41-482: Gramercy Park Hotel was a luxury hotel located at 2 Lexington Avenue , in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan , New York City , adjacent to the park of the same name. It was known for its rich history. Originally opened in 1925, the hotel ceased operations in 2020 and was purchased by MCR Hotels in 2023 with plans to re-open in 2025. Gramercy Park Hotel was designed by Robert T. Lyons and built by
82-478: A classic American cinematic moment in the 1955 movie The Seven Year Itch in which Marilyn Monroe shot what would become her most famous scene. While standing on a subway grating outside the Loew's Lexington Theatre, her skirt billowed up from the wind underneath. While the footage showing the theatre in the background appeared in the finished film, the footage featuring the subway grate shot on September 15, 1954, on
123-647: A cocktail cookbook, Mix Shake Stir (Little, Brown) featuring 140 recipes, along with tips, anecdotes and photography. Meyer has served on the boards of Share Our Strength and City Harvest . In addition, he served as Co-Chair of the Union Square Partnership for five years, and as an executive committee member for NYC & Co and the Madison Square Park Conservancy . Four of USHG's restaurants have earned three stars from The New York Times ; Eleven Madison Park
164-411: A geyser of hot steam up from beneath the avenue at 41st Street, resulting in one death and more than 40 injuries. Lexington Avenue runs one-way southbound for its entire length from 131st Street to 21st Street . Parallel to Lexington Avenue lies Park Avenue to its west and Third Avenue to its east. The avenue is largely commercial at ground level, with offices above. There are clusters of hotels in
205-512: A lawyer and real-estate developer, petitioned the New York State Legislature to approve the creation of a new north–south avenue between the existing Third and Fourth Avenues , between 14th and 30th Streets . Ruggles purchased land in the area and was developing it as a planned community of townhouses around a private park, which he called Gramercy Park . He was also developing property around Union Square and wanted
246-559: A result of the COVID-19 pandemic . It was announced in December 2020 that Rosen's hotel business faced eviction from the structure, because RFR was $ 900,000 behind on ground lease payments to Solil Management (the estate of developer Sol Goldman ), which owns the land underneath. Rosen had been leasing the property for $ 5.3 million per year. In April 2021, Solil moved to terminate Rosen's lease and collect $ 79.5 million in back payments, but
287-505: A state judge ruled that October that Rosen did not have to pay back that amount. Rosen's lease was finally terminated in June 2022, and all of the hotel's furnishings were auctioned off shortly thereafter. MCR Hotels acquired the lease to the hotel in 2023, with plans to reopen the hotel in 2025. After a dispute arose within the Goldman family in 2024, Rosen attempted to take back control of
328-730: A tour guide in Rome and then returned there to study international politics. Meyer was a Brother of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity while at Trinity College in Hartford , Connecticut . After graduating from Trinity in 1980 with a degree in political science, Meyer worked in Chicago as Cook County field director for John Anderson's 1980 independent presidential campaign . Meyer gained his first restaurant experience in 1984 as an assistant manager at Pesca, an Italian seafood restaurant in
369-843: Is a New York City restaurateur and the founder and executive chairman of the Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG). Meyer was born and raised in a reform Jewish family in St. Louis, Missouri the son of Roxanne (née Harris) and Morton L. Meyer. His father was the president of a travel, hospitality and real estate company in St. Louis. His grandfather was Chicago businessman and philanthropist, Irving B. Harris . He attended John Burroughs School and as child, Meyer attended Camp Nebagamon for boys in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin . During college, Meyer worked for his father as
410-603: Is an avenue on the East Side of Manhattan in New York City . The avenue carries southbound one-way traffic from East 131st Street to Gramercy Park at East 21st Street . Along its 5.5-mile (8.9-kilometer), 110-block route, Lexington Avenue runs through Harlem , Carnegie Hill , the Upper East Side , Midtown , and Murray Hill to a point of origin that is centered on Gramercy Park. South of Gramercy Park,
451-602: The BMT Broadway Line ( N , R , and W trains) at Lexington Avenue/59th Street station . The Lexington Avenue–63rd Street station of the IND and BMT 63rd Street Lines ( F , <F> , and Q trains) is also located at Lexington Avenue, but it does not have a direct interchange with the Lexington Avenue Line. Lexington Avenue became part of
SECTION 10
#1732780048184492-537: The Battle of Lexington in the American Revolutionary War . In 1899, Lexington Avenue was the location of the first arrest in New York City for speeding when a bicycle patrolman overtook cabdriver Jacob German, who had been racing down the avenue at the "reckless" speed of 12 mph (19 km/h). The portion of Lexington Avenue above East 42nd Street was reconstructed at the same time as
533-689: The East 17th Street/Irving Place Historic District , and 19 Gramercy Park on the corner of 20th Street, part of the Gramercy Park Historic District . Offices located on Irving Place include those of The Nation magazine, the New York branch of AMORC and the Seafarers and International House mission. There are also a number of clinics and official city buildings along the street, including Washington Irving High School and
574-550: The Flatiron District of New York City. He then returned to Europe to study cooking as a culinary stagiaire in Italy and Bordeaux , France. In 1985, at age 27, Meyer opened his first restaurant, Union Square Cafe . Meyer's other restaurants and businesses include Gramercy Tavern , Blue Smoke and Jazz Standard, Shake Shack , Daily Provisions, Ci Siamo, The Modern, Cafe 2 and Terrace 5 at MoMA , Maialino (formerly at
615-540: The Gramercy Park Hotel ), Untitled at the North End Grill, Marta, Porchlight, GreenRiver, Union Square Events, and Hospitality Quotient. Union Square Events, USHG's catering division, operates several concessions at major sports facilities including Citi Field , Saratoga Race Course , and Nationals Park . In 2010, Meyer suffered his first restaurant closure, Tabla. In a statement, Meyer blamed
656-526: The IACP Julia Child Award for the best new cookbook by a first-time author, and was followed up with the highly acclaimed Second Helpings from Union Square Cafe (HarperCollins, 2001). Meyer also wrote The New York Times bestseller Setting the Table (HarperCollins, 2006), which examines the power of hospitality in restaurants, business, and life. In May 2009, Meyer's restaurants released
697-548: The IRT Lexington Avenue Line of the New York City Subway . The widened street and the subway line both opened on July 17, 1918. Portions of the avenue were widened in 1955, which required eminent domain takings of the facades of some structures along Lexington. Lexington Avenue has carried one-way (downtown) traffic since July 17, 1960. The 2007 New York City steam explosion sent
738-494: The New York City Subway runs under Lexington Avenue north of 42nd Street (at Grand Central–42nd Street station ) to 125th Street . South of Grand Central, this subway line runs under Park Avenue , Park Avenue South, and Fourth Avenue until Astor Place . The line interchanges with the IND Queens Boulevard Line ( E and M trains) at Lexington Avenue/51st Street station and with
779-451: The 30s and 40s, roughly from the avenue's intersection with 30th Street through to its intersection with 49th Street , and apartment buildings farther north. There are numerous structures designated as New York City Landmarks (NYCL), National Historic Landmarks (NHL), and National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) on Lexington Avenue. From south to north (in increasing address order), they include: In contrast to Lexington Avenue,
820-922: The Gramercy Park Hotel. The song was written by Stephen Duffy as a personal response to the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center complex in 2001, during which he was a guest at the hotel. Hotel Gramercy Park , a documentary directed by Douglas Keeve, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2008, chronicles the hotel's history during the Weissberg era, the turmoil that plagued his family, and Schrager's renovation. Lexington Avenue Lexington Avenue , often colloquially abbreviated as " Lex ",
861-478: The Weissberg Corporation continued to operate the hotel under a long-term lease. Weissberg 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 in the 1970s. The Canadian and Chicago part of
SECTION 20
#1732780048184902-490: The avenue are the large apartment buildings which line the street from Gramercy Park to 17th Street . Also at 17th, a small bed-and-breakfast, the Inn at Irving Place, occupies two Greek Revival architecture townhouses built in 1840–1841 and renovated between 1991 and 1995. Historically and architecturally significant are 47 and 49 Irving Place—the latter where Washington Irving is said to have lived, but did not —which are part of
943-463: The axis continues as Irving Place from 20th Street to East 14th Street . Lexington Avenue was not one of the streets included in the Commissioners' Plan of 1811 street grid, so the addresses for cross streets do not start at an even hundred number, as they do with avenues that were originally part of the plan. Both Lexington Avenue and Irving Place began in 1832 when Samuel Ruggles ,
984-581: The closure on the specificity of the Indian cuisine offered by the restaurant. That same year, Meyer participated in a documentary called "The Restaurateur". In late 2011, Union Square Hospitality group sold Eleven Madison Park to its chef Daniel Humm and front-of-house director Will Guidara . In 2018, North End Grill closed. In 2015, Meyer announced that he would eliminate tipping at all of his restaurants. The move increased prices by approximately 21 percent and led to large portions of his staff leaving
1025-469: The company. As COVID-19 swept through the United States , Meyer shuttered all his restaurants, criticized other businesses for opening, and stated that he did not expect to offer full service until a vaccine was available. In a May 1 Vanity Fair podcast, Meyer explained that taking a Paycheck Protection Program loan, intended to help small businesses, "could be the most irresponsible thing in
1066-556: The corner of Lexington Avenue and 51st Street , was more of a publicity stunt; retakes were shot on a studio soundstage, and shots from both are seen in the film. This street was also featured in the film 1408 . The street is referenced in the Elton John song " Island Girl ", the first single from the album Rock of the Westies in 1976. Notes Further reading Danny Meyer Daniel Meyer (born March 14, 1958)
1107-649: The developer brothers Bing & Bing from 1924–1925, with an official opening in 1925. A westward extension along Gramercy Park North – a continuation of East 21st Street – was designed by the firm of Thompson & Churchill and built in 1929–1930. Both wings were designed in Renaissance Revival style. The hotel occupies the site of the former homes of the flamboyant architect Stanford White , political leader and defender of agnosticism Robert Ingersoll and lawyer-diarist George Templeton Strong . Humphrey Bogart married his first wife Helen Menken at
1148-496: The east. An assortment of restaurants and bars line Irving Place, including Pete's Tavern , New York's oldest surviving saloon, where O. Henry supposedly conceived of his short story " The Gift of the Magi ", and which survived Prohibition disguised as a flower shop. Irving Plaza , on East 15th Street and Irving, hosts numerous concerts for both well-known and indie bands and draws a crowd almost every night. Another component of
1189-402: The film Almost Famous . Renowned Argentine rock musicians and singer-songwriters Charly García and Pedro Aznar , two of the most important artists in their country's history, jointly created the song Gramercy Park Hotel , as a track in their 1986 maxi single album Tango . The song Oh God by Stephen Duffy and The Lilac Time , found on their August 2003 album Keep Going , mentions
1230-457: 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 character actress Margaret Hamilton , actor Matt Dillon , and playwright David Mamet . Other notable guests include the Clash , Madonna , Debbie Harry , and David Bowie . By
1271-731: The headquarters of the New York City Human Resources Administration . The bottom of the street is anchored by the rear of the Zeckendorf Towers condominium apartment complex on the west side, and the Consolidated Edison Building on the east. The following buses use Lexington Avenue between the following streets (uptown buses run along Third Avenue): The IRT Lexington Avenue Line ( 4 , 5 , 6 , and <6> trains) of
Gramercy Park Hotel - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-669: The hotel, and the Joseph P. Kennedy family, including a young John F. Kennedy , stayed on the second floor for several months, before the family moved to London so the elder Kennedy could take up his post as the American ambassador. During the Great Depression , Babe Ruth was a regular bar patron – an autographed picture of Ruth was hung in the bar until it disappeared in the 1960s – and when James Cagney and his wife lived nearby at 34 Gramercy Park, they were frequent diners at
1353-511: The hotel, claiming that a stay of execution should be placed, reversing the termination of his lease. Gramercy Park Hotel is mentioned in pop culture history books and has been a filming location for numerous films. It was used by Martin Scorsese for rehearsals and pre-production for the 1973 film Mean Streets . He also used Room 1501 to film a scene for Raging Bull . It was also used by Cameron Crowe , who filmed scenes in its lobby for
1394-443: The hotel. In the 1940s, Edmund Wilson lived in the hotel with novelist Mary McCarthy , and humorist S.J. Perelman maintained his residence there, dying in his room in 1979. In 1958 Herbert Weissberg, a prominent New York hotel owner, bought the hotel. In 1964, Weissberg (with the help of his long time advisor, the prominent Attorney Herbert Mendelson of Herrick Feinstein), sold the hotel to Wellington Associates for $ 3 million, but
1435-491: The late 1990s the hotel's ratings began to decline, as Weissberg's health 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. Following Weissberg's death in 2003 Gramercy Park Hotel
1476-400: The new road to improve the value of these tracts. The legislation was approved, and, as the owner of most of the land along the route of the new street, Ruggles was assessed for the majority of its cost. Ruggles named the southern section, below 20th Street , which opened in 1833, after his friend Washington Irving . The northern section, which opened three years later, in 1836, was named after
1517-460: The six-block stretch of Irving Place from 14th to 20th Street at Gramercy Park carries two-way traffic and is decidedly local in nature. After the opening of Union Square in 1839, the Irving Place area became one of the most sought-after residential neighborhoods in the city, a situation which was only enhanced by the development of Gramercy Park to the north and Stuyvesant Square to
1558-486: The world for a restaurant to do." In July, it emerged that twelve separate Meyer restaurants received loans. Meyer's company, Union Square Hospitality Group, received between $ 11.4 and $ 27 million in PPP loans. Shake Shack earlier claimed to return its PPP assistance following media attention." Meyer co-wrote The Union Square Cafe Cookbook ( HarperCollins , 1994) with his business partner, Chef Michael Romano. The book earned
1599-592: Was awarded a Wine Spectator Grand Award in 2016. Meyer and USHG have won 28 James Beard Foundation Awards . Meyer was interviewed by Reid Hoffman on the Masters of Scale podcast, where he talked about how he ignored conventional wisdom to revolutionize the restaurant industry. He appeared on The Ringer's House of Carbs Podcast, where he presented his Washington D.C. establishment "Maialino Mare" and talked about his career in hospitality. Danny Meyer most recently appeared on The Knowledge Project Podcast to discuss
1640-760: Was sold to Ian Schrager and Aby Rosen , who renovated the hotel in collaboration with artist Julian Schnabel . Schnabel designed the interiors, many fixtures and furniture pieces throughout the hotel. In 2010, Schrager sold his interest in the hotel to Rosen. The Rose Bar anchored the hotel, along with the Jade Bar and rooftop Gramercy Terrace restaurant. It was also home to Danny Meyer 's Maialino, which served Italian cuisine. The hotel exhibited paintings by noted artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat , Damien Hirst , Richard Prince , Julian Schnabel , Cy Twombly and Andy Warhol . The hotel ceased operations in March 2020 as
1681-707: Was upgraded to four stars in 2009. USHG's restaurants routinely appear among the Most Popular in New York City according to the Zagat guide, including Union Square Cafe, which has held the #1 spot nine times. Eleven Madison Park held three Michelin Stars , The Modern earned its second Michelin Star in 2015, Gramercy Tavern holds one Michelin Star, and GreenRiver was awarded one Michelin Star in 2016. In 2016, The Modern