Gramercy is a sleek and centrally located neighborhood within Manhattan. The oldest buildings date from the late 19th century with Greek Revival and Italianate townhouses; and apartment buildings in the Gothic and Queen Anne styles. At its center is Gramercy Park created in 1831 as a cooperative private park, where only bordering buildings receive the coveted keys to its gates.

The name “Gramercy” is taken from the Dutch ‘krom moerasje’, meaning ‘crooked little swamp’. It was indeed originally swampy land. The development of Gramercy began in 1830 as the city experienced an unprecedented economic expansion caused by the opening of the Erie Canal and the city’s transformation into a major port city with waterway access to the country’s interior. With an exploding population of  new immigrants into downtown NYC, developer Samuel B. Ruggles provided the master plan for what was then considered a luxury uptown enclave, designed to attract the wealthy and keep them in NYC. As part of that plan he developed the present day Gramercy Park. He argued that the open space in an increasingly crowded and overbuilt city, was beneficial to the health of all the city’s residents; even though the park had restricted access to a privileged few. He was able to get permanent tax-exempt status for his private park, in theory driving up the value and tax assessments of the adjacent properties and creating a luxury amenity which also increased the value of his own parcels. He leveled, filled, and cleared the marshy land, built homes, and sold off parcels to some of New York’s most prominent families; the Fishes, Astors, and Stuyvesants began to call it home.

The area has a second public green space at Stuyvesant Square on Second Avenue. Educational institutions include Baruch College and the School of Visual Arts (I attended the former and am an Alumni and former faculty of the latter). The Players Club and the National Arts Club are both on the park and are magnificent 19th century landmarks. Irving Plaza and the Gramercy Theatre are popular contemporary music venues. Gramercy’s borders are First Avenue to Park Avenue and 14th Street to 23^rd Street. Gramercy Park is located in the center of the Gramercy Park Historic District