Reminder: Gramercy Park Will Open for a Single Hour of Caroling on Christmas Eve

GRAMERCY PARK, NY — The general public's once-a-year opportunity to bypass the locked gates of Gramercy Park is upon us.

On Dec. 24, members of the public will be given one hour to roam the well-groomed private park. The park is maintained by the Gramercy Park Block Association, whose president Arlene Harrison confirmed to Patch that the park would be open again on Christmas Eve this year — but just for one hour.

The two-acre park on Irving between 20th and 21st streets, after which the surrounding neighborhood is named, is locked 364 days a year, and accessible only to paying key holders.

Once a year, however, keyless passersby are permitted a brief opportunity to see how the other half lives.

The nearby Calvary St. George’s parish will host its caroling service in the park from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Dec. 24, during which time the carolers — and anyone else who cares to join — will be allowed to behold the Gramercy Park Christmas tree from inside the gates.

Around 300 people reportedly hold keys to Gramercy's well-groomed private park, at an annual cost of $350 each. The posh park has been repeatedly lambasted by NYC media outlets for its exclusivity and refusal to share its grounds with outsiders.

Except, of course, on Christmas Eve.

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