It's here (almost)! The annual extravaganza known as Open House New York, when sites all around the city?under-construction museums, private apartments, hotels, warehouses, and more?open their doors to the public for a rare weekend, is coming up on October 12 and 13. While many of the sites are open with no advance sign-ups, others require $5 reservations. And OHNY is now taking reservations for those sites. Tours tend to fill up fast, so head over to the Eventbrite page to sign up. But first?we've put together a list of our top picks for the reservation-required tours this year.
4 World Trade Center
The Fumihiko Maki-designed component of the World Trade Center redevelopment will open this November, but here's a chance to visit the building early. Once it opens, the Port Authority will be the building's primary tenant. The building has a 47-foot-tall glassed-in lobby with a titanium arc sculpture by Kozo Nishino. Tours will be held on Saturday, October 12, at noon, 2 p.m., and 4 p.m..
Citi Bike Warehouse
In this building, a warehouse in Sunset Park, the bikes used for the Citi Bike program are stored and repaired. Tours will be held on the hour between noon and 4 p.m. on Saturday, October 12.
Graham Hill's LifeEdited Apartment
For those intrigued by the idea of micro-units, we recommend checking out Graham Hill's Sullivan Street apartment, which we visited during OHNY weekend last year. The apartment is 420 square feet, but moving walls and foldable furniture create additional rooms and space for a dinner for 12 and two overnight guests. Tours will be held every half hour between noon and 2 p.m. on Saturday, October 12.
The Whitney
The Whitney Museum is getting a new building downtown designed by starchitect Renzo Piano. The site is still very much under construction, but OHNY is offering a site perimeter tour with the Whitney's Richard Flood at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 12.
Brooklyn Bridge Park, Piers 2-3 Uplands
These two piers at Brooklyn Bridge Park are set to be finished later this year, and in the meantime, OHNY goers can stroll along them on Sunday, October 13, at 2 p.m.. The five-acre Pier 2 will include recreation space, a spiral pool, and a boat ramp. Pier 3 will also include recreation space, "naturalized plantings," and room for picnics.
Gowanus Canal Superfun(d) Site Canoe Trip
Why wait 10 years for a clean Gowanus Canal when you could take a self-guided tour on Saturday, October 12, on the half-hour between 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.?
High Line at the Rail Yards
The High Line Railyards are always a popular OHNY attraction, and this year visitors will also see the large Carol Bove sculptures currently installed on site. Tours will be held on Saturday and Sunday of OHNY weekend, at 10 a.m., 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m., 3 p.m., and 4 p.m..
We'll be back next week with recommendations for the sites that don't require advance reservations.
· Official site: OHNY [ohny.org]
· Tour the New Whitney, 4WTC During Open House NY 2013 [Curbed]
· Open House New York coverage [Curbed]