Gramercy Park Block Association

Clean Streets & Streetscape

Every day, our professional Clean Team keeps the streets around Gramercy Park clean and cared for, sweeping sidewalks and curbs, emptying litter baskets and removing graffiti and stickers.

Two members of the GPBA Clean Team beside their green collection cart at the Gramercy Park fence.
The GPBA Clean Team beside the Park fence. Photograph by Sean Brady.

What the Clean Streets team does

Our Clean Streets team makes repeated rounds throughout the day across the blocks surrounding Gramercy Park—sweeping sidewalks and curbs, emptying and sanitizing litter baskets before trash can scatter in the wind, and picking up litter around tree gardens and street corners.

That daily attention extends to removing graffiti and stickers from lampposts, mailboxes, fire hydrants, and stone facades; clearing fallen leaves and debris at storm drains ahead of heavy rain; and shoveling crosswalks and curb cuts through snow and slush in winter.

Neighbors’ voluntary contributions pay for the crew, uniforms, rolling carts, supplies, and equipment that make this daily care possible.

Care in every season

Daily cleaning and seasonal work go together. Fallen leaves collect along curbs and at catch basins in autumn; storms make clear drains especially important. Winter brings snow and slush, while warmer months call for repeated attention to litter and heavily used pedestrian corners.

Painting, power-washing, and small repairs complement the daily rounds. Tree-garden fences, lampposts, and other street fixtures receive touch-ups between larger projects, helping the streetscape withstand weather and everyday use. Each summer, the annual Neighborhood Refresh brings that work together across the Park’s surroundings.

Before-and-after photographs

Before and after: a selection from the team's reports since 2022. Open any photograph to see it at full size.

Lamppost base

BeforeGraffiti and a chain on an ornate black lamppost base.
AfterThe lamppost base repainted black, with the chain removed.
A lamppost base cleaned and repainted.

Curbside litter basket

BeforeAn overflowing GPBA litter basket at the curb.
AfterThe curbside litter basket emptied and lined.
An overflowing litter basket emptied.

Tree garden cleanup

BeforeAn old tire and fallen leaves in a tree garden.
AfterThe tree garden with the tire removed.
A discarded tire removed from a tree garden.

Blue USPS collection box

BeforeGreen and white graffiti on a blue USPS collection box.
AfterThe blue USPS collection box with the graffiti removed.
Graffiti removed from a blue mail collection box.

Tree garden fence

BeforeA tree garden fence before repainting.
AfterThe same tree garden fence after repainting, with a wet-paint sign.
A tree garden fence repainted black.

Red street box

BeforePosters and stickers cover a red street box beside a crosswalk.
AfterThe same street box repainted red.
Posters and stickers cleared from a red street box.

Fire hydrant

BeforeGraffiti and worn paint on a fire hydrant.
AfterThe fire hydrant repainted black and silver.
A fire hydrant cleaned and repainted.

Stone facade

BeforeGraffiti being pressure-washed from a stone facade behind scaffolding.
AfterThe stone facade with the graffiti removed.
Graffiti washed from a stone facade.

Construction wall with teal graffiti

BeforeTeal graffiti on a two-tone construction wall beneath posted notices.
AfterThe construction wall with the teal graffiti painted over.
Teal graffiti removed from a construction wall.

Gray lamppost

BeforePeeling paint on the base of a gray lamppost.
AfterThe lamppost base freshly painted gray.
Peeling paint repaired on a gray lamppost.
More before-and-after photographs

Where we work

Clean Streets covers the Park’s perimeter and adjoining blocks, on both sides of the streets shown on the service-area map.

Clean Streets service area, with the covered streets marked in gold. Street boundaries are listed below.
Service-area map from the Block Association’s July 2026 newsletter. Open the map to enlarge.

The program covers both sides of:

  • 20th and 21st Streets, from the east side of Park Avenue South to the west side of Third Avenue.
  • Gramercy Park East and West.
  • Irving Place, from the north side of 19th Street to Gramercy Park South.
  • Lexington Avenue, from Gramercy Park North to the south side of 22nd Street.

The annual Neighborhood Refresh

The 2026 Refresh began with the Park-facing streetscape and continued along the buildings facing it. Both phases were complete by July. Coordinated painting and repairs gave the fixtures that frame the neighborhood a fresh finish.

See the fixtures repaired and repainted in the 2026 Neighborhood Refresh.

See the 2026 Refresh

A program built by neighbors

Drawing on professional business-improvement-district streetscape experience, the Block Association proposed Clean Streets in December 2021 and launched daily operations in May 2022. Subsequent newsletter reports introduced the team, documented block-by-block improvements, and, in May 2025, announced expanded daily service hours made possible by growing neighbor support.

Neighbors’ contributions pay for the crew, supplies and equipment. Support Clean Streets and our other neighborhood programs.

Read how Clean Streets began
Photo credits for this page