I AM OHNY

Frank Sciame is OHNY

December 21, 2012

Frank Sciame
CEO of Sciame Construction
OHNY Site Sponsor & Supporter
Lives in Midtown, Manhattan

1. Are you a native New Yorker? If not, when and why did you move here?

Yes, I am a native New Yorker and decided to build my company here because I love New York. I worked my way through college as a carpenter doing minor construction jobs. After graduating with a degree in architecture, I went to work for a general contractor. I was shocked to find out that you could put a profit on top of a day’s pay. So, I took a leap of faith and in June of 1975, I left my job. It was three months before getting married. My wife thought I was nuts. I started the business off very small and eventually built it up the respectable size it is today.

2. Do you have a favorite place/neighborhood in the city?

The 57th Street corridor would be my favorite. I think it is special to experience it from river to river.  I also appreciate 59th Street with Columbus Circle, Central Park and all the shopping. I think it’s a great area of the city.

3. Why is OHNY important to New York City?

I think it’s a great way to communicate with each other. It gives everybody a chance in different fields–but especially people in the arts and architecture–to experience the built environment first hand.

4. How and when did you first learn about OHNY?

I first leaned about OHNY when I was asked to arrange for a group to see one of our buildings. It didn’t occur to me that this would be something that people would be interested in doing. We are so used to being in our buildings. I think everyone likes to be the first to see something. So, when you can see a building before it’s finished, there’s a certain amount of intrigue involved.

5. If OHNY could grant you a New York City all-access pass, where would you go first?

I would first visit the water tunnels that are being built. That must be pretty extraordinary to see and experience!

6. It goes without saying that we all love New York City. What do you find most inspiring about the city?

It’s the island at the center of the world! It’s where it all started for North America. I am constantly inspired by the enormous continual growth of the city. And you’re helping to do that! Yes, I suppose I am.

7. What do you think is New York’s best-kept secret?

The fact that New York is really like a small town. No one ever says that, but it is true, especially during times of crisis. Everyone pulls together and supports one another just like you would expect a small town to do.

8. In one sentence, why should people support OHNY?

People should support OHNY because it provides the only opportunity for New Yorkers in all different fields to see inside the wonderful buildings of New York City. It’s truly a unique and tremendous opportunity.

 

Thanks, Frank!

Bob Gelber is OHNY

December 21, 2012

 

Bob Gelber
OHNY Program Sponsor and Member of the OHNY Volunteer Council
Lives in Lower Manhattan

1. Are you a native New Yorker? If not, when and why did you move here?

I was born and bred in Brooklyn and have lived in New York City my whole life. My wife and I now live across from the South Street Seaport and have been there for 32 years.

2. Do you have a favorite place/neighborhood in the city?

I just love Midtown. People make fun of me that I gravitate towards Rockefeller Center and now, since I’m a licensed tour guide, I know the history and find it to be really fascinating. Especially during the holidays with all the holiday lights. Yes, I love that! I do a holiday lights walk and every year I end up at the tree. I talk about the history of the tree and the area since the Depression. It’s a very special place for me.

3. What does OHNY mean to you? 

It is one of the most special events in New York City. What a wonderful opportunity to explore all these sites for free! The only sad thing is that it’s only two days a year. It should be all year long!

4. Why is OHNY important to New York City?

OHNY is important to the city because it shows the public what’s out there. OHNY motivates New Yorkers to expand their horizons and explore. Over the years, I’ve met so many people that before OHNY Weekend didn’t venture out of their comfort zone, but when they saw the amazing guide with all of these places in all the boroughs, they started going out. It whets one’s appetite for exploring, right? That’s it. Exactly! So you want to go out and do more.

5. How and when did you first learn about OHNY?

I must have read about it in somewhere and thought it was a really interesting idea. Then, I went to a volunteer recruitment event at St. Stephens Church and hundreds of people showed up. This was in the beginning. My first year as a volunteer, I was assigned to the Chrysler Building. All day people asked me, “When’s the tour to the top?” I had to tell them that the Cloud Club had closed 70 years ago, so they had missed the tour.

6. What has been your favorite OHNY site or program?

If I had to choose I would say it was the House of the Redeemer. There was a convent there from 1949 until 1980. And it was originally a mansion built in the early 20th century. Yes, that’s why I loved it. I try to go to as many of those former private residences as possible. The priest who was in charge gave a wonderful tour. He was so nice. I stood there for over an hour talking to him after the group had left.

7. If OHNY could grant you a New York City all-access pass, where would you go first?

That’s a really hard question because there are so many places I would love to see. The most exciting are probably those that I’m not even aware of. I really wanted to see the Woolworth Building and through OHNY I got to see that last year. I would love to see the space of the former Cloud Club in the Chrysler Building. I’ve heard some chatter they might attempt to restore it into a new restaurant.

8. Who is your favorite architect/designer/artist in the city?

I admire Diller Scofidio + Renfro. They created the High Line, which is so amazing, and they’re doing tours on a regular basis. They also re-imagined Lincoln Center. They gracefully tweaked it so it looks like it belongs in 2012 rather than when it was built in the 1960s.

9. It goes without saying that we all love New York City. What do you find most inspiring about the city?

You get to appreciate the city the more you meet people from other places, who are not accustomed to seeing so much in one place. I love the variety, the dining choices, the drinking choices, all the cultural events, the free events, the free movies during the summer, etc. There is so much diversity and I find that so exciting.

10. In one sentence, why should people support OHNY? 

Everyone should be a part of OHNY and explore New York City. Any donation amount helps the organization move forward so that we can eventually celebrate OHNY’s 20th Anniversary.

Thanks, Bob!

Dorothy Dunn is OHNY

December 14, 2012

 

Dorothy Dunn
OHNY Board Member
Lives in Dobb Ferry, NY

1. Are you a native New Yorker? If not, when and why did you move here?

I come from the Midwest and grew up on a farm in Illinois. It’s in the middle of nowhere, wonderfully so, in a little town called Paris, IL. My family moved from Chicago to the country as part of the “back to the land movement.” The farm will be 200 years old in a few years and is the oldest farm in the state.

I moved to New York in 1989 to work in the education department at the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum. My whole portal to New York City was through the architecture and design community.

2. Do you have a favorite place/neighborhood in the city?

I don’t have a favorite. I love it all! I will never stop feeling like an explorer in New York. Even in a neighborhood I think I know I’ll see something new all the time. Things like the High Line change your view of a neighborhood. It was something we saw structurally for years and now we see that whole neighborhood anew.

3. What does OHNY mean to you? 

When Scott Lauer, the founder of OHNY, first shared his idea with me it was just after 9/11. At that time, I, like many others, was sad to see the city become a bunker, security being on the top of everyone’s mind rather than what’s exciting and dynamic about the city. This wonderful, young architect had this idea of turning the city inside out and inviting everyone in. It was like a big hug for the community.

4. Why is OHNY important to New York City?

I’ve worked for years in design education and I know that there’s a language that designers and architects speak. Often, if you don’t know that language, you don’t feel like you are welcome. OHNY has put architecture and design forward without the architects-speak. I don’t know another organization that represents architecture and design that has been so open and inclusive, not only in regards to the participants but also to the spaces themselves, so anyone could share any space and it would be embraced. In that sense, OHNY has been a great community builder.

5. How and when did you first learn about OHNY?

I learned about it before it even existed. I was director of education at Cooper-Hewitt and Scott Lauer was knocking on doors to get responses about starting OHNY. We connected and I was very inspired by his vision.

6. What has been your favorite OHNY site or program?

The OHNY Weekend itself is remarkable, almost overwhelming. During this year’s OHNY Weekend, my husband and I had one of the best “date days” we have had in a long time. We visited Flushing in Queens, a neighborhood that neither of us knew at all. It was absolutely enlightening. It made me so happy to get to know that neighborhood and explore.

7. If OHNY could grant you a New York City all-access pass, where would you go first?

When people visit New York City, I tell them to go as high up as you can and look down, go underneath the city and appreciate how much of the city is underground and get out on the water and look in on the city to see that this small island is surrounded by a much larger region. That’s where I would start.

8. Who is your favorite architect/designer/artist in the city?

I love them all and I’m inspired by all of them. I’ve been so honored and lucky to shape a career that allows me to work with artists and architects and designers, not being one myself. My career has been in museums but I’ve been fortunate to see and appreciate the world through the point of view of architecture and design.

9. It goes without saying that we all love New York City. What do you find most inspiring about the city?

It’s the daily journey, the constant sense of exploration and discovery. New York is an adventure. That, and the people who I share it with are most inspirational to me.

10. In one sentence, why should people support OHNY? 

People should support OHNY because it is an extremely generous and democratic organization that turns the city inside out and invites everyone to share in the experience and discovery.

Thanks, Dorothy!

Sara Caples & Everardo Jefferson are OHNY

December 12, 2012 , ,

 

Sara Caples & Everardo Jefferson
Principals at Caples Jefferson Architects
OHNY Site Sponsors
Live in Turtle Bay, Manhattan

1. Are you a native New Yorker? If not, when and why did you move here?

EJ: I was born in Panama and moved to the South Bronx in 1959. My mother decided to emigrate to the U.S. for the educational opportunities for her children.

SC: So you’ve been native since then?

EJ: Yes, I’ve gone native.

SC: I’m a service brat and I moved all around. I moved to New York when I was just shy of 30 and I’ve gone native since, too. I love it here. It’s an embracing city. I moved here to be with Everardo. We were already dating so he was my anchor. I had lived in Paris, so I loved big cities, and I already loved New York.

2. Do you have a favorite place/neighborhood in the city?

SC: For me, I don’t actually have a favorite. The joy of New York is that I never stop discovering new neighborhoods and new places. The city contains the whole world, and you keep on having these fantastic experiences, especially as we work in all five boroughs.

EJ: The discovery thing is more pronounced than I ever thought. Queens for example, is just another world of marvelous things. Brooklyn and the Bronx – it’s just endless.

3. What does OHNY mean to you? 

SC: OHNY is something near and dear to my heart. I am a passionate lover of architecture and I absolutely love that OHNY opens up the dialogue between the general public and the built environment. Visiting buildings, visiting people who make buildings, opening New York’s hidden treasures–OHNY is all of that. The organization is constantly thinking of new ways of introducing people to buildings.

4. Why is OHNY important to New York City? 

SC: It is important because it reveals the richness of New York and engages people who care about the physical fabric of the city. From my perspective as an architect, the more educated the public is and the more they understand architecture, the better our city will become.

EJ: We all love the art of discovery and OHNY lets us all explore our own city.

5. How and when did you first learn about OHNY?

SC: I think it was through an email or an article, I can’t remember. But, the first time I read about it, I had an “Ah ha!” moment. What a fabulous and ingenious way of engaging people through architecture.

EJ: And it was fun, no?

SC: Yeah, it was fun. Buildings should be fun! Making buildings is fun.

6. What has been your favorite OHNY site or program? 

SC: The one that is special to me personally is the program with Brooklyn Grange, the rooftop farm in our building. We helped connect OHNY with the farm when we first moved into our Long Island City location. It was an ideal opportunity to highlight new, green ways of using buildings through a unique evening program of food made with the produce from the farm.

EJ: Another experience that I remember is the tour of the Chrysler Building, which I found fascinating. I now see that building in a different light.

7. If OHNY could grant you a New York City all-access pass, where would you go first?

SC: I would start with some neighborhood that I have never been to and have somehow missed.

EJ: There are so many places! It’s hard to answer that question but I would start with some magical discoveries I’ve had, such as a 19th-century synagogue in East New York, Brooklyn. I stumbled upon it and couldn’t get in. Or a McKim, Mead & White building that you can’t get into. A secret floor, a hidden room – I want a surprise!

8. Who is your favorite architect/designer/artist in the city?

SC: I think one of the exciting things about the city is that there are literally dozens of favorite designers for me. There’s a whole catalog. Whether its Milton Glaser’s graphic design work or walking along the High Line and seeing this exceptional example of architecture mixed with landscape design. Such boldness!

EJ: There are younger and older architects I admire. I love to see different kinds of work, such as Steven Holl and Robert A. M. Stern. Then there are also younger designers with so much talent. Its fun to go see their work and say, “Gee, why didn’t I think of that?”

SC: Another favorite of mine is Paul Rudolph. I once visited his Modulightor apartment. It was crammed with people as though they were there for a party. The intimacy of that environment and the detail unfolding wherever you turned was exceptional.

EJ: And you realize how passionate the man was. Way more passionate than most of us will ever be.

9. It goes without saying that we all love New York City. What do you find most inspiring about the city?

SC: New York has this relentless, unforgiving quality about it that I find inspiring. By that I mean there is so much competition of thought and talent that you’re forced to think at your highest level. There’s a sense of impatience and insistence that is constantly pushing you to be your best.

EJ: I find the variety of people inspiring because when I was growing up, it wasn’t like this. Now there’s so much energy flowing from different cultures. When I go to other cities I don’t feel that same energy.

10. In one sentence, why should people support OHNY? 

EJ: The reason is self-evident! OHNY provides the means to explore the city in a way that would not be possible if it did not exist.

SC: OHNY allows us to pool our collective knowledge of the city into one major yearly event. It is part of what makes New York City so vibrant.

Thanks, Sara and Everardo!

Bob Baker is OHNY

December 10, 2012

 

Bob Baker
OHNY Participant & Supporter
Lives in Swampscott, MA

1. Are you a native New Yorker? If not, when and why did you move here? I’m a wannabe New Yorker. I grew up in Binghamton, NY and always found it exciting as a kid to see the train in my town coming or going to New York.  I also had a New York Times Sunday route and listened to WNEW Radio to follow news from the city. My first time in New York was when I was a freshman in college. Now as an adult, we come to the city often to go to the theater. I try to be as deeply involved as possible without actually living in the city.

2. Do you have a favorite place/neighborhood in the city? I don’t have a favorite neighborhood really. What I love is learning about a neighborhood so that next time I am there, I feel a sense of familiarity.

3. What does OHNY mean to you? OHNY brings buildings to life. When you walk through New York, all the buildings can look huge and impersonal. But when you see the spaces with OHNY you are introduced to the history and purpose of each building. The buildings then come alive. One of the greats is, of course, the Woolworth Building. I took a tour with OHNY and now I see the Woolworth Building and feel a strong connection to it.

4. Why is OHNY important to New York City? OHNY makes New Yorkers more aware of their surroundings and it makes visitors more enthusiastic about the city. When I come here for OHNY Weekend, I stay in a hotel and eat out, so it also stimulates the economy. It helps make New York City attractive and exciting for people. It makes me more eager to come back and see again the spaces I’ve learned about. It’s such a unique experience.

5. How and when did you first learn about OHNY? I’ve been coming for seven years or so. I believe I first heard about it through the Open House London website.

6. What has been your favorite OHNY site or program? The tour of the Marriott Marquis in Times Square is my favorite so far. Everyone stays in hotels or has been to a banquet. This was an opportunity to get a very behind-the-scenes tour. You don’t often get to do that, especially at a hotel. It was nothing like the normal tours led by their PR person. This tour discussed the meetings with Bill Marriott to create the hotel and the history of Times Square as a very gritty place back in the day. Mickey Steinberg of Portman Holdings and the hotel staff answered all types of questions. It was a great tour!

7. If OHNY could grant you a New York City all-access pass, where would you go first? I am interested in the way the city works and infrastructure so I would visit someplace mechanical like the dispatch center of the MTA–the type of place that, for security reasons, you can’t get into these days. You used to be able to walk into places like that, but today’s very different.

8. Who is your favorite architect/designer/artist in the city? I don’t have a favorite. It’s not really the way I look at the city. I like knowing about different architects and connecting them with their work when I visit spaces, but it’s not something I keep track of.

9. It goes without saying that we all love New York City. What do you find most inspiring about the city? What I find most inspiring is the collective energy of such disparate groups of people. New York is the epicenter of all these different cultures and somehow they all live together. And, they manage to get something done! And, you can’t find a place that makes a sandwich faster than in New York City! When you try telling the guy what you want on your sandwich, it’s already wrapped and ready to go. There is just so much energy.

10. In one sentence, why should people support OHNY? It’s a small organization that does so much! You know your money is going to be used very directly and efficiently for such a great event and then you know you’ve done your share.

Thanks, Bob!

« Older Entries