I was somewhat surprised, last week, to read on a website called 6 Sqare Feet (about NYC real estate, one presumes) that the Gramercy Park Hotel is reopening. Now, obviously, after Ian Schrager’s re-imagined iteration of the hotel closed in the height of the pandemic, any sign of recovery from those dark days should be welcomed. The part I found slightly dispiriting, however, was this line about the building’s new developer, Tyler Morse.
Morse intends to transform the hotel into one of the city’s most luxurious hotels.
Yeah, `cos that’s JUST what New York City needs, isn’t it? ::: sigh:::
Before Ian Schrager got his mitts on it back in 2003, the Gramercy Park Hotel had already acquired a colorful reputation. Lodging itself firmly in the psyche of rock fans everywhere following a storied, two-week residency by David Bowie, the Gramercy Park Hotel (cheekily re-dubbed “the Glamercy” in homage to Bowie) became the hotel of choice for all stripes of visiting bands. Bands like The Clash, U2, The Psychedelic Furs, Siouxsie & the Banshees and, I’m dead sure, many, many more all darkened the doors of the hotel. Alan Vega of Suicide (recently invoked here) actually lived full-time at the Gramercy Park Hotel for many moons. It wasn’t posh or fancy, but it was affordable and situated right at the mouth of Downtown Manhattan, walking distance from landmarks like Max’s Kansas City, Irving Plaza, The Palladium and other likely haunts.
I actually ducked into the old Gramercy Park Hotel a couple of times. A friend of mine from college booked a room there in the early `90s, which allowed me to actually go upstairs and check out the rooms, although I didn’t run into any musical luminaries, at the time. In the late `90s, whenever my then-future-in-laws came to town, they liked to enjoy a few bevvies at the bar, so I logged some hours there, as well. Again, despite my best efforts, I failed to spot any favorite musicians amidst the guests. Oh well.
But when Schrager got it in 2003, all that changed. He completely modernized the lobby, ripping out the wall-to-wall red carpeting and dismantling the signature wood-paneled walls, and giving it a modern, bespoke “re-boot,” with a pricey exclusivity to match. Apart from the address, all resemblance to its earlier incarnation was gone. I mean, sure, it was nice (I must confess to visiting both its bar and its roof deck, during this era), but you’d never have known the place once had leather-clad members of the Stranglers, the Buzzcocks and Iron Maiden running around its halls.
While it’s not a periodical I’m regularly prone to lionizing, Rolling Stone did publish a great rumination on the old version of the hotel, lovingly penned by the son of its original proprietor. Check that out here but remember -- Rolling Stone is now irritatingly paywalled, so prepare to be annoyed.
As for what comes next on that fabled corner, I can only hope that it’s undertaken with a reverence for the establishment’s history. We shall see.
Catch a fleeting glimpse of the old Gramercy Park Hotel (and other notable Downtown spots) here….
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