Lexington Ave, Gramercy Park

There are some lovely old relics on Lex in Gramercy Park, but like most major avenues, the street is pretty boring. It's a nice walk into Gramercy but it's not really a hang out kind of street. There are some lovely apartments on this street, but I feel that if you can afford them, you can probably find a better street to live on.
There are some really cool, old buildings right at Lexington and 24th but they have less than cool usages these days. The George Washington building used to be one of the grandest hotels in the city. WH Auden stayed here in the 30's a lot. It's now a . . . .dorm. Across the street used to be another hotel that's now a co-op with bizarre little eateries next to it. I imagine that this block used to be very en vogue and now it's kind of boring. The buildings are pretty, though.
There are some really old, gothic looking buildins at 23rd and Lex. One of them is Baruch College. The building is stunning so I recommend everyone go in and take a peek if at all possible. The other is a high school so I would recommend just admiring it from afar unless you want to be arrested for being a creepy trespasser. The block at 22nd has some of the most beautiful big buildings in the neighborhood: Sage House and the Gramercy Park Hotel. Sage House is now apartments (lucky tenants!) and the Gramercy Park Hotel is not to be missed. It has had a slew of famous tenants such as the Kennedy's, Deborah Harry, and Babe Ruth. It's sort of seedy nowadays on the inside but it's still really old timey and very cool. I love this building.
Just after the Gramercy Park Hotel, you run into Gramercy Park and Lexington ends. Gramercy Park is a gorgeous park that is only accessible to the residents of the streets surrounding it, so the park doesn't have a New York energy, but it's very charming and sort of an elitist perk. I believe it's open on Christmas day, but you can't go in any other time unless you are a resident (i.e. rich).