Spend Overnight in Two NYC Gilded Age Mansions For Free in A Night of Philosophy

The Cultural Services of the French Embassy continues its trend of all-star programming here in New York City with a 12-hour nocturnal marathon called A Night of Philosophy, taking place April 24th to 25th in two of New York City’s gorgeous Gilded Age mansions–the French Embassy at 927 Fifth Avenue, in the former Whitney Payne Mansion, and the Ukrainian Institute of America, the former home of banker Isaac D. Fletcher, oil baron Harry F. Sinclair and August Van Horne Stuyvesant Jr., a descendant of Peter Stuyvesant. With the two around the corner from each other, you can even mansion hop between screenings, readings, art installations, performances, and lectures by 60 philosophers on topics like “Must Intellectual Life Be Boring?” and “I Think, Therefore I Can.”

A Night of Philosophy originated in Paris in 2010, and and has taken place in London and Berlin. This is the inaugural year for the New York City A Night of Philosophy which will also feature a “Discotheque Philosophique” featuring DJs, poets, and artists, a  wooden replica of the Mercury Seven space capsule serving as the stage, pianist Karol Beffa improvising on themes suggested by the audience. To keep everyone going, free coffee will be available throughout the night, followed by free croissants at dawn.

2 East 79th Street, the Ukrainian Institute of America

The Facebook invite, which has 5,300 people RSVP’d, is already full of bad philosophical puns and comments, so you have an idea of the crowd who will be there (or not).

Next, see more photos of the interior of the French Embassy and Albertine, the French bookstore inside.