Wave Hill named ‘most-loved cultural venue’ in all of New York City

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Perhaps it was the elegant buildings of the 19th-century estate, or the outdoor jazz concerts with a view of the sunsets over the Palisades, or the art and yoga classes, or the gardens surrounded by manicured lawns that are always open for visitors to sit on the grass. 

Whatever the reason behind each individual vote, Wave Hill has been named the “most-loved cultural venue” in all of New York City in Time Out’s 2016 contest.

To win the title, Wave Hill competed against an array of giants – first in the Bronx, and then beyond – such as the New York Botanical Garden, the Bronx Zoo, the Bronx Museum of the Arts, High Line Park, the Cloisters, the Apollo theater, St. Ann’s Warehouse, and a number of museums. 

Winning was “a big surprise,” said Wave Hill’s director of marketing, Mary Weitzman. “We were thrilled,” she added. 

The victory was a result of a popular vote – because how else would you measure the public’s love for a venue? - that Time Out hosted online from August through the end of October, according to dates cited by Ms. Weitzman. 

A couple of weeks after the voting closed, Wave Hill employees receiving an invitation to a party, celebrating the completion of the contest. There was no word yet of the outcome, but Time Out asked for a photograph of Wave Hill – an indication, Ms. Weitzman said, that some honors were coming its way. 

Park employees guessed they had “won something, but [Time Out] wouldn’t tell us what we [had] won,” she said. 

Then came the Nov. 14 party – “and lo and behold, we won” the whole contest, Ms. Weitzman said. 

The award comes with a plaque and with a collection of smaller trophies, such as window stickers, that Wave Hill plans to display in its visitor center, she said. 

As the contest neared its final round, Wave Hill appealed to its fans via email, Facebook and Twitter to vote for the park as the best cultural venue “in the Bronx.” If Wave Hill employees entertained any ambition to a citywide honor at that point, they hardly let it show. 

After the contest was over and results were announced, Wave Hill sent out messages thanking its supporters. 

“We know how special Wave Hill is to the people who come here … we hear it from them,” Ms. Weitzman said. “What this [award] did, is really validated all the wonderful stories we hear form our visitors.”

Around the year, Wave Hill offers concerts, tours, art classes, meditation sessions and yoga lessons. It features elaborate gardens surrounding an elegant mansion. But for some of the visitors, part of the park’s appeal may lie in its lawns, where people can stroll or sit all day, with no guards in sight to tell visitors to keep off the grass. 

Many visitors have remarked that coming to Wave Hill simply makes them “feel better,” Ms. Weitzman said. And that, perhaps, is the best indicator yet of a much-loved cultural venue. 

Wave Hill, Time Out New York, Mary Weitzman, Anna Dolgov

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