Nosy Parkers

New York's Exclusive Gramercy Park Opens Up, A Bit Anyway, to Outside Snoopers

The architecture and gardens of Manhattan's Gramercy Park have long attracted strollers. Now, new shopping, cafes and a fine hotel let them stay a little longer. Above, the house of James Harper, mayor in the 1840s. The park itself, below, is still closed to casual visitors. (Above, Below And Bottom Left Photos By Helayne Seidman For The Washington Post)

Until recently, a velvet rope seemed to circle Gramercy Park. The buildings lining the streets of this New York City enclave are mostly exclusive residences and private clubs. The small park anchoring the neighborhood, covered with manicured gardens, is surrounded by an iron fence. Only owners of nearby mansions and condos have keys.

But gradually the rope is lowering. The dining scene along nearby Park Avenue South has encroached into the quiet Gramercy Park streets. Nightspots have begun to appear, too. And just a few weeks ago, following an elaborate makeover, the 1924 Gramercy Park Hotel reopened with the blare of trumpets. Visitors, even non-wealthy ones, now have a toehold into this storied corner of Manhattan.

Last month, I spent a couple of days taking stock of the neighborhood's attractions. Bounded by 17th Street, 22nd Street, Park Avenue South and Second Avenue, the area is compact enough to cover by foot in a half-hour. But the vintage shops, antique stores, dining spots and bars easily offered enough variety to fill a weekend.

Despite the neighborhood's reputation for opulence, a visitor can explore it without digging deep into his pockets. The noble facades of the buildings, all easily recognizable in a self-guided tour, offer a glimpse into its gilded past. Many of the buildings are identified with historical plaques. Teddy Roosevelt was born at 28 E. 20th St. and spent his childhood here. Although the building was razed in 1916, it was reconstructed following the death of the 26th U.S. president. Presidential history buffs may want to pay the $3 fee and tour the place. But admiring the brownstone from the sidewalk was enough for me. Stanford White, a celebrated 20th-century architect, designed the Gothic-style Players Club (at 16 Gramercy Park South) and several other neighborhood buildings. James Harper, mayor of New York in the 1840s, lived in the grand brick home with ironwork at 4 Gramercy Park West.

St. George's Thrift Shop, located in the basement of the darkly alluring Calvary Episcopal Church, called for more than a passing glance. The Vintage Thrift Shop, around the corner on Third Avenue, offered similar wares. As a rule, secondhand shops in affluent neighborhoods yield excellent bargains. These stores, where locals leave many heirlooms, fit that bill well. Amid vintage clothing and bric-a-brac there were a few pieces of art deco jewelry, marble coffee tables and Oriental vases at tempting prices.

For more discerning antique hunters, Stardust Antiques, on 21st Street, is a real trove. Owners Ken and Esther Gold regularly travel to Europe to scavenge the shops and flea markets. The result is a store filled with dazzling wares, including vintage watches and other wearable art, striking crystal vases, clocks and furniture. This is not a place easy to leave empty-handed.

(Helayne Seidman)

With new restaurants opening almost monthly, this sector, including Gramercy Park, Park Avenue South and Union Square, has become one of the city's hottest dining strongholds. In the middle of the price spectrum, Barca 18, featuring paella, tapas and other Spanish fare, is a good find. For brunch, the French toast and other diner fare at Duke's, a youthful spot on 19th Street, are an affordable choice.

The Gramercy Park Hotel, the latest creation by Ian Schrager, famed for his boutique hotels, has become the new haunt of celeb revelers.

The decor is a well-calibrated balance of contemporary hip and old-fashioned grandeur. Schrager calls it Bohemian revival. A gigantic handblown Venetian chandelier and plush chairs and sofas covered in dark velvet give the two-story-high lobby drama. Ceiling beams and other fixtures, made from fumed Douglas fir and cypress, add a rustic aura. The guest rooms, more spacious than in most Manhattan hotels, are outfitted with mahogany cabinets, specially made lamps and custom-made headboards upholstered in velvet.

But the art is what puts this place over the top. The hotel interior was designed by Julian Schnabel, one of America's best-known contemporary painters. Several of his oversize abstract canvases hang in the lobby. Original works by a dazzling lineup of other artists, including Jean-Michael Basquiat, Cy Twombly and Andy Warhol, also hang throughout.

The Rose Bar and Jade Bar, both in the lobby, inject a much-needed shot of glamour into the New York cocktail scene. Here, too, velvet is used generously on the chairs and banquettes. And there is a mix of furniture designed by Schnabel and antique pieces imported from the Continent. Even if they don't stay as guests, art and design lovers and people watchers will get a thrill hanging out and soaking up the vibe in the bars.

Even as Gramercy Park warms to outsiders, the park at its center remains an exclusive green space. Guests at the Gramercy Park Hotel are given keys, but most of the rest of us must resign ourselves to glimpses through the iron fence.

There's also a statue of Edwin Booth, the Shakespearean actor, brother of Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth and longtime Gramercy Park resident. But with so much else afoot in these streets, I did not spend much time looking over the fence.