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Up in the skies, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry saw the world in a different way, armed with stratospheric philosophies, living a life of flight through the perilous and challenging odds of aviation pioneering.

It was in 1942 when Saint-Exupéry met with his friend, famed French painter, Bernard Lamotte in New York City.

It was in the upstairs room of La Grenouille where Bernard resided and where paragraphs worthy of a little prince were written.

The rest became literary history beyond the expectations of a poet, aristocrat, and pioneer aviator.

A plaque set in place by “La Section Américaine du souvenir Français” on the façade of La Grenouille, commemorates the historical passageway of a little prince in exile from German-occupied France during World War II.

By a twist of fate in 1962, a friendship blossomed between Bernard Lamotte and Chef Artiste Charles Masson Senior. As the baton passed from one artist to the other, stars and dignitaries followed, enamored with a Prince and a Frog.

Fifty-five years and counting the walls of La Grenouille retain timeless memories, intertwined with floral and epicurean exuberance, through times dating back to the Civil War when stables dominated 52nd Street, through the repeal of prohibition in 1933, and through the beat of Swing Street in New York City.

At La Grenouille, La Fête de Vie continues for all who see with the eyes of the heart.
Credit: Philippe Masson