Gramercy Park (GP)

 

The neighborhood runs from 18th to 23rd Streets between Third Avenue and Park Avenue South, including Irving Place. Nevertheless, most New York City residents refer to anything in the east teens and east 20s as Gramercy Park . During the 1840s and 50s, when the neighborhood was just developing, the streets of Gramercy Park were endowed with brick and brownstone low-rises & mansions together with institutional buildings and churches. Not surprisingly this neighborhood was one of the most prestigious places of residence in pre-Civil War New York City.

In the first half of the 20th century Gramercy Park was completely transformed as the old low-rise buildings where replaced by tall luxury apartment houses. Few of the large apartment houses used as single-family residences remain since that period. Once the affluent families moved out, the neighborhood lost its social standing.

Today, the area has reverted to its old standing. The area once considered in between downtown and uptown, is one of the most popular apartment rental neighborhoods in Manhattan. Gramercy Park is reputed to be a youth-oriented neighborhood with numerous chic restaurants, mega-stores and fashion photographers' studios. New York’s oldest surviving saloon, Pete’s Tavern is also situated here.

One of the most recent architectural highlights of the neighborhood is Baruch College’s 17-story “Vertical Campus”, a fantastic $319 million construction which is considered one of the best campus buildings nationwide. The school attracts over 16,000 students to the area and is one of the country's top-rated colleges for curriculum and value with three acclaimed schools of discipline. Baruch also hosts NYC Karate Dojo, a school of Shotokan Karate, which offers top level and free martial arts classes to all New York City students, including high school and middle school kids.

In the center of the neighborhood is the only surviving “private residential park” in NYC, surrounded by marvelous townhouses and prewar buildings. The limited traffic and the environment brings back the feel of 1800’s. Another oasis in the area is Madison Square Park. Another major historic landmark in the area is the triangular Flatiron Building, the first skyscraper in the city.

However, if you are searching for the less expensive Gramercy Park apartments rentals, simply look outside the boundaries of the park; where all types of dwellings from top floor luxury apartments to studios are available.