Kathleen Waldron, president of Baruch College, will greet the school's neighbors at a wine-and-cheese reception on Tuesday, Oct. 16. The reception, which is free and open to the community, is scheduled from 5:30PM to 7:30PM in Room 750 of Baruch's Newman Conference Center, 151 East 25th Street. Please click here to RSVP via email.

Those expected to attend include local community leaders, alumni, community-based organizations, retail and hospitality business owners and area residents.

"The reception provides the local community a way to engage and get to know the College's faculty, staff and students," said Eric Lugo, director of government and community relations at Baruch.

He added that the reception is also a way to "thank the community for the many ways that it provides ongoing support to the Baruch College community."

The Grand Lodge of Masons, the Prince George, the Van Alen Institute and the offices of Eisenman Architects - all within the Flatiron BID - are scheduled as part of the fifth annual OpenHouseNewYork (OHNY) the weekend of Oct. 6-7.

OHNY, which calls itself the largest architecture and design event in the United States, will offer access to almost 200 sites throughout the five boroughs, including many that are not normally accessible to the general public. In addition, there will be nearly 150 tours, talks, performances and family activities and workshops that explore New York by foot, bus, bicycle and even canoe.

The Grand Lodge of Masons, at 71 West 23rd Street, an ornately decorated building designed by Mason Harry Percy Knowles, was built between 1911 and 1913 and restored in the 1980s. Its vaulted ceilings, gold leaf, marble walls and chairs the size of thrones contribute to one of the City's most unusual interiors and reflect this ancient organization's history and mission. OHNY will offer tours throughout the day from 10:00AM to 4:00PM on Saturday, Oct. 6, and Sunday, Oct. 7.

The schedule also includes a visit to the newly restored Ballroom and World Monuments Fund Gallery at the Prince George, 15 East 27th Street, spaces that offer a glimpse into Old New York. The Prince George, once one of Manhattan's grand hotels and now part of Common Ground's program to end homelessness, was renovated in 2005. It will be open to visitors on Sunday, Oct. 7, from noon to 5:00PM.

Also on the program is access to the Van Alen Institute, which was founded in 1894 as the Society of Beaux-Arts Architects. For more than a century, it has cultivated a fellowship of architects, designers and scholars and fostered dialog about architecture as a public practice. Renamed the Van Alen Institute in 1996 (after William Van Alen, architect of the Chrysler Building), it is today dedicated to critical inquiry about contemporary forms of public space. It will be part of the OHNY program on Oct. 6 and Oct. 7, from noon to 5:00PM and is at 30 West 22nd Street.

OHNY has scheduled tours of Eisenman Architects, at 41 West 25th Street, on Oct. 6 at 9:45AM, 10:30AM, 11:15AM and noon. Reservations are required and each tour is limited to a maximum of 20 participants. On exhibit are examples of the firm's recent projects, including Spain's City of Culture at Galicia, the University of Phoenix Stadium in Arizona and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe in Berlin.

While all events and locations are free, the non-profit OHNY is offering a limited number of "VIP fast passes" starting at $150, good for two people all weekend. Reservations are required for some of the events. Detailed information on all OHNY weekend events, including those requiring registration, are available on www.ohny.org.

Manhattan Carpets & Floors, a 38-year-old family business, is moving into the Flatiron district. It has signed a long-term lease to become the anchor store at Kenmore Hall, 147 East 23rd Street, between Lexington and Third Avenues, where it will occupy 5,000 square feet. The deal was announced by GVA Williams, the commercial real estate firm that represented Kenmore Hall.

The 23-story Kenmore Hall is the largest supportive housing project for Housing & Services Inc. (HSI). Founded in 1987, HSI - a non-profit housing development and management organization - has been responsible for the development and preservation of some 3,000 housing units, including supportive housing, valued at more than $200 million.

Richard Cohan and Andrew Connolly of GVA Williams represented HSI in the lease transaction. Michael T. Cohen, chairman of both GVA Williams and HSI, was also involved in the deal. Michelle Stone of Sinvin Realty represented Manhattan Carpets.

"This transaction was a win-win for everyone involved," said Cohan of GVA Williams. "We were able to secure a reliable tenant for HSI's space, allowing Manhattan Carpets to remain in a neighborhood where it has been successful for more than 15 years."

Manhattan Carpets is moving from 208 East 23rd Street, between Second and Third Avenues, and will fill the street-level space formerly occupied by the Olive Leaf Wholeness Center. The move is expected to be completed later this year or early in 2008.

The Madison Square Park Conservancy's annual Fall Kids Festival will be held on Saturday, Oct. 20 from 10:00AM to 3:00PM.

This free family event features a Spooky Maze, a pumpkin patch, arts & crafts, tasty treats and much more!

Live entertainment will take place on the Time Out New York Kids Stage on the Oval Lawn and refreshments will be provided by Whole Foods.

Kids should come in costume!

Founded in 1915, Helen Keller International (HKI) is among the oldest international non-profit organizations devoted to fighting and treating preventable blindness and malnutrition.

HKI, which is headquartered in the Flatiron neighborhood at 352 Park Avenue South, has programs in 22 countries. HKI builds local capacity by establishing sustainable programs, and provides scientific and technical assistance and data to governments and international, regional, national and local organizations around the world.

HKI programs combat malnutrition, cataracts, trachoma, onchocerciasis (river blindness) and refractive error. The goal of all HKI programs is to reduce suffering of those without access to needed health or vision care and ultimately, to help lift people from poverty.

The Madison Square Park Conservancy's annual Fall Plant Market is happening on Thursday, Oct. 4 and Friday, Oct. 5 from 11:00AM to 5:00PM at the southern fountain area in Madison Square Park.

Enjoy the park on your break and purchase a seasonal plant or flower for your home or office. Many of the plants available at the Plant Market are grown by Kim Wickers, Madison Square Park's very own gardener. Meet her and get an opportunity to ask your plant questions. Neighborhood restaurant Sushi Twist will be at the market selling lunchtime treats.

The New York Public Library's Science, Industry & Business Library is a free resource for business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Either on the premises (188 Madison Avenue) or online, SIBL offers links to a wide range of materials, including over 200 online commercial databases, free after-work seminars, and how-to videos that can be downloaded or viewed online.

The building at 170 Fifth Avenue, at the southwest corner of 22nd Street, could easily be overlooked by the casual passerby. It is merely a sliver, only 29 feet wide, but from the top of its golden dome to the bay-windowed fine jewelry store at street level, 13 stories below, it dazzles.

Once known at the Sohmer Building because it originally housed the showroom and offices of Sohmer & Co., inventors of the modern baby grand piano, the Neo-Classical structure was designed in 1897 by architect Robert Maynicke. His firm, Maynicke & Franke, created many of the buildings within the Flatiron BID, including the massive International Toy Center at 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue.

The Sohmer Building's most striking feature is its two-story octagonal cupola topped with a ribbed gold dome and flagpole. The flagpole, now aluminum, replaced the original 50-foot wooden mast that once flew the Sohmer banner. The dome, clearly visible in Edward Steichen's iconic 1905 photograph of the Flatiron Building one block to the north, donned a mantle of gold in 1990, when it underwent a gilding. Five years later, because of improper preparation of the surface, it had to be regilded. Some 2,700 sheets of 23.5-caret gold, each the size of an index card, were applied by hand. Today, the dome glistens around the clock, reflecting sunlight by day and bathed in golden light after dark.

In 2000, after a century of housing commercial tenants, the building was converted to residential condominiums, except for a retail space at street level. The cupola became a 4,936-square-foot duplex with a 360-degree view afforded by one set of eight 8-foot-high clerestory windows above eight more windows, each 10 feet high. The conversion, however, was not the first time the cupola was someone's home. In 1908, Richard Welling, who was a buddy of Theodore Roosevelt's and a founder of the City Club, lived there. But he had pull. His family owned the building.

Learn more about the rich history of the Flatiron neighborhood every Sunday on the BID's free Discover Flatiron walking tours.

The Flatiron/23rd Street Partnership is now sponsoring free walking tours of the historic Flatiron district every Sunday.

Join our experienced guides on a 90-minute journey through this vibrant neighborhood, viewing some of the City's most notable landmarks, including the New York Life Insurance building, the MetLife Tower, the Appellate Courthouse and the famous Flatiron Building.

Time:
Every Sunday at 11:00AM.

Meeting Place:
The southwest corner of Madison Square Park, at 23rd Street and Broadway, in front of the statue of William Seward.

Recent News Coverage

• Methadone Clients Will Be Told to Dose and Dash
• Methadone Clinics to Keep Closer Watch on Patients
• Drug Clinics to Dismiss Clients Who Get Busted
• Flatiron BID Launches Tree Planting Program
• BID Holds First Annual Meeting
• BID Launches Neighborhood Safety Program
• Annual Meeting Scheduled
• BID Giving Free Walking Tours Through Flatiron District
• BID to Hold Concert to Benefit Homeless
• Local Businesses Head to BID Forums
• BID Unveils New Litter Receptacles
• Clean Team Takes on Snow Removal
• BID Welcomes Citibank to Neighborhood
• BID Makes a Clean Sweep
• Officer Who Cleaned Up Kenmore Named BID's Operations Director
• Long Live the BID
• Jennifer Brown Appointed Executive Director of Flatiron BID
• Manhattan's First New BID in Over Four Years Launched
• New Improvement District Around Madison Square Park
• BID Aims to Clean Up Community
• Flatiron BID Uses Hi-Tech to Track Problem Areas
• Flatiron BID Plans Neighborhood Makeover
• New BID Is Milestone in Flatiron District Revitalization

Press Releases

• BID Conducts First Annual Meeting
• Flatiron BID Launches Public Safety Program
• Discover Flatiron: Free Walking Tours
• Hero Officer Returns to His Beat
• BID Launches Sanitation Program
• Jennifer Brown Appointed Executive Director
• Flatiron Partnership BID Launched

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