Gramercy & Murray Hill

Both of these east side Midtown neighborhoods are popular for those who prefer proximity to Manhattan’s uptown business districts, while being close to the entertainment and lifestyle of Manhattan’s downtown. They offer homebuyers a wide variety of housing for sale from classic townhouses to best in class, newer buildings. With apartments often having slightly more reasonable pricing in comparison to their uptown and downtown neighbors.

 

The development of Gramercy was in many ways, the first planed community in the city. It was conceived of after Union Square was planned in 1830, pressing forth on the northern boundary of Manhattan at the time. It was originally swampy land that developer, urban planner, and politician Samuel B. Ruggles provided the master plan for. He helped create present day Gramercy Park and advocated for Union Square Park. He is credited with naming Irving Place after Washington Irving. To attract buyers to what was then considered far uptown Manhattan, Gramercy Park was created as it’s center of his land in 1831 and remains to this day, Manhattan’s only cooperative private park with just the residents of buildings overlooking it getting keys to its gates, a system borrowed from London. Ruggles then subdivided the surrounding area into 66 building lots around the park and sold them off. The deeds of park front parcels restricted their use to at least three-story, residential brick or stone homes, without commercial uses permitted. The area’s public green space is at Stuyvesant Square on Second Avenue. The Gramercy Park Historic District preserves, many of the building south of Gramercy Park, and along it's Eastern and western borders.

 

Irving Place is one of the neighborhood’s oldest streets local cafés and restaurants including the iconic 160 year old Pete’s Tavern at the corner of East 18th Street. Gramercy residents enjoy access to lively shopping and fine dining on Park Avenue South and around Union Square. Danny Myer’s flagship Union Square Café and the highly acclaimed Gramercy Tavern being of note amongst many other choices. College campuses include my my alma maters the School of Visual Arts and Baruch College. The Players Club and the National Arts Club are both on the park and magnificent 19th Century landmarks. Irving Plaza and the Gramercy Theatre are popular contemporary music venues. Gramercy Park is in the center of the Gramercy Park Historic District with fine townhouses and New York’s first cooperative apartment building at 44 Gramercy Park North. There are several notable modern developments in the area including the Pritzker Prize recipient Rem Koolhaas condos at 122 East 23rd Street; and Ian Schragger’s 2005 luxury condo/hotel conversion of the 1924, Bing and Bing developed Gramercy Park Hotel at 50 Gramercy Park North. Residents there have access to hotel housekeeping, room service, massage and spa services. Gramercy’s borders are First Avenue to Park Avenue /Union Square; and 14th Street to 23rd Street.

 

The name Murray Hill comes from the Murray family farm, which once occupied the area, plus there is an actual hill with a noticeable incline that peaks at 36th Street and Park Avenue. In the late 19th and early 20th century, it was one of Manhattan’s most fashionable neighborhoods with handsome row houses on many blocks between Third and Fifth Avenues as well as the Morgan Library, which all still stand and are preserved as part of the Murray Hill Historic District. The Morgan Library on Madison Avenue is, a neoclassical building by Charles McKim paired with a newer addition by Renzo Piano. Modern doorman apartment buildings join the historic row-houses today. Many of its eastern most high-rises like the Corinthian at 330 East 38th Street, and the Horizon at 415 East 37th Street have sweeping panoramic East River and city views. Murray Hill residents appreciate the neighborhood’s understatement and convenient location adjacent to Midtown and Gramercy. Murray Hill’s borders are from 34th to 42nd Streets and Fifth Avenue to the East River.