when you’re in a place like new york, it’s fun to eat at a semi (or very) swanky place at least once. who am i kidding. it’s always fun to do that, new york or no new york. we don’t do it very often (um, never?) so it’s a treat when we do. the night before’s pizza was low-key so we decided to do something on the more special side for the next morning’s breakfast. my friend rachael mentioned that she’d done the gramercy terrace at the gramercy park hotel not too long ago. she reminded me that ashley had done a post on it and ashley’s got really great travel recommendations so, there you have it. long story short (or maybe long?), two good sources were giving it two thumbs up.
off we went.
but not before, while getting ready that morning, we peeked out my friend’s apartment window to see the side of the street where our car was parked entirely empty save our lone minivan half a block down. steve ran down the street and moved the car… street cleaning. despite our best efforts at reading (and deciphering, as the case may be) the signs, we nearly were towed. disaster averted (small disaster, but disaster nevertheless), and off we went for our breakfast.
the hotel in and of itself is beautiful. it’d be quite the experience to stay there one day – one day and yes! fingers are crossed! you walk through the lobby and then you take the elevators up to the top of the hotel where the terrace is. it’s all lush and green with plants and vines and has a bit of a greenhouse feel to it. we opted for the continental breakfast instead of ordering off the menu. there’s hard-boiled eggs, various meats and cheeses, fully stocked breakfast cereals in nice glass jars (william and lindsey would go crazy for this. sugary cereals for the taking?! we may have to return.), milk, including chocolate, croissants and bagels and danishes, berries and bananas, and, my personal favorite, thick greek yogurt with muddled fruit in single-serving glass jars. we got ourselves two coffees as soon as we sat down, and the cream came in a little silver mock-carton container. and there was plenty of it. steve and i go heavy on cream in our coffee and the restaurant was not stingy. a much-appreciated gesture as i hate asking waitresses for things but the two creams per coffee that they plop on your table alongside your coffee mug never seem to be enough.
our table was just outside the doors to this fabulous lounge room with plush leather chairs and couches and a ceiling of suspended lightbulbs (4,400 of them to be exact!). and, close to the brunch food as well. you can imagine parker’s delight at all the berries and bananas there. and he ate some of my yogurt as well. happy campers, all three of us. he’d have been content to stay much of the day, i think. “mom, just keep the blueberry supply flowing.” he even went so far as to pluck one from my plate even though he had several on his. blueberry-hoarder indeed.
afterwards, we walked clear ’round the gramercy park noticing that there were people in there but the first gate we tried was locked. well, the next one must be open then! no luck. then it must be the next one still. finally we’d circled the whole park to come up empty each time and a kind passerby walking her dogs gave us the scoop: you need a key to get into this park and only hotel guests or those who live directly on the park are granted access. with our heads downcast (ho hum, us common-folk!) we walked around a bit more before heading back to the car. oh, and got some pretty cute pictures of parker on the outside of the gates.
and that concludes our 24 hours in nyc. onto new jersey we headed next. you still with me?
p.s. google reader’s officially kaput, i guess? i’m on bloglovin’ if that suits your fancy.
Such beautiful photos of a wonderful place. I always want to go places that Ashley recommends. And I'm still needing to buy that dress of yours; so pretty and perfect for a brunch date with your two boys.
downeast basics! i got it on zulily a while ago but it's maybe still on their site. so easy to throw on. and yes, ashley has the best recs!!
I've never been there but it looks pretty cute. There are so many amazing brunch places in New York.
i bet. i heard amazing things about the (close by) farmer's table? orrrr friend of the farmer? something like that!
That's the most glamorous place ever and I'm grape jelly that you got to go there for breakfast! Aaaaand thank GOODNESS you checked on your car! That would have been terrible!
Sounds heavenly! The endless fruit supply might be my favorite too Parker!
Looks like an Amazing place and oh those pictures of Parker….I die!
Okay, definitely adding this place to my NYC list next time I'm there with my sisters. Wowza!
ps- don't you just love (well actually hate) those common folk/tourist moments that undoubtedly happen when you're in the city? I feel like such a country bumpkin when they do, and maybe that's why that city feels so intimidating. I wonder to myself, how long would it take me to NOT feel that way if I lived there? That place freaks me out.
YES. us tourists look like a bunch of losers sometimes.
wow, gorgeous photos – i love these!
What a lovely morning!! Those leisurely mornings are the best, aren't they?
I love trying out the fancy places that are a little nicer than my usual, sounds delicious and memorable. Parker's mop of hair looks so adorable, by the way!
it is seriously a mop. i've had several people ask, "have you cut his hair yet?" to which i answer, "many times!" let's just say he ain't going bald anytime soon.
I love gramercy park. I spent a year living there and was able to get inside the park 😀 I went to college at the School of Visual Arts and they have a girls dorm in gramercy park that I lived in. So beautiful and tranquil inside a busy part of the city. I was never lucky enough to have breakfast at the hotel though, I was a poor college student, living off of cereal.
no shame in living off of cereal especially since you could go IN the park instead of just the circumference 🙂
How fantastic. Wish I could have been there to have my own yogurt. I barely had room last time because I ended up eating three chocolate croissants. That secret park fact explains why it was such a tranquil area! I couldn't figure out why it felt like a quiet nook in the city–oh, because no one else is allowed there. I'm so glad you got coffee too—they do that well as well! Parker, pay attention, this is the good life.
your last line. he better be!
oofff. that boy.
What a great place. I've never been to NYC, but this looks like a place to keep on the list for when that day comes. And, that boy of yours… oh, Parker are you handsome?! Seriously, he's just precious. Hope you all had a great time.
I am loving these photos, especially the one of Parker looking down and smiling. And I love the idea of pretty much eating in a greenhouse — so cool! Gramercy Park absolutely fascinates me. I'm so curious to know about the people who live on the park! The lives they lead!
same! there was one house (well, many, but one in particular) that caught my eye. fun to pretend!
so, so pretty. and that photo of you looking at your menu? gorgeous.
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love it. jealous. that is all. x
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