February, 2009 Archive

At the Movies: Hotel Gramercy Park

Recently we had a screening at SoHo House to celebrate the launch of our blog, Naked Real Estate.  We chose a documentary that was produced by Wendy Ettinger and and directed by Doug Keeves of Unzipped fame; Hotel Gramercy Park.  What can I say? Everyone who loves this city should see this film.  The story takes you through the lives of the family that owned it, the tenants who refused to leave though the Ian Schrager renovation and the multitude of interesting patrons and rock and roll celebrities who patronised the hotel.  The hotel has been open since 1924 so the story is very much  a metaphor for the rise, fall, rise of New york City.  The boom years of the 20’s, the bankrupt nihilistic 70’s and the recent rise of a whole new level of wealth that we have witnessed in the last decade.  At the end of the movie the new Ian Schrager Gramercy ParkHotel opens with a velvet rope that is almost a parody of  Studio 54.  The difference being that Studio 54 was place where you got in if you were ‘cool’ but now it seems you just have to be rich.  Still one of my favorite moments was watching Julian Schnabel and Ian Schrager arrange the funiture, and in a way whether you like what he has done or not, it is fitting that a native New Yorker was the one to take on the task of reviving this landmark.

So thanks again to everone who attended.  We really appreciate your support.