Learn more about New York—and do it for free—during the fifth installment of Open House New York. During the weekend of October 6 and 7, Open House New York (founded by Scott Lauer) will provide tours of close to 200 locations (many not normally open to the public) throughout the five boroughs, with points of interest including the United Nations, the Rockefeller Center rooftop garden, and Fresh Kills, the former landfill/future park on Staten Island.
Explore architectural masterpieces, monuments, museums, theaters, artists' studios, forts, churches, open spaces (take a walk on the High Line), even lighthouses (the Little Red Lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge). The ruins of the smallpox hospital at the southern tip of Roosevelt Island are on the schedule this year and will be accompanied by a site-specific work, “The Encampment,” by artist Thom Sokoloski, which promises an installation of 100 19th-century tents.
The weekend is an opportunity to suss out ideas for event design or potential venues, or just enrich your knowledge of the city. The full list of sites will be released on Friday, September 28, on the organization's Web site.