May is House Tour Season!
Source: Nigel Spong and Ofer Wolberger for the Park Slope Civic Council
While not everyone in New York can live in a stunning Greek Revival townhouse in Greenwich Village with outdoor space on every floor, we can at least all take a peek inside of one during house tour season, which will soon be upon us. This is that special time of year beginning in early May when neighborhood organizations around the city convince the lucky few to open up their lovely homes to the public for charity. Let’s take a look at this year’s offerings:
The Greenwich Village Society for Historic Preservation will be holding its annual Village House Tour Benefit on May 3rd. This year the tour promises to feature six homes, some of which boast secret gardens, awe-inspiring art collections, and a taste of history.
Tour highlights include a stone floor made from the demolished façade of a Fifth Avenue mansion, a townhouse with an historic tie to the Croton aqueduct (Note: the Croton aqueduct was New York City’s water distribution system from 1837-1842), the studio and art collection of a resident Village artist, and a rooftop vegetable garden. This is the stuff dreams are made of…
The tour is self-guided and at $175 a ticket may not be for everyone, but it’s definitely a unique opportunity to see properties that are not on any standard tour route. Bring a friend and you can save on two tickets for $300.
Source: Nigel Spong and Ofer Wolberger for the Park Slope Civic Council
Next on the agenda is the New York Junior League’s 20th Annual Spring House Tour hosted by the group’s Home Design Committee. The tour will be held on May 9th and promises to showcase some of New York’s most “prestigious and luxurious residences.” In the past, the tour has included the homes of designers and their clients.
In addition to the self-guided home tour, a ticket to the event buys entrance to an array of accompanying meals and activities including a Friday night kick-off party at Kate Spade, continental breakfast the next morning at The Astor House, lunch at the New York Design Center, a cocktail reception at Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, and champagne stops throughout the day at Dempsey & Carroll, Jonathan Adler, Intimacy, and Ankasa.
Non-volunteer tickets start at $100 or kick in a little extra for the $250 VIP ticket that includes transportation, extra tour stops, a private VIP lunch, and a gift bag.
Source: Nigel Spong and Ofer Wolberger for the Park Slope Civic Council
If you’re sold on the idea of doing a home tour but don’t have the budget for the Village or the Junior League tours head to Park Slope. The Park Slope Civic Council will be hosting its 56th annual house tour on May 17th. The self-guided tour will visit seven homes including an 1889 Romanesque Revival, an 1875 Neo-Grec, and a 1901 Neoclassical home where the daughter’s room features a “doll house and a pink Murano Glass chandelier.”The tour also includes a lecture from architect historian Francis Morrone on “Brooklyn Landscapes: from Greenwood Cemetery to Brooklyn Bridge Park.”
Tickets to the event are an affordable $20 in advance or $25 day of and they even throw in the shoe covers.
Happy touring!