It's Almost House Tour Time!
Spring’s almost here, which means it’ll be house tour season before you know it. Long-time Brownstoner reader Bob Marvin has been compiling this season’s list and was nice enough to pass along the fruits of his labor. We’ve digested the dates in this section but have included full logistical and contact information for all the…
Spring’s almost here, which means it’ll be house tour season before you know it. Long-time Brownstoner reader Bob Marvin has been compiling this season’s list and was nice enough to pass along the fruits of his labor. We’ve digested the dates in this section but have included full logistical and contact information for all the tours on the jump. Enjoy.
May 3: Clinton Hill
May 9: Brooklyn Heights
May 17: Park Slope
May 31: Prospect Lefferts Gardens
June 14: Victorian Flatbush
June 14: Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District
October 3: Crown Heights North
October 17: Bedford Stuyvesant
October 18: Prospect Heights
CLINTON HILL
Sponsor: Society for Clinton Hill
Date: Sunday, May 3, 2009, noon to 5 pm, rain or shine
Price: $20 advance sale, $25 day of tour
Advance Sale: Brooklyn Flea, Saturdays, Lafayette/Vanderbilt
Day of tour: St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 259 Washington Avenue
Email: Wash308@aol.com
Website: www.societyforclintonhill.org
BROOKLYN HEIGHTS
Date/Time: Saturday, May 9, 2009
Price: $30
Sponsor: Brooklyn Heights Association
Telephone: 718-858-9193
Website: www.brooklynheightsassociation.org
PARK SLOPE
Park Slope Civic Council 50th Annual House Tour
Date: Sunday, May 17, 12-5:30pm
Price: $20 in advance, $25 day of Tour
Sponsor: Park Slope Civic Council
Telephone number: 718-832-8227
Website: www.parkslopeciviccouncil.org
PROSPECT LEFFERTS GARDENS
39th Annual Prospect Lefferts Gardens House and Garden Tour
Sponsor: The Lefferts Manor Association
Date: Sunday, May 31st, Noon–5 PM
Price: $25, tour day, $20 in advance
Telephone: 718.284.6210/718.462.0024
Email: plghousetour@earthlink.net
Website: http://www.leffertsmanor.org
VICTORIAN FLATBUSH
Date: June, 14, 2009 1p.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Tour starts at the Temple Beth Emeth 83 Marlborough Road
Price: $20 in advance; $25 at the door.
Telephone: 718-859-3800
Website: www.fdconline.org
BROWNSTONE BROOKLYN GARDEN DISTRICT
Sunday Garden Walk 2009
Date: Sunday, June 14, 11 – 5pm
Price: $15 advance, $20 day of walk
Sponsor: Brownstone Brooklyn Garden District
Website: http://bbgd.wordpress.com
CROWN HEIGHTS NORTH
Date: Saturday, October 3rd, Noon to 5 pm
Price: Advance sales $20, Door price $25
Sponsor: Crown Heights North Association, Inc (CHNA)
Phone: 917-748-4664
Website: www.crownheightsnorth.org
BEDFORD STUYVESANT
31st Annual Brownstoners of Bedford-Stuyvesant House Tour
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2009
Time: 11:00 4:00 pm
Starting Point: Boys High School, 832 Marcy Avenue
Price: $20
Telephone: 718-953-7328
PROSPECT HEIGHTS
Date: Sunday, October 18, 2009, 12:00 to 5:00
Price: $20 advance, $25 day of tour
Sponsor: Prospect Heights Association
Telephone number: (718) 393-7653
altervoce,
I think a “package discount” would be a wonderful idea, but since each tour is organized by a different organization and, unlike the days of the old Brooklyn Brownstone Conference in the ’70s, coordination is limited to putting out a card, it would be VERY difficult to organize.
In the “old” days, there were MANY more house tours, including Cobble Hill, Carroll Gardens, Greenpoint, and a block in Park Slope that had there own tour. Conflicts with dates were more frequent and some tours did make arrangements. For example, I recall Boerum Hill and PLG honoring each other’s house tour tickets one year, in the ’70s, when our tours fell on the same day.
“And you can’t even claim the hangover excuse. Where were you last night, Mr. M”
How do you know what I was doing instead. Mr.B?
Actually, I was too lazy to go all the way to the Heights–sorry I missed it:-(
gemini- some of the House Tours, like CHN’s, also include neighborhood churches as well as the houses. CHN has some totally amazing ones. The Roman Catholic Church looks like it was dropped out of the Renaissance, and St’ Bat’s is an Arts and Crafts treasure. Those are just 2!
Great list.
Brooklyn Designs also said they’ll do a Dumbo house tour in May http://www.newyorkology.com/archives/2009/03/bklyn_designs_a.php
for this year’s CH tour, praying house list includes a bunch of those big houses on Clinton Ave – such as:
– that Mansion rumored to have sold for 1.8M cash; that 1 w/ the ladder on roof
– that teen challenge house for sale 5.5M
– that massive shingle house at corner of dekalb
– the near complete re-hab / condo conversion of former church near gates ave
Fort Greene alternates with Clinton Hill. Next year no CH tour, but there will be a FG tour.
MM – you are the best – thank you!
what about fort greene??
Gemini, exactly. Each group finds 8 or so homeowners willing to open up a part or the entire home (it’s up to them)to paying tourgoers. Homeowners usually play hosts, along with the sponsoring organization’s volunteers, and you get to walk through the houses, maybe the backyards. It’s great fun.
Many tours like to show works in progress – projects that aren’t complete, so that we can come back in a couple of years to see the results. The monies gathered from the tour go the organizations hosting them, and provide monies for their preservation, outreach, scholarship, and other worthy programs.
You always meet really great people, tour goers, homeowners and organizers alike, and you get to walk around neighborhoods you may not be too familiar with, and see the sights. In a way, the whole neighborhood is on tour.
Most tours try to provide a variety of architectural and decorating styles, houses with different budgets and owners with different interests and tastes. You should try to attend a couple. Once you do, you’re hooked.