4. Minority Schoolchildren Were Once Kicked Out of Gramercy Park

Inside the National Arts Club

Gramercy Park’s exclusive nature has caused some problems over the years. Perhaps the most notable event occurred in 2001, when O. Aldon James, the president of the National Arts Club at the time, brought a group of minority students from Washington Irving High School into the park. Unfortunately, they did not get to stay long, as one trustee reported them to the police for trespassing. The students and the club consequently filed a lawsuit, which claimed that the trustee had stated that the park “is not for these types of kids.”

The case was later settled with each student receiving $36,000 from the park; one boy, who was specifically confronted came away with $50,000.