92nd Street Y facts for kids
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Main entrance to 92NY, 2019
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 92nd Street Y, New York
Location in Manhattan
92nd Street Y, New York
Location in New York City
92nd Street Y, New York
Location in New York
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| Location | 1395 Lexington Avenue, Manhattan, New York |
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| Coordinates | 40°46′59″N 73°57′10″W / 40.7830°N 73.9527°W |
| Type | Performing-arts center, YM-YWHA |
| Opened | 1874 (original location) |
92nd Street Y, New York (also known as 92NY) is a special place in New York City. It's a cultural and community center located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. You can find it at the corner of East 92nd Street and Lexington Avenue.
It started in 1874 as the Young Men's Hebrew Association. Over time, the 92nd Street Y (often called "the Y") changed. It went from a social club to a big center for arts and culture in the 20th century.
Contents
History of 92NY
How the Y Began
In 1874, a group of Jewish professionals in New York started the Young Men's Hebrew Association (YMHA). These founders were mostly from a synagogue called Temple Shaaray Tefila. The YMHA was created as a social and literary club. It officially opened on September 10, 1874.
At first, the YMHA rented spaces. It started on 112 West 21st Street. A few years later, it moved to a bigger place on 110 West 42nd Street. The Y also had a downtown branch. Famous poet Emma Lazarus taught English to immigrants there. This branch later joined with other groups to become the Educational Alliance.
Growing Jewish Identity
As the YMHA grew, it started to include more Jewish traditions. In 1878, they held their first Hannakuh Festival. This became a yearly event. Celebrating Jewish holidays like Hannakuh and Purim helped keep these traditions alive. It also helped create a unique American Jewish culture.
Regular Friday evening services began in 1900. More and more people attended these services. However, non-religious activities remained much more popular.
Finding a Permanent Home
The YMHA moved a few times. In 1886, it moved to 721 Lexington Avenue. Then, in 1895, it moved to 111 East 59th Street. The Y finally found a permanent home thanks to Jacob Schiff. He was a kind businessman who gave a lot of money.
Schiff first donated a house to the Y. Then, he paid for a new building at 92nd Street and Lexington. A famous architect named Arnold W. Brunner designed it. The new building opened in 1900. The original YMHA building was later replaced by an even newer one in 1930.
Expanding to the Arts
Until the mid-1930s, the YMHA mainly served Jewish people. The Y's director, William Kolodney, believed that the arts were very important. He thought art helped people learn for the sake of learning. He wanted to make the Y a place for everyone.
Kolodney opened the Y's concert hall to non-members. Its great sound quality made the Y famous for performances. During the 1930s, the Y opened many new centers. These included an arts center, a jewelry center, a dance center, a poetry center, and a nursery school. In 1945, the YMHA joined with the Young Women's Hebrew Association. It then became the YM-YWHA.
Changes and Growth
In the 1960s, the Clara de Hirsch Home for Working Girls joined with the Y. A new building was built to house it. This new building also created more space for programs and arts. In 1972, the YM-YWHA changed its name to the 92nd Street Y.
The Y continued to grow. By 2003, its budget was $43 million. It served 300,000 people each year. Less than ten years later, its income grew to $80 million.
After the September 11th attacks, the Y explored opening a new location downtown. This led to 92YTribeca, a performance space in the Tribeca neighborhood. It opened in 2008. This venue had a movie theater, a lecture hall, a cafe, and an art gallery. However, the 92YTribeca location closed in 2013.
New Leadership and Challenges
In 2013, the Y had some changes in its leadership. New leaders took over, including Henry Timms. He was the first director of the Y who was not Jewish. Timms helped create Giving Tuesday. This is a day to encourage giving back to the community.
Henry Timms left the Y in 2019. Seth Pinsky became the new director in 2020. Soon after, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly affected the Y. Most of its income came from in-person events. The Y started streaming events and classes online. This helped them reach people all over the world. Even with online success, they had to cut budgets and salaries.
In 2022, the Y changed its name again to the 92nd Street Y, New York (92NY). They reorganized their programs and launched an online learning platform called Roundtable. This change came before a big plan to update their buildings.
In October 2023, the poetry center paused its reading series. This happened after the Y canceled an event with writer Viet Thanh Nguyen. This decision caused some employees to resign and many speakers to cancel their appearances.
What You Can Do at 92NY
92NY offers many different activities for people of all ages.
- Performing Arts: You can enjoy classical, jazz, and popular music concerts. They also have amazing dance performances.
- Talks and Readings: Listen to interesting talks and conversations. You can also hear famous writers read their work.
- Learning: They offer classes for adults. There are also schools for music, art, and dance for both children and adults.
- Family Fun: Find activities and classes for families, parents, and children. They even have a nursery school.
- Fitness: Stay active at their fitness center. It has fitness classes and a swim team.
- Camps: Kids can enjoy fun camps.
- Living: The Y's main building has rooms for rent.
- Jewish Programs: They offer Jewish education, cultural, and community programs.
- Outreach: They have educational programs for public school children.
About 300,000 people visit 92NY's facilities in New York each year.
Digital Programs and Giving Back
92NY has also expanded its online programs. They offer live webcasts of events. You can also find a free online archive at 92YOnDemand.org. This archive includes both stage events and online-only content.
In 2012, 92NY started #GivingTuesday. This made the Tuesday after Thanksgiving a day to celebrate and encourage giving. This idea was inspired by a Jewish value called Tikkun olam. It means "repairing the world." This shows 92NY's goal to build community and give back.
92NY is also a founding partner of the annual Social Good Summit. This conference brings together leaders from non-profit groups, tech companies, and businesses. It happens in September during UN Week.
Special Centers at 92NY
92nd Street Y has eight main centers for its programs:
- Bronfman Center for Jewish Life
- Lillian & Sol Goldman Family Center for Youth & Family
- May Center for Health, Fitness & Sport
- Milstein/Rosenthal Center for Media & Technology
- School of the Arts
- Charles Simon Center for Adult Life & Learning
- Tisch Center for the Arts
- Center for Educational Outreach and Center for Innovation and Social Impact
In 1935, William Kolodney became the Educational Director. He created many educational programs for everyone. He made the "Y" a famous place for chamber music, poetry readings, and dance. He started the Y's dance center, School of Music, and poetry center. The poetry center is now called the Unterberg Poetry Center. Famous writers like Karl Kirchwey have led it.
Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact
The Belfer Center for Innovation & Social Impact helps share 92NY's mission with the world. They work with many important groups. These include the UN Foundation, Mashable, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Famous Guests and Residents
Many famous people have visited or performed at 92NY. Some have even lived there!
Notable Guests
- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
- Al Pacino
- Aziz Ansari
- Alec Baldwin
- Billy Joel
- Paul McCartney
- Nas
- Jimmy Page
- Joan Rivers
- Jon Stewart
- Neil deGrasse Tyson
- Elie Wiesel
- Gene Wilder
- Lewis Hamilton
People Who Lived at 92NY
- Joseph Gurwin (1920–2009): A kind person who gave a lot of money to good causes. He rented a room at 92nd Street Y for four years when he first came to the U.S.
- Harry Connick Jr.: A famous pianist. He lived there at age 18 when he first moved to New York in 1985.
