June 09, 2006

Open House NY 2006 set for October 7 and 8

The fourth annual Open House New York doesn't take place until October 7 and 8, but word on a few of the participating sites has begun to trickle out.

This week's teaser preview from OHNY indicates there will be a new behind-the-scenes tour of the Meatpacking District, a Red Hook boaters tour, a look inside the David Ling Architect headquarters and last year's onsite talk in the Chrysler Building's lobby will return. Although the full list of sites is secret, Save Ellis Island indicated in a newsletter several months ago that it hopes to again reopen the shuttered hospital portion of the immigration island for the 2006 OHNY event. The full list of sites will be made public in September.

For this year's OHNY, the one weekend of the year when some of the city's best off-limits locations open their doors for free, behind-the-scenes access, 175 venues are expected to take part. That's a big step up from the 85 spots in the first year, Elizabeth Solomon, the program manager for OHNY, told NewYorkology.

She said the most popular sites in the first three years have been Green-Wood Cemetery, (which last year publicly opened its catacombs for the first time in 165 years,) the Jefferson Market Library tower and the Terrapin Chelsea Art Gallery and townhouse, which has a stream in the shape of the Yangtze River running from a fountain indoors, under plexiglass through the house and out to a small pool in the backyard.

And although some of the sites are open to the public at other times of the year, Solomon said they ask the hosts to "do something special for us" -- like opening up another space or provide guided talks. It's a boon to photographers, urban explorers, history junkies, lookie-loos and dozen of non-profits in need of wider exposure.

OHNY has a long wishlist of sites they'd like to open, including abandoned subway stations, the tops of the Chrysler and Woolworth buildings ("we're working on it,") as well as the brand new Hearst building.

"We have a wishlist of about 700," Solomon said. As the not-for-profit organization has gained recognition and prestige, it's getting easier to talk people into opening up their sought-after spaces for the weekend, she said.

This year's event will again coincide with Architecture Week and a number of other programs focusing on kids, "green" buildings and a photography competition. While the main Open House weekend events are free, OHNY runs a number of paid events during the year in order to help defray costs of the big October event. This year they've put together an architect-led tour of the 7 WTC building before it opened and are planning an annual benefit on June 28. Also upcoming is an August 3 slide lecture about New York's first and grandest (and now closed) subway station, under City Hall.

Earlier: More pictures from Open House New York
Open House NY roundup: peeping behind closed doors
Exploring secret Ellis Island during Open House NY
OpenHouseNY's Waldorf, Ellis Island tours already full
Ellis Island hospital, Navy Yard on Open House NY list
An early peak at OpenHouse New York locations
Open House New York photo winners announced

June 9, 2006 11:26 AM in Architecture, Cheap Stuff, Kids, Out of Manhattan, Sightsology, Tours

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