» The building was designed by architect Robert T. Lyons and built by the Bing brothers (Alexander and Leo). The aggressive Bings were known as the Donald Trumps of their time, building luxury apartments on the Upper East Side and in Greenwich Village. Many of their buildings stand today, including Jimi Hendrix’s former home at 59 West 12th St.

» Herbert Weissberg bought the hotel in 1958. During his time as owner, the hotel veered sharply in a bohemian direction, taking on Bob Dylan and David Bowie as boarders, among other '70s notables. The place became known for its laissez faire attitude toward celebrities, allowing them to do their boozing and smoking wherever they wanted. Only toward the 1990s did the hotel fall on hard times and become shabby in a wholly uninviting way.

» As its name would suggest, the hotel stands adjacent to Gramercy Park, the last remaining private park in New York City. Hotel guests can actually access the park via a special key provided by the doorman on request (during the day only). There are 12 keys total, distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.

» Though the Schrager Gramercy caters to famous folk now as ever, the hotelier did make a lauded (and no doubt calculated) exception when he denied Paris Hilton entry to the establishment's trendy Rose Bar in 2006. (She had reportedly arrived from a boozy stint at Marquee.) As Schrager explained eagerly to the gossip rags, “The likes of Paris Hilton and her ilk are not welcome here."

Hotel Gramercy Park screens at the Tribeca Film Festival 2008.