Henry Street Settlement – 11th Annual Open House New York
October 14th, 2013 by Mr. C
The 11th Annual Open House New York which happened last weekend is one of my favorite (mostly free and some at $5 admission) events in New York City that unlocks the city to New Yorkers, NJ folks pretending to be New Yawkers, tourists, and anyone disguised with a heartbeat in order to gain free access to hundreds of sites, lectures, tours, performances, and family events within the 5 boroughs of NYC. Open House New York is truly a celebration to appreciate the City’s architecture both modern and historical as well as to marvel about the design techniques. Private residences, historic landmarks, modern museums, cemetaries, synagogues, skyscrapers, and walking street tours are some examples of the rare access you will get at an event like this and largely for – FREE!
With my time constraints as of late, I opted to take a tour of the HENRY STREET SETTLEMENT, a historical landmark building in the Lower East Side of Manhattan offering social services since 1893 founded by nurse Lillian Wald. She dedicated herself in bringing nursing care, social education, and access to the arts to the immigrant poor in the lower east side of manhattan.
I have passed by the Henry Street Settlement buildings many a times en route to the FDR drive back to the dirty jerz. In desperate parking situations, I sometimes even park my car around the henry street area if I need to jaunter around to the LES chinese side of things or even to make runs at the South Street Seaport.
Today, the Henry Street Settlement still remains true to form with Lillian’s vision of providing social services, arts programs, and health care to the less fortunate. Some of you might know the sister building to the Henry Street Settlement – The Abrons Arts Center on Grand street dedicated to the performance arts. It plays hosts to many a plays, musical performances, dance, and art exhibits at affordable prices. As far as the 3 buildings known as the Henry Street Settlement with the one vacant Firehouse attached to the far right of 265 Henry Street, we were told that the City of New York is selling the historic firehouse to the Henry Street Settlement for $1. Plans to renovate and preserve the space is in the works. If you get a chance swing by 265 Henry and check out the really neat confines of this Federal architecture style building and get a taste of old New York with the pushcarts crowding the streets!
Henry Street Settlement
265 Henry Street NY, NY 10002
Abrons Arts Center
466 Grand Street NY, NY 10002
(Slideshow on the history of the Henry Street Settlement and Nurse Lillian)
(Beautiful Federal style architecture)
(Courtyard)
(Historic Firehouse to the right of the Henry Street Settlement)
(Martin Luther King jr. park/adjacent to 265)
Tags: open house new york
Posted in art, community, mr. c, photos, theatre | Comments (0)
