October 07, 2006
On board the Mary A. Whalen for Open House NY
 Open House New York, the annual free peak behind the city's normally unexplored spaces, kicked off this morning with nearly 200 sites, tours and events open for anyone with love of architecture, history or just a nosy need to see into their neighbors' homes and work spaces.
Among the new participants this year is the former fuel tanker the Mary A. Whalen.
"This was all cutting edge technology when it was built in 1938," Carolina Salguero said when leading the first tour this morning.
 A tour of the boat also allows for access into the normally off-limits American Stevedoring container port at the edge of Red Hook, Brooklyn. The Mary A. Whalen is docked there only briefly while awaiting her turn for repairs at a Staten Island shipyard. After repairs, possibly just a month from now, the ship will head for a permanent home at the edge of Columbia Street past the grain silos and ball fields in Red Hook. There, it will first open on a limited basis to the public, then with a cafe and eventually with a museum for Portside New York.
But visitors to the ship this weekend need sturdy shoes, a keen eye for swinging objects and a stomach sturdy enough to withstand the rocking, especially when below the water line in the engine room.
 Open House New York runs through tomorrow, but some events are open one day only. See NewYorkology's Open House NY cheat sheet for short cuts to some helpful links.
Also, note the MTA's scheduled subway diversions for this weekend -- and an unexpected rerouting of the 7 train in Queens due to a building collapse.
Related: Flickr OHNY photo pool.
More pictures after the jump.
October 7, 2006 11:48 AM in Architecture, Cheap Stuff, History, Kids, Sightsology, Tours
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