Gramercy Park Hotel

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Front face of the Gramercy Park Hotel.

A view at the corner

The Gramercy Park Hotel in New York City is a luxury hotel located at 2 Lexington Avenue, next to Gramercy Park, one of only a few private parks in the United States.

1 Hotel history
2 The Weissberg years
3 Ian Schrager renovation
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Hotel history

The Gramercy Park Hotel was one of New York’s truly legendary hotels, designed by Robert T. Lyons and built by the famous developer brothers Bing and Bing in 1925. The hotel occupies the site of the former homes of flamboyant architect Stanford White and controversial agnostic Robert Ingersoll.^[1] In the hotel's first two years, Humphrey Bogart lived in the hotel with his first wife Helen Menken, just after marrying her,^[2] and the Joseph P. Kennedy family stayed on the 2nd floor before moving to London. During the Great Depression, Babe Ruth was a regular bar patron. An autographed picture of Ruth hung in the bar until it disappeared in the 1960s. In the 1940s, Edmund Wilson lived in the hotel with novelist Mary McCarthy.^[2]

[edit] The Weissberg years

In 1958, Herbert Weissberg, a prominent New York hotel owner, bought the Gramercy Park Hotel. He added a gift shop, doubled the size of the bar, and gave tenure to Pinky, the beloved hotel bellhop. Guests were drawn to its bohemian character, low prices and locale.

The hotel's reputation for discretion attracted such musicians as Bob Marley and Bob Dylan^[3] in the 1970s. The Canadian and Chicago part of the first cast of Saturday Night Live stayed in the hotel during the show's premiere and Paul Shaffer, the show's original bandleader, continued to live in the annex for another 16 years. Other former residents include writer S. J. Perelman, actor Matt Dillon, and playwright David Mamet. Other notable guests include the Clash,^[4] Madonna, and David Bowie.^[5]

By the late 1990s the hotel's ratings began to decline as the health of the hotel's owner for more than 30 years began to fail. His sons fought for control and, after a series of family tragedies, the hotel was subleased in 2002 to Steven Greenberg, the founder of the Roxy nightclub. A bar was added to the roof but the restaurant closed. It began to attract a younger clientele and the prices began to increase rapidly.

[edit] Ian Schrager renovation

Following Herbert Weissberg's death in 2003 the Gramercy Park Hotel was sold to Ian Schrager. It is now again a luxury hotel, completely redone but still somewhat reflecting the original bohemian feel of the original hotel. The hotel's eclectic history is pulled off in a collaboration with artist Julian Schnabel who designed the interiors and many fixtures and furniture pieces throughout the hotel. The hotel also exhibits 20th century masterpieces by artists Cy Twombly, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Damien Hirst, Richard Prince, and Julian Schnabel.

[edit] References

^ Jacoby, Susan (2004). Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, p. 173. Macmillan. ISBN 0805077766.
^ ^a ^b Bird, Christiane (2006). New York State, p. 68. Avalon Travel Publishing. ISBN 1566917964.
^ Shelton, Robert (2003). No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan, p. 452. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0306812878.
^ Gray, Marcus (2004). The Clash: Return of the Last Gang in Town, p. 339. Hal Leonard. ISBN 063408240X.
^ Buell, Bebe, and Bockris, Victor (2001). Rebel Heart: An American Rock 'N' Roll Journey, p. 54. Macmillan. ISBN 0312301553.