The Flatiron District, Gramercy Park & NoMad neighbourhoods make up one of the most sophisticated districts in New York City. Stately hotels, upscale shopping, glamorous hotel bars and some of the city’s chicest restaurants can be found within this small pocket of Manhattan between Midtown and downtown. The best things to do in Flatiron & Gramercy include seeing the iconic Flatiron Building, visiting Madison Square Park, the photography museum Fotografiska and catching the Union Square Greenmarket on Market Days. Among the best restaurants in Flatiron, Gramercy & Nomad are Gramercy Tavern, Eleven Madison Park, Rezdora, as well as casual spots like Eataly Rooftop and the iconic Madison Square Park location of Shake Shack.
I’ve written this neighborhood guide to Flatiron, Gramercy & NoMad after living in New York City for nearly two years, based on my personal favourite spots in the area. If you have any other questions about NYC, please don’t hesitate to get in touch!
Where is the Flatiron District?
The Flatiron District is located in the middle of Manhattan. It spans between Lexington Ave & 6th Ave east to west, and between E 26th and E 20th St north to south. It includes Madison Square Park.
Where is Gramercy?
Gramercy is further east, between 1st Ave and Park Ave, running east to west. It spans E 23rd to E 14th, north to south. Gramercy is famous for Gramercy Park, the exclusive private park which only the surrounding residents have a key for.
Where is NoMad?
NoMad stands for North of Madison Park, and overlaps with the Flatiron District. Like the Flatiron, it spans between Lexington Ave & 6th Ave east to west. It is a bit further north, spanning between E 30th St & E 25th St, north to south.
Best Things to Do in Flatiron, Gramercy & Nomad
See the Flatiron Building
It’s probably the reason you’re in the neighbourhood in the first place. The Flatiron Building was completed in 1902, and quickly became an icon of New York City. While you can’t go inside, there is a small public square opposite, with some seating, or you can enjoy the view from Madison Square Park, which is right beside it.
Madison Square Park
Madison Square Park is small but lovely park that feels quintessentially Manhattan, with views of the Empire State Building, the Flatiron Building and the Met Life Building. It was opened in the 1840s and named for the fourth US president, James Madison. By the 1870s, the area was home to the city’s elite, surrounded by expensive townhouses and mansions, where Theodore Roosevelt, high society novelist Edith Wharton, and Winston Churchill’s mother, Jennie Jerome, were born.
Don’t confuse Madison Square Park with Madison Square Gardens, like I did on my first trip to New York City. Madison Square Gardens is a sports stadium, in Midtown West – nowhere near Madison Square Park!
Fotografiska
Fotografiska is the New York City outpost of the Swedish photography museum which opened in 2019 in Flatiron. It’s one of my favourite museums in New York, and it’s small size means it’s totally manageable to see the whole collection in one visit. It’s housed in the gorgeous, six-storey Renaissance Revival Church Missions building in Gramercy.
Union Square Park
Technically, this is in the Union Square neighbourhood, but it’s only two blocks away from Gramercy so you’re in the area. Union Square Park is a lovely city park, worth a a detour for a stroll under the trees. It was re-designed by Frederick Law Olmstead in the late 19th century, who also designed Central Park.
Union Square Greenmarket
I love a fresh food market, and Union Square Greenmarket is the best in the city. Even if you’re not doing your groceries, it’s worth a visit if you’re in the area to pick up some fresh fruit for a snack or to pick up supplies for an impromptu picnic in Union Square or Madison Square Park.
Opening hours: 8am-6pm on Monday, Wednesday, Friday & Saturday
Gramercy Park
Gramercy Park is the exclusive private park in Gramercy, that only the surrounding residents hold a key to. It’s featured in several movies & films, including Season 2 of And Just Like That, when Carrie buys a townhouse on Gramercy Park (worth $5m USD!).
The Best Restaurants in Flatiron, Gramercy & NoMad
Eleven Madison Park
Eleven Madison Park is regarded as one of the best restaurants in America, and has taken out the #1 spot in the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. When I left Australia, my very generous going away present from my team at work was a voucher for Eleven Madison Park, which makes me just about the luckiest girl in the world. Needless to say, it’s a phenomenal dining experience. EMP, as it is known, was opened in 1998 by Danny Meyer, the famous restaurateur who now runs Union Square Hospitality Group. It was an upscale restaurant, but didn’t transform into the world-class restaurant that it is today until it was purchased by Daniel Humm and Will Guidara in 2011. Sex and The City fans will spot EMP in it’s previous life in the episode where Big and Carrie meet for lunch and she finds out he’s serious about Natasha – and she storms out.
In 2020, Eleven Madison Park made headlines when it re-opened after a pandemic shutdown, with 100% plant based menus. There are a number of tasting menu options, ranging from a Bar Tasting Menu to the Full Tasting Menu which has 9-10 courses.
Rezdora
Rezdora is my favourite Italian restaurant in New York City. The restaurant focuses on the cuisine of the Emilia-Romagna region in Italy and received a coveted three-star review from Pete Wells at the New York Times shortly after opening. Executive Chef & Partner Stefano Secchi is American, but comes to New York by way of the kitchens of Emilia-Romagna. Notably, he did a stint at Massimo Bottura’s celebrated Osteria Francescana in Modena, which took the coveted #1 spot in the The World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2018. My favourite dish is “Grandma Walking Through the Forest,” which is cappelletti verdi stuffed with leeks and served in a mushroom puree. I’m not sure where they source it from, but the burrata is unmissable. It opened while I was living in New York City, but these days it’s very difficult to get a reservation. Book in advance, or be prepared to arrive when they open & patiently wait.
Gramercy Tavern
The prize jewel in Union Square Hospitality Group’s crown, Gramercy Tavern is a quintessential upscale New York City restaurant. As a non-American, there’s something so “American” about Gramercy Tavern than I get a kick out of – you’d never find a restaurant that looks like this in Australia. It just looks really American. Like a 90’s upscale American restaurant from the movies. I went for dinner in the restaurant, which has a tasting menu, with my friend Casey when she came to visit, and loved watching the way the waiters sweep and glide across the room in an almost choreographed fashion. The service in the dining room is really wonderful, and the food is lovely. The style of food isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s seasonal, thoughtful and well-executed, and I enjoyed every bite. I’ve attempted to get a seat in the more casual tavern for dinner on more than one occasion and was put off by the wait time (and went to ABC Cocina around the corner instead, also great), and once spent two hours standing near the bar waiting for a seat at 3pm (-5pm) on a Sunday afternoon. This place is very popular, and for good reason. I won’t be waiting for a spot at the bar again, but I’ll probably make a reservation (well in advance) to try a more casual dinner in the tavern.
Il Fiorista
Il Fiorista is an Italian bar, restaurant and botanical education centre. It’s a great spot for dinner, with a produce-driven menu and a focus on supporting local farms. They host classes about floral design, how botanicals can be used for wellness, mixology, and more as well, and they’re often timed perfectly for making a dinner reservation afterwards. I really like this spot, and it’s such a pretty space!
abcV
Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the most respected and influential chefs in the world. Jean-Georges has restaurants around the world, with thirteen in New York City and two in the Hamptons. abcV is one of his three “ABC” restaurants, all located within a couple of blocks of each other (ABC Kitchen & ABC Cocina are both nearby). abcV is Jean-Georges’ vegetarian restaurant, with an innovative plant-based menu and tonic cocktails. It’s one of his most relaxed and accessible restaurants.
Shake Shack
Shake Shack is one of the East Coast’s most beloved burger joints. Founded by restaurateur Danny Meyer, from Union Square Hospitality Group, Shake Shack makes some of the best cheeseburgers, fries and thickshakes in New York City. The ethos here is to make higher quality fast food, and they’ve nailed it. I love the original location, in the middle of Madison Square Park. There are locations all over the city, and they’re all always jammed – you may as well join the queue at this one, which is ten times more atmospheric.
Union Square Cafe
Union Square Hospitality Group’s flagship restaurant, Union Square Cafe, oozes New York City charm. Named for the nearby Union Square Park, this is a New York City classic – you’ll need to make a reservation.
SERRA at Eataly Flatiron
Eataly has taken the world by storm, but you can visit the original multi-level Italian gourmet department store & restaurant in Flatiron. There are multiple restaurants & bars inside Eataly Flatiron, but my favourite is SERRA by Birreria, which is on the rooftop. Think gorgeous Italian food in a relaxed setting, surrounded by maximalist seasonal decor. So much fun!
Best Bars in Flatiron, Gramercy & Nomad
The Broken Shaker at the Freehand Hotel
The Broken Shaker is a rooftop bar at the Freehand Hotel. It’s a rare role reversal for Miami and New York: it was born in Miami, and has found success in the big city. It’s a James Beard finalist and is one of Manhattan’s most popular rooftop bars with people who live here – as opposed to some of Midtown’s more popular rooftop bars which are largely populated by tourists. I really like it, but you’ll need to be patient with the three or more queues that are required for a drink to materialize in your hand. Go early & be patient. It’s worth the wait.
The Clocktower at the New York Edition
Right off Madison Square Park, the New York Edition is one of legendary hotelier (and Studio54 founder) Ian Schrager’s hotels. The bar at The Clocktower feels part billiard room, part design hotel. I generally feel like if you’ve had one cocktail you’ve had them all, but the cocktails here repeatedly interrupted my conversation about other things, because I had to stop and