Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
New Yorkers obsess about real estate. As much time as we kill poring over the property blog
Curbed
(
www.curbed.com
)
,
however, there's no substitute for actually poking around someone else's space in person.
OpenHouseNewYork
opens
the doors to some of the most mysterious spaces in the city. The first weekend in October brings New Yorkers access
to envy-inducing private residences and awe-inspiring public structures. When else are you going to get a peek at the
Richard Meier & Partners Model Museum, the Old Croton Aqueduct, or the grounds of the Roosevelt Island Smallpox
Hospital? Locales (almost 200!) are scattered across all five boroughs, so you'll have to come up with a schedule or limit
your targets. Reserve early (
212/991-6470;
www.ohny.org
)
, and note that some reservations come with a $5 fee.
Every Last Sunday on the Lower East Side
The “Bargain District” nickname has grown increasingly
anachronistic as an influx of tony boutiques and restaurants has upped rents across my beloved LES. Plenty of
galleries, studios, and performance spaces remain, and on the last Sunday of each month you can tour through
them for free. The tours leave at 1pm, April through October.
Tour usually begins from LES Visitor Center at 54 Orchard St., btw. Grand and Hester sts.
212/226-9010.
www.lowereastsideny.com
. Apr-Oct
last Sun of the month 1pm. Subway: J/M/Z to Essex St.; F to Delancey St.
Tribeca Open Artist Studio Tour
TriBeCa certainly doesn't qualify as a run-down neighborhood, so the
70 artist studios that open up for TOAST are a bit of a surprise. You'll also find free music and slide shows amid
the tony condos. The event covers a long weekend in late April/early May.
From Canal south to Warren St., and Lafayette west to Greenwich St.
www.toastartwalk.com
. Fri-Mon, check website for exact hours and locations.
Subway: 1 to Franklin St.; A/C/E to Canal St.
Washington Square Outdoor Art Exhibit
This Depression-era idea for helping artists get their work out
there is now safely into its ninth decade. Streets near Washington Square Park become a gigantic open-air art gal-
lery, where you can browse through the works of some 200 artists and artisans. The show is juried, so even the
crafts have standards to meet. Pick up a free map at the intersection of 8th Street and University.
Show covers University Place btw. 3rd and 12th sts., and spills over to Schwartz Plaza.
212/982-6255.
www.washingtonsquareoutdoorartexhibit.org
.
Noon-6pm Sat-Mon on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends; Sat-Sun the weekends following.
Subway: N/R to 8th St.; A/B/C/D/E/F/M to W. 4th St./Washington Sq.
4 Free Tours
Sponsored Tours
New York's Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) started of as coalitions of local merchants who were mostly
concerned with picking up trash and herding the homeless into neighborhoods without BIDs. Now fully estab-
lished, BIDs have taken on cultural roles in their communities, sponsoring concerts and public art. Always eager
to boost their 'hoods, a few offer free summer tours, some of which continue year-round. Though there's always
something new to learn about New York, don't expect to hear many critical words about the neighborhood or its
friendly, hardworking BID.
8th Street Walking Tour
Eighth Street and its East Village equivalent St. Marks Place are among the city's
most colorful commercial strips. Get the inside dirt on the area's heritage, from Abe Lincoln to Jimi Hendrix,
courtesy of the Village Alliance. Tours meet on the northwest corner of Second Avenue and St. Marks.
212/777-2173.
www.villagealliance.org
. Late May through Sept select Sat 11:30am. Subway: N/R to 8th St.; 6 to Astor Place.
Flatiron District Walking Tour
The Flatiron Building (aka Burnham's Folly) is famous for its prowlike
presence at the crossing of Broadway and Fifth Avenue. You'll learn all about it, and the neighborhood that bor-
rows its name, on this 90-minute Sunday morning tour. Herman Melville, Edith Wharton, and O. Henry also
play a part. Tours leave at 11am, rain or shine, all year long.
