Inside job: Pro tips for making the most of Open House New York
Open House NY gives entry to hidden locations Oct. 18-20, but you need to have a plan.
I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. The opulent Grand Masonic Lodge nestled behind nondescript scaffolding in the Flatiron District. The sprawling atrium of the Brooklyn Army Terminal where grass grows alongside the ancient rails. And whatever goes on inside those massive metal eggs hugging the edge of the Newtown Creek.
I went to my first Open House in 2019 as soon as I moved to the city, and was immediately addicted, attending at least one tour every post-pandemic year. While our great metropolis has a bountiful dosage of outdoor amenities like sprawling parks, meandering waterways and manicured hiking trails, New York City is, indeed, a place of interiors. Private apartments house art collections, nondescript warehouses hold the city’s most important infrastructure. It may look like nothing from the outside, but beyond the thresholds are wonders you can only imagine.
But what if you could get a look inside?
This has been the operating ethos of the non-profit group Open House New York, founded in 2001 with the goal of providing access to otherwise hidden and locked-away locations throughout the city. In 2003, OHNY began hosting weekend-long extravaganzas where hundreds of locations were opened all at once. Last year, over 25,000 visitors got to take a look around over 330 locations. This year’s OHNY Weekend takes place Oct. 18 through 20.
“OHNY Weekend reflects the diversity and dynamism of New York’s built environment,” Kristin LaBuz, OHNY’s executive director, told The Groove. “To me, [it’s] a license to explore in every sense, from entering a new building, discovering a neighborhood, taking a new mode of transportation or striking up a conversation with a stranger on a tour.”
The vast majority of OHNY locations — over 270 sites this year — are completely free to access, the main caveat being you may have to wait in line when you arrive. But there are also tons of sites that, due to safety and security limitations, can only be accessed by pre-purchasing a ticket. Access to these locations will sell out. But this is where it gets fun.
Tickets cost $6 a piece and go on sale precisely at 11 a.m. on Oct. 8, and the most desirable experiences will have theirs snatched up in minutes. Tickets for each location will be available through individual Eventbrite listings, but the “Plan Your Weekend” of the OHNY website will link to each tour.
With a scarcity mindset at play, how should you optimize OHNY Weekend? Here’s your guide:
Pick your poison
The OHNY website has gotten a refresh this year, and now includes the ability to filter by which locations are ticketed, what day(s) and time(s) they’re available, what borough they’re in, and other options such as wheelchair accessibility. Once you pinpoint which locations you want to try for—there are over eight pages’ worth of ticketed experiences—it’s time to get to prioritizing.
Sign up for a free OHNY account and start adding your potential sites to your itinerary. (You can see mine here if you’re nosy.) When you have a bunch ready to go, it’s time to start planning your route.
Know your limits
There’s only so much time on any given weekend to get around New York City, and that’s without considering the subway delays on the rise after Kathy Hochul canceled congestion pricing. If you get tickets to a morning tour in the Bronx, maybe leave the access to the noon start in deep Queens to someone else. Hitting three to four sites per day is usually a reasonable approach, LaBuz said.
“Some participants make crazy color-coded schedules and try to hit up ten or more sites,” she said. “Other participants take it slow and really go in-depth."
Jess Joseph
Jess Joseph
Prioritize, but have alternatives ready
New Yorkers are, of course, endlessly nosy about what goes on inside the homes and buildings they usually can only see from the outside, so naturally hot tickets get snatched up first.
“The reality is that demand far exceeds supply for some sites, kind of like the architectural equivalent of a Taylor Swift concert,” LaBuz said.
She wouldn’t say which sites are the most in-demand, so you’ll have to use your intuition to decide which sites will be the most desirable. If there are tours every half an hour throughout the whole weekend? Maybe you’ll snag one. If there’s only one single tour for the entire weekend, like, say for the NYC Municipal Archives down in Sunset Park? Maybe that should be your priority. And if all those tickets get snatched up, it’s vital to have back-up plans.
“I would encourage newcomers to step outside their comfort zone and challenge themselves to visit a new neighborhood,” LaBuz said. “The best advice is to be at your computer, ready to go, at 10:59am. Be patient, but persistent. Good luck!”
But which of the many varied ticketed OHNY experiences do you pick from this year? Here are some of the sure-to-be hot commodities from my personal wishlist:
The Refinery at Domino, Williamsburg
A rare opportunity to take a peek inside the wild mix of the endlessly discussed old Domino Sugar refinery with a massive glass atrium on the East River waterfront.
Nitehawk Prospect Park, Park Slope
A tour highlighting the preservation work to bring the old theater up to the 21st century, along with a gander at the rooftop solar panels.
Hamilton Grange National Monument, Hamilton Heights
Just in time for spooky season, enjoy a look at Alexander Hamilton’s old home with a 30-minute evening candlelight tour.
Colossal Media Paint Shop, East Williamsburg
Most of those hand-painted billboards through Williamsburg along Kent Avenue? The work of Colossal. View their warehouse headquarters, and perhaps have an after-tour drink at nearby Pumps.
Ravenswood Generating Station, Long Island City
A peek inside the power plant on the coast of LIC? Yes, please!
And a few non-ticketed OHNY Weekend highlights
Highbridge Water Tower, Washington Heights
Groups of 20 at a time will learn all about the history of NYC’s water supply and then top it off with panoramic views from the 200-foot tower.
Sunset Park Materials Recovery Facility, Sunset Park
Learn all about NYC’s recycling program and see the monster that sorts and processes 1,000 tons of material a day.
Gowanus Canal Canoeing, Gowanus
Navigate the Gowanus waters and view the new developments while learning about the extensive clean-up efforts on a self-guided canoe trip. Canoes, paddles, and life jackets will be provided.
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