Madison Ave's Playground: Gramercy

Gramercy is oft considered that grey area extending somewhere between Union Square to the south and Murray Hill to the north, itself a blurred zone. After viewing some property there yesterday afternoon, I now like to think of Gramercy as the neighborhood of Park Ave South; or the playground of Madison. More refined than East Village, but less reserved than Murray Hill, I was taken by the variety, grandness, and pulse of this old-world charmer and its lofty dreams. Irving Place, Stuyvesant Park. Lexington's Curry Hill has so much to offer- Kalustyan's @ 123 Lex for all the culinary shopping delights you could ask for. Park Ave South and Madison are both lined with world-class dining and don't forget the five-star boutique hotels. Vietnamese, French, Japanese, Fusion, Italian. Chennai Gardens @ 128 E 27th for delicious dosai. Jazz Standard for daily live music @ 116 E 27th. Diners, delis, fresh bagels. Walks through Madison Square Park, walk to Union Square. You can find nice studios in the mid-to-high $2000s.