Thank You, Open House New York

Badges of service for Susan Katz’s 10 years as an OHNY volunteer.

THANKS TO OHNY.ORG,  Brooklyn was buzzing with extra activities over the weekend. Though – as some know –  it is at the center of the universe, Kings County ‘s events comprised only one slice of a citywide effort that was started as Open House New York by Scott Lauer in 2001. It, in turn, is part of a global network. Official Open House events take place in Dublin, Tel Aviv, Barcelona, Slovenia, Melbourne, Helsinki, and six other cities.

Lauer’s particular mission is to educate the public about New York architecture and design. An October event annually since 2003 , Open House New York invites the public into “hundreds of New York’s most architecturally and culturally significant spaces and places, many not usually open to the public, in neighborhoods throughout the five boroughs,” its site says. Brooklyn events are managed by “a hardy band of 15 OHNY volunteers,” says Susan Katz, a blogger and tourism consultant with MsGuided Tours NYC and herself a 10-year veteran volunteer: “We like to think people appreciate it.”