Pleasant Living: A GUIDE TO GETTING THROUGH THE DOORS OF OPEN HOUSE NEW YORK

MY TIPS AND TRICKS TO ENTRY

This year's Open House New York unlocked up close to 250 doors in the city that are normally closed to the public. It's a two-day event that happens once a year in Mid-October. This is the second time I've taken advantage of the event and both years I learned a little more about the ins and outs of how the event works. There's a process to how you get through the doors of the places you want to see. Here's what I know.
1. The most sought after venues usually require a reservation. Tickets for these interiors are acquired on an online sale with a first come first serve basis. Several weeks before the actual event tickets are put up for bid. If you aren't set up to hit the buy button for the space you want to see within the first thirty seconds of the sale you can just draw an "X" through being able to visit that space.
2. The first year I attended I tried for tickets several days after they went up for sale. I missed out on all the reservation only sites. This year I hovered over my computer like a duck eyeing a June bug. When the clock on my computer ticked out 11:00am on the first day of the sale I hit the purchase key and off I went to filling out the form for a golden ticket to the National Arts Club. It was one of six must see venues on my list. It took me about forty-five seconds to strike a win and move onto my number two site. It was a no go and it was a no go for the remaining venues on my wish list. Spots on the reserved entry only sites had all been gobbled up within seconds.
3. This left me with a list of about a dozen open entry places I was still interested in seeing. Here's where you need to reevaluate the possible popularity of the places on your list. Even these places can prove challenging. Some of the lines for getting into places like the Cultural Services of the French Embassy/Albertine Books required more than an hour wait and that kind of wait cuts deep into the amount of places you can actually see before time runs out.
4. You should make sure that you've checked out the locations of all the venues you've added to your list. Make a map to make sure that you're not traversing the island or trying to go from borough to borough instead of consolidating your visits to a tight locale. The hours sites are open differ from site to site and this can really screw up your journey if you didn't write down everyone's open hours or the day they're going to be open
5. Next you want to check to see if the place your visiting requires a tour or if they let you roam unsupervised. I prefer to be left alone to see and photograph on my own. When some of the tours take an hour or more this can also put a real crimp on time chart.
6. Here's my plan for next year. I'm going to enlist a bunch of friends for a sign-in party on the day and at the time that tickets become available. Then manned with a list of all the places I want to see I'll have all my guests lined up with their computers in front of them and an assigned venue for them to sign up for on my behalf. How many of you are interested?

THE NATIONAL ARTS CLUB

What I did get to see was this gorgeous building, the National Arts Club. It was my one golden ticket event and even though it did require a half-hour tour it was a terrific event.

It was a very intimate affair, my group of lucky ticket holders was no more than ten and our docent was an incredibly informative employee of the club. Her spiel didn't last the full thirty minutes and the rest of the time she allowed us to roam from room to room on our own.

The private membership club is situated across the street from Gramercy Park. 6029It was the former home of Samuel Tilden: a former New York governor, the second presidential candidate to win the popular vote but not the electoral vote and a lifelong bachelor. There's a lot there to contemplate.

The building was originally built in the 1840's in the Gothic Revival style but when Tilden purchased it he hired Calvert Vaux, one of the designers of Central Park and had the building completely redesigned in the Aesthetic Movement dripping with detail from both the outside and inside.

Although the building is a members only organization it is frequently open to the public for lectures and special events. During the time before our tour was to beginning we allowed to wander through the lower level

The lower level is a warren of meeting rooms, studios and exhibition spaces. A sketch class was in progress as I toured the lower area. Here's where current exhibits happen intermingled with old masters and sculptures.

The main level consists of a series of gathering spaces on a parlor floor with sitting rooms, a bar, and dining rooms.

Each room retains that old world feel of the turn-of-the-century with tufted sofas,

ornate mantels and an eclectic mix of furniture.

The bar is lined with a ledge of busts and intricate woodwork

Under the canopy of an immense vaulted stained glass ceiling

Keeping with the buildings renovated style the use of stained glass is an integral part of the buildings beauty.

Windows and interior walls with backlighting are included everywhere.

Stretching out from the bar is a long banquet hall lite by crystal chandeliers

and lined with Tiffany aqua chairs.

Beyond the banquet area is the main dining room that can accommodate a corporate event, a wedding reception or an honors ceremony

The club gives out a Medal of Honor Award on an annual basis and many of the recipients are immortalized in portraits that line the walls of one of the room that overlooks the park.

Recipients have included three former presidents, several former first ladies and many creative luminaries from a broad range of disciplines including Frederic Remington, Chuck Close, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Leonard Bernstein, Whoopi Goldberg and Ang Lee