also went skating with his girlfriend in the novel. I recently visited Bryant Park and its winter skating rink, and imagined that this might be the place Holden skated with his girlfriend (her name escapes me now). After research, I discovered the rink wasn’t in Bryant Park in the 1950s, and that the rink Holden was referring to was probably in Central Park. As a matter of fact, he may have specifically said so.

Park Avenue (Manhattan) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

I haven’t read the book in many years, but I guess it’s hard for me to go to New York City without thinking of the book when wandering around midtown.

Early November morning, New York City (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Also, it’s worth noting that Holden did a lot of griping and whining about things, phonies in particular, but he was doing okay. At least he had a girl he could hang out with.  

Another famous place in NYC is the fountain outside The Plaza Hotel, that F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda danced in.