Joel's Blog

The Ghouls of Gramercy

10/28/2026

We take construction seriously in this city

Happy Halloween!
A few years ago I wrote about the Halloween decorations on the Upper East Side. But in the neighborhood for which the Gramercy Tools brand and logo is named, Gramercy Park, some people also put in a fair amount of effort.

The Gramercy neighborhood is loosely 14th Street to 23rd Streets, Park Avenue South to First Avenue. The area in the teens and twenties was first built just before the Civil War. Small houses with stores lined the avenues and the side streets were full of townhouses. Once upon a time the Third Avenue Elevated train ran along Third Avenue and blocked light and air and consequently froze development. When the El was torn down in the 1950s ("farewell, 'El,' a long, long, long farewell," said the New York Times), a huge expansion of large apartment buildings began on the avenue. The side streets came to include large buildings but also tenement buildings and many wonderful mid 19th century townhouses (that now command premium prices).

Many homeowners and landlords put up either "Autumn" displays Or full blown Halloween experiences. Here are a few:

All three carvings are on 18th street between 2nd and 3rd Ave

Who knew gourds and pumpkins came in such an assortment of colors

A frightful freight entrance of a modern apartment building. Simple - but it shows imagination. "Sir - can you send someone up - there are giant spiders creeping up to get me"

This takes real effort to do well - I'm impressed

The most elegant of displays - inside a ground floor living room window

Add a Comment

Name:

Email (will not be published):

Website (optional):

Please enter your comment (HTML is not allowed):

Last

The opinions expressed in this blog are those of the blog's author and guests and in no way reflect the views of Tools for Working Wood.

Newer Entries...
	Three Ways That Were Used To Make 19th Century Carved Architectural Molding - 03/20/2012
	Announcing The Work Magazine Reprint Project - 03/13/2012
	Duncan Phyfe's Toolbox. - 03/06/2012
	Tom Otterness, The Lewis Chess Men and Why We Should All Carve - 02/28/2012
	How to Keep Your Sanders A-Sanding - 02/21/2012
	When Good Tools Go Bad and Other News - 02/14/2012
	How to Hold an Adjustable Shoulder Plane - 02/07/2012
	But Is It Art? - 01/31/2012
	The Transmission of Power - The Five Epochs of Power Application in Woodworking - 01/24/2012
	Using Rasps in the Woodshop Can Add Flourishes to Basic Work. - 01/17/2012
	Are Acme Mfg. Products Really That Bad? - 01/10/2012
	Carving With Chris Pye - Next Lessons and a Step Backwards - 01/03/2012
	Why You Should Join the Mid-West Tool Collector's Association - 12/27/2011
	Happy Holidays from everyone at Tools for Working Wood! - 12/25/2011
	1869 Franz Freiherr von Wertheim Catalog - Now Online - 12/20/2011
	India Day and Woodworking In Other Cultures - 12/13/2011
	What about Isometric Drafting Paper? - 12/06/2011
	Period Pieces - 11/29/2011
	Carving With Chris Pye - First Lessons - 11/22/2011
	I'm Giving A Talk On November 30th to the NYC Woodworkers Group: Using Rasps in the Woodshop - 11/17/2011
Older Entries...

Hours: M-F 9:00-5:00, closed Sat,Sun
Our Guarantee & Return Policy
Shipping and Sales Tax Info
Privacy Policy
Holiday Calendar

Contact Us: Email: support@toolsforworkingwood.sbs
Phone: 800-426-4613 or 718-499-5877
Visit Us in Brooklyn: Directions to Our Showroom
© 1999-2026 toolsforworkingwood.sbs
Powered by 01 Inc. Coded entirely in NYC