Gramercy, Manhattan

Gramercy, a real-estate term extending fashionable Gramercy Park, is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Manhattan, focused around Gramercy Park, a private park between East 20th and 21st Streets at the foot of Lexington Avenue. The Anglophil name, an obolete expression of thanks derived from French "grand merci" ("OED"), which had gained new life in the historical novels of Sir Walter Scott, ["Agape they heard him call; Gramercy they for joy did grin, And all at once their breath drew in, As they had been drinking all!" — Sir Walter Scott, "The Bride of Lammermoor" (1819).] was applied to his real estate venture by the developer, Samuel B. Ruggles, in 1831.

Roughly speaking, Gramercy is bound by 14th Street, First Avenue, 23rd Street, and Park Avenue South. Recently, real estate agents and developers have expanded the use of the name to extend its northern boundary into the less prestigious Murray Hill section of Midtown at around 30th Street. To the west is the Flatiron District and Union Square, to the south the East Village, to the east Stuyvesant Town and Peter Cooper Village, which are both located between First Avenue and the FDR Drive, and to the northeast Kips Bay.

Gramercy, particularly the area immediately around Gramercy Park itself, is generally perceived to be a quiet area, safer than many other parts of the city. Gramercy Park is a private park, one of only two in New York City, to which only people residing around the park have a key. The public is otherwise only allowed in the park one day a year.Cohen, Joyce. [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D01E3DF163BF93AA1575BC0A96F958260 "If You're Thinking of Living In/Gramercy Park; A Long Sense of History, And a Private Park"] , "The New York Times", August 29, 1999. Accessed July 30, 2007. "Most distinctive of all is that Gramercy Park itself is the only private park in the city. Landscaped and leafy, the park defines the neighborhood, which runs from 14th to 23d streets and Park Avenue South to Third Avenue. The gates are locked for all but one afternoon a year, usually the first Saturday in May, when the park is open to the public."] The actor James Cagney once lived in one of the buildings on Gramercy Park South (East 20th Street), as did Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West the 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz". Amanda Peet grew up on the park. Many actors, actresses and artists live in the district including Jimmy Fallon, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, Rufus Wainwright and Amanda Lepore.

The fashion designer Narciso Rodriguez has his studio on Irving Place, and the neighborhood is home to numerous models' apartments from nearby agencies on Broadway.

History

Gramercy Park was a vision of Samuel B. Ruggles, a developer and advocate of open space. In 1831, he proposed the idea for the park due to the northward growth of Manhattan. Gramercy Park was the once-home of Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy. Many famous establishments are situated around Gramercy Park, including the National Arts Club, established 1884 in a Victorian Gothic mansion and originally home to the New York Governor, and The Players Club, established in 1888 by the brother of President Lincoln's assassin, Edwin Booth. The Club's members included Mark Twain, Arthur Miller, Carol Burnett and Margaret Hamilton. Oscar Wilde lived on East 17th and Irving Place for a while, next to his interior designer Elsie de Wolfe and her partner, literary agent Elisabeth Marbury, said to be the most fashionable lesbian couple of Victorian New York.

19th Century brownstones and carriage houses line most of the neighborhood, though the 1920's brought the onset of tenant apartments and skyscrapers to the surrounding area. In the late 19th century, numerous charitable institutions set up on 23rd street, and led the way for social policy well into the 20th century.

The park and surrounding blocks was designated a historic district in 1966.

The Brotherhood Synogogue, established in 1857, served as an Underground Railroad station before the Civil War.

Gramercy Park Hotel

The Gramercy Park Hotel was originally designed by Robert T. Lions and built by brothers Bing and Bing in 1925. In 2006, the hotel underwent a massive makeover by hotelier Ian Schrager, accompanied by the artist Julian Schnabel. The hotel has views of Gramercy Park, and guests receive keys to access the park during their stay. Humphrey Bogart married Helen Menken at the hotel in 1926. [Bernard, Sarah. [http://nymag.com/nymetro/news/people/features/6188/ "Heartbreak Hotel: For nearly 50 years, the Weissberg clan has been quietly running the legendary Gramercy Park Hotel. But when David Weissberg jumped off the roof last month, his death exposed a family torn apart by drugs, illness, financial woes, and family feuds. Is it too late to restore a New York institution?"] , "New York (magazine)", July 8, 2002. Accessed July 30, 2007. "After a few minutes in the penthouse party space where Humphrey Bogart married Helen Menken, Marilyn said good-bye and took the elevator eighteen floors down to the lobby."]

Establishments

An assortment of restaurants, bars, and establishments line Irving Place, the thoroughfare of Gramercy below the park. 71 Irving Place is a locally run coffee house and a favorite among students and professionals alike. Pete's Tavern, New York's oldest surviving saloon and where O. Henry wrote "The Gift of the Magi," survived Prohibition disguised as a flower shop. Irving Plaza, on East 15th Street and Irving, hosts numerous concerts for both well-known and indie bands and draws a crowd almost every night.

Numerous city official buildings and clinics line Irving Place. Calvary Church on Gramercy Park North serves as a homeless shelter and serves meals to people with AIDS. [http://schools.nyc.gov/OurSchools/Region9/M040/default.htm?searchType=school PS 40] , the only public elementary school in the neighborhood, is located on East 20th Street and Second Avenue. Bette Midler graduated from Washington Irving High School on Irving Place.

The Manhattan Trade School for Girls, the Children's Court, and the Domestic Relations Court Building are all within the boundaries of a proposed historic district extension. The extension would prove the social and economic diversity of the once-exclusive neighborhood.

Real Estate

The streets perpendicular to Irving Place have upheld their status as exclusive residential blocks reminiscent of Old London. In 1912, a multiple dwelling planned specifically for bachelors appeared at 52 Irving Place. This handsome Colonial Revival style structure with suites of rooms that lacked kitchen facilities was one of a small group of New York apartment houses planned for single men in the early years of the 20th century. While real estate in Manhattan is rarely stable, the apartments in Gramercy Park have experienced little turmoil and average rents for the area. East 19th Street between 3rd Avenue and Irving is labeled "Block Beautiful" for its wide array of architecture and pristine aesthetic. Townhouses with generous backyards and smaller apartments alike coincide in a collage of architecture in Gramercy. The largest private house in the neighborhood, a 42-room mansion on Gramercy Park South, sold for $7 million in 1993.

School Of Visual Arts

The School of Visual Arts, located on 23rd Street, has a strong presence in the neighborhood. The Gramercy Park Women's Residence and the George Washington Dormitory house students from the school.

References

External links

* [http://www.mondomap.com/mondo/index.cfm?bid=23 Neighborhood Map of Curry Hill, New York: MondoMap]