92nd Street Y

Profile

Quantity as much as quality has helped to make this Upper East Side institution one of the city’s leading cultural centers. Established in 1874, the Y annually hosts over 5,500 events, classes, workshops, and services among the many rooms, halls, and theaters that span its twin eleven-story buildings. The older of the two adjoining buildings, constructed in 1930, houses the street-level Kaufmann Concert Hall, a 917-seat auditorium which has drawn the likes of Bill Clinton (discussing Iraq on the eve of war), Woody Allen (submitting to onstage psychoanalysis), and Dylan Thomas (reading from Under Milk Wood). A small art gallery just off the theater’s marble lobby displays up to nine exhibits every year while the classrooms—some of which hold as many as 75 students—present an array of children’s and adult classes in fields such as art, language, and Jewish studies. (The official name of the organization is the 92nd Street Young Men’s and Young Women’s Hebrew Association.) Virtually all classes and events can be enjoyed à la carte, though certain programs—like those held at the 80,000-square-foot fitness center—may require a membership. — Joe DeLessio

Participants in any of the 92nd Street Y’s ongoing programs or classes can access the second-floor Buttenwieser Library, which contains over 30,000 volumes and is distinguished by its extensive Judaica collection.