Open House NY Tours Are Back — Explore Our Own Backyard And More

There may be no Clinton Hill House Tour this year, but we still have the annual Open House New York weekend coming up on October 17-18. The full list of tour sites were revealed yesterday and there are a number of extraordinary places open to tour and explore — including in Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, and Wallahout.

The hundreds of tours across the city include talks, performances, and other events all designed to encourage “understanding of the importance of architecture and urban design to foster a more vibrant civic life, and to catalyze a citywide conversation about how to build a better New York.” Open House New York originally debuted in 2003 as part of the city’s Architecture Week.

Here are our local picks to check out:

Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew
520 Clinton Avenue
Saturday, 10/17 from 10am-6pm AND Sunday, 10/18 from 1-5pm
Those who visit the church are surprised by the light, airy feeling which contrasts with the rather heavy stonework of the facade. The Romanesque design and elaborate plasterwork, the stained glass windows produced for the church by the Tiffany Studios of New York and the rose window at the entrance are all just some of the architectural features here at the Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew.

Crossing Wallabout
Saturday, 10/17 from 11am-3pm
Join volunteers from AFHny on a walking tour of Park Avenue in Wallabout, Brooklyn, under the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE). This neighborhood lies just south of the Brooklyn Navy Yard and is one of the earliest settlements in Brooklyn. Named Wallabout Bay after its acquisition from the native Canarsee by French-speaking Walloons from the Netherlands in the 17th Century, this area encompasses many of the changes Brooklyn has experienced over the last 400 years, from 18th century Dutch tobacco farms to a creative and tech-hub. This tour will consider the local history from the vantage of the BQE, the assets in addition to the challenges, with a focus on how neighbors perceive the space. The area has inspired residents, organizations and students to imagine new uses. Participants will also be invited to share their own design visions.
RSVP Required

Brooklyn Academy of Music
30 Lafayette Avenue, Fort Greene
Saturday, 10/17 — every 15-30 minutes between 10am-1pm
The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Peter J. Sharp Building was built in 1905 by Herts & Tallant. This stately Beaux-Arts building contains a variety of performance spaces, including the 2,109-seat Howard Gilman Opera House. BAM’s illustrious history includes performances by Enrico Caruso, Pina Bausch, Gertrude Stein, Paul Robeson, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Peter Brook, Steve Reich, Robert Wilson, Trisha Brown, Philip Glass, Mark Morris, Bill T. Jones, Patti Smith, Erykah Badu, and Lou Reed, to name a few.
Access Notes: Please note that some areas are not wheelchair accessible, but accommodations can be made.

Brooklyn Navy Yard Center at BLDG 92
Saturday, 10/17 AND Sunday, 10/18 — 12-4pm
The Center tells the story of the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard, the 300-acre site that opened in 1801 as one of America’s first naval shipyards. Today, the Navy Yard is a thriving industrial, commercial, and cultural center. Enter through BLDG 92 to grab a Yard map and explore a curated group of fabricators, designers, artist studios and shops open throughout the Yard exclusively for OHNY Weekend.
Saturday Tour Info: In addition to self-guided tours of the Navy Yard campus, OPENDIALOGUE Discussions with structural engineers from Silman will take place at BLDG92 throughout the day. For Kids: Please note that children are only allowed if accompanied by an adult.

Pratt Institute
Saturday, 10/17 at 10am, 11:30am, and 1pm
61 St. James Place
Dozens of structures built between 1885 and World War II have earned Pratt’s Brooklyn campus a spot on the National Register of Historic Places, and more recent building projects have won awards for their innovative designs. In 2011, Architectural Digest included Pratt on its list of the country’s 10 most architecturally significant American college campuses. More recent campus buildings include Higgins Hall (Steven Holl), the Juliana Curran Terian Design Center (Hanrahan Meyers), Myrtle Hall and Film/Video Department Building (both WASA/Studio A), and Vincent A. Stabile Hall (Wayne Berg of PKSB). Tours will be led by Associate Architecture Professor Anthony Caradonna. They will cover major landmarks, historic sites, and contemporary buildings.

Prison Ship Martyrs Monument
Saturday, 10/17 from 11am-3pm; brief tours, first-come, first-served
Fort Greene Park
This memorial was built in the center of Fort Greene Park in 1908 as a tribute the 11,000 men, women and children who died on British Prison Ships during the Revolutionary War. Step inside this historic monument and learn about Fort Greene Park history, the Revolutionary War and the stories of those who perished. Your Urban Park Ranger guides will discuss these stories of the monument and allow visitors a peek inside the Doric column. Access Notes: Access to the top of the column is not permitted.