In and Around Gramercy Park: A Season of Work and Care
The Neighborhood Refresh outside the fence; gate, bench and fountain repairs inside it.
The Park Today
A private garden at the heart of the neighborhood. Who cares for it, how access works, and what every key holder should know.
Under the stewardship of the Trustees
Gramercy Park is private property, cared for and administered by the Trustees of Gramercy Park. The surrounding lot owners elect the Trustees to maintain the Park, oversee its operation and enforce its rules.
The rules are adopted by the lot owners—the owners of the surrounding properties whose deeds carry rights to the Park. Changes require the approval of at least two-thirds of the lot owners.
The Gramercy Park Block Association is a separate organization serving the surrounding neighborhood. Its work in the community complements the Trustees’ care of the garden inside the fence.
Meet the Park’s caretaker
Amando Flores
The Park’s caretaker for more than thirty years
Amando was fifteen when he began working with roses in Puebla, Mexico. His father’s job at 8 Gramercy Park South brought him into the neighborhood; a chance from the Trustees gave him a garden to care for and a vocation that has lasted more than thirty years.
Read his story, from Puebla to Gramercy Park.
Read Amando’s storyWho may enter the Park?
Access is tied to the surrounding lot-owner properties. Eligible residents, occupants, members and congregants may use the Park through the key arrangements of their building or institution. Living nearby, by itself, does not confer access.
Requests for public access
We regularly receive requests to enter the Park for marriage proposals, photographs and other special occasions. The Park is not open to the public, and the Block Association cannot arrange access for these requests. A special occasion does not create an exception.
There is no public application, admission ticket or independent Park membership. A donation to the Block Association does not provide Park access or a key.
Guests of key holders
The rules allow a key holder to invite up to six guests at one time. The key holder must explain the rules and is responsible for guests’ conduct. Key holders may not combine their invitations to create a larger group, lend their keys or admit passersby. Guest privileges do not permit parties, ceremonies or other private events.
How to obtain a key
Start with your building management. Residents of eligible lot-owner buildings should contact their managing agent, board or building office for current key-request, renewal and replacement procedures. Eligible members or congregants should ask their institution.
- Confirm eligibility. Your building or institution can confirm whether you qualify under its Park access arrangements.
- Follow its current request process. Key requests are coordinated through the lot-owner properties. Forms and distribution arrangements can vary by building.
- Read and accept the rules. Key holders are responsible for understanding the rules and ensuring their guests follow them.
Keys may not be borrowed, loaned, transferred or copied. If you lose a key, contact your building management for the appropriate replacement procedure.
A garden cared for throughout the year
The Park’s quiet appearance depends on regular work: tending trees and shrubs, planning seasonal planting, caring for lawns and gravel paths, and maintaining benches, monuments, irrigation and the surrounding fence.
The Trustees oversee this work with the Park’s caretakers and specialist contractors. Annual assessments paid by the lot owners support the Park’s operation and upkeep.
Outside the fence, the Block Association cares for the 41 street trees and their gardens and helps keep the surrounding sidewalks clean. These public streets and sidewalks offer everyone a way to enjoy the Park’s setting and the architecture around it.
A quieter, cleaner Park
In October 2025, the Gramercy Park Block Association donated commercial-grade, battery-powered landscaping equipment to the Trustees of Gramercy Park to replace the noisier, gasoline-powered tools then in use. Made possible by neighbors’ support, the gift included leaf blowers, lawn mowers, hedge trimmers and string trimmers from Greenworks Commercial.
The electric tools reduce the noise of routine maintenance and produce no gasoline fumes or engine exhaust during use. It is a practical improvement for the people who tend the garden, the neighbors who live around it and everyone who enjoys a quiet walk beside the Park.
Read about the Block Association’s giftUsing the Park with care
The Park is an ornamental garden intended for quiet enjoyment. Its rules apply to everyone who enters, including children and guests.
Hours & gates
- Use the Park during daylight and any other hours specifically designated by the Trustees. Follow posted notices and temporary closures.
- Close and lock the gates when entering or leaving. Do not admit passersby.
Children & guests
- Children are welcome and must be supervised by an adult at all times.
- Observe the six-guest limit and follow instructions from the Trustees and caretakers.
Paths & plantings
- Stay on gravel paths and other areas designated by signs. Protect plants, furnishings and Park property.
- Jogging and exercise are allowed only in designated areas at seasonally posted times.
- Use the designated waste and recycling containers.
Quiet enjoyment
- No dogs or other animals, bicycles, Frisbees or hard balls.
- No smoking, alcohol, picnicking or sunbathing.
- Do not feed wildlife, from inside or outside the fence, or play amplified sound without headphones.
Photography & events
- Key holders may take photographs for personal use. Commercial and wedding photography, filming and videotaping are prohibited.
- No tours, classes, parties, ceremonies or other private events. Limited Trustee-organized observances have their own arrangements for eligible key holders and guests.
Respecting the rules
- Be prepared to identify yourself, your lot-owner affiliation and your key when asked by a Trustee or caretaker.
- Violations can result in the loss of Park privileges or a key.
- Individual Trustees cannot grant waivers or change the rules.
This is a practical summary of the lot-owner rules, amended April 18, 2011, and the abbreviated rules distributed to key holders. Ask your building management for the full rules, and follow current Park notices and signs.