OPEN HOUSE NEW YORK 2007

Last week I experienced my first Open House New York weekend. OHNY is an annual event where sites that are normally off-limits are opened to the public. Here's what I did:

Episcopal General Theological Seminary 175 9th Ave. @ 20th St. [Chelsea]

Occupying a full city block in Chelsea, this historic Gothic-Revival campus and well-tended grounds are NYC’s and the Episcopal Church’s oldest seminary.

Grand Lodge of the Masons
71 W. 23rd St. @ 6th Ave. [Chelsea]

The lavishly decorated rooms of the Freemasons meeting place reflect this ancient organization’s unique history and mission.

Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art
150 W. 17th St. @ 6th Ave. [Chelsea]

Once a department store, the museum devoted to the art of the Himalayas features six gallery floors wrapped around a central spiral staircase. Visitors wind their way up, exploring paintings, sculpture, textiles, ritual objects and prints spanning the 2nd to 21st centuries.

Scandinavia House
58 Park Ave. @ 37th St. [Murray Hill]

The American-Scandinavian Foundation’s cultural center has a modern sensibility that reflects Nordic design trends. The building showcases Nordic design and materials and offers art and design exhibitions, films, concerts, lectures and family programs.

Paul Rudolph Modulightor Building
246 E. 58th St. @ 2nd Ave. [Midtown]

The last NYC townhouse built by modernist Paul Rudolph is notable for its intricately interwoven horizontal and vertical spaces.

Southpoint
Roosevelt Island

Southpoint is the name of the empty grounds once associated with the now-abandoned John Renwick, Jr. Smallpox Hospital. Visual artist Thom Sokoloski’s installation merges image, music and ceremony in a cluster of 100 luminous 19th-century tents — inspired by the island’s social and architectural past.

Rockefeller Center Rooftop Garden
650 5th Ave. @ 50th St. [Midtown]

A rare opportunity to visit the famed garden and reflecting pool atop the British Empire Building at Rockefeller Center.