Venue Highlight: The 92nd Street Y, New York City
Deep in the heart of Manhattan, 92nd Street Y was founded in 1874 as the Young Men’s Hebrew Association, a place where Jewish men could gather and find fellowship. Since then, 92Y has evolved into a world-renowned community and cultural center that reaches out to people of every race, ethnicity, religion, age and economic class.
A large part of 92Y’s appeal—especially to meeting and event planners—is its variety of gathering spaces. At the top of this list is the Kaufmann Concert Hall. Seating more than 900 people, the hall is known for its excellent acoustics and has been home to many live concerts, lectures and readings. Basic rental includes the use of the theater, a Steinway concert grand piano, a full ushering staff, dressing rooms and more. Kaufmann Concert Hall is available Monday through Sunday for matinees and evening events.
“In all my years in the events industry, Kaufmann Concert Hall at the 92nd Street Y stands out as a great venue,” say Jeff Pulver, founder of the annual 140 Characters Conference. “In addition to the beautiful physical design of the theater, the staff is filled with consummate professionals and just an amazing group of people to work with.”
92Y has other great venues as well. Buttenwieser Hall is the second-largest performance hall in the building, consisting of a small proscenium stage with non-fixed seating that can accommodate more than 200 individuals, and banquets of up to 170 guests. The space frequently hosts modern dance performances, concerts, literary readings and private parties.
For functions such as receptions, dinners, parties and meetings, consider the Weill Art Gallery, an intimate space located directly outside the lobby of the Kaufmann Concert Hall. The Weill Art Gallery may also be rented in conjunction with the Kaufmann Concert Hall for pre- or post-event receptions.
Finally, for smaller groups, consider the Warburg Lounge, which accommodates 80 for a lecture or meeting.
In addition, all of these venues boast access to 92Y’s own in-house caterer and kitchen, which are prepared to handle just about any menu request. The use of outside caterers is also permitted.
Planners interested in learning more may contact Chris Bynum at 212.415.5780 or cbynum@92y.org. Or they can visit the web site at www.92y.org.