A rather juicy finding and way to spend your weekend if you’re in New York, October 8-9 is
attending Open House New York, an
event sponsored by Target. OHNY is your all access pass to some of the cities dirtiest little secrets and places you’ve
always dreamt to visit, but couldn’t get pass the armed security. A little exaggeration on my part as many of the sites
have been open to the public in the past, but for the first time ever places like Ellis Island will be open for you to
explore. The abandoned hospital may be one of the most interesting and most difficult to see, so if you should not be
able to make it, keep in mind some of the other 100 plus sites to see. Almost all are open for free, but make sure you
check in advance to see if reservations are necessary or if there is a fee. Here’s an idea of happenings in each
borough:
-
Edgar Allan Poe Cottage - where Poe wrote some of his greatest works. (Bronx)
-
Woodlawn Cemetery – Eight private mausoleums by designers such
as John Russell Pope, Tiffany and Hunt&Hunt will be open. (Bronx) -
Brooklyn Navy Yard – Two hour bus tour to stop at historically
significant sites along the way. Will need to reserve in advance. (Brooklyn) -
Gowanus Canal Canoe Tour, which Kelly blogged about
recently. (Brooklyn) -
The Octagon and Lighthouse Park – The country’s first municipal lunatic asylum.
(Manhattan) -
Paul Rudolph Foundation/Modulightor Building – Last NY townhouse built by modernist Paul Rudolph. Now filled
with artist collections by Modulightor. (Manhattan) -
Ellis Island’s Southside – Tour the abandoned hospital where 1 million
immigrants where treated between 1900-1954. (Manhattan) -
Astoria Pool – Tour the underground infrastructure and filtration system
of the Art Deco pool. (Queens) -
Fresh Kills – Three times the size of Central Park, 45% of the site
was used as a landfill. Take a bus tour of the site to learn about the city’s proposed plans to change the site
over the next 30 years. (Staten Island)