Riley McShane has joined Open House New York as the Production Assistant for the 2024 OHNY Weekend. In a previous life, Riley led Artist Transportation for the San Jose Jazz Summerfest in California before uprooting his life and relocating to Brooklyn in 2019. Only a few weeks after his move, Riley attended his first Open House New York Weekend, climbing to the top of the Kingsland Wildflower Garden and joining a tour of the Westbeth Artists Housing community. This OHNY Weekend experience has stayed with Riley and shaped the curiosity and passion with which he approaches life in the city. After leaving a career in human resources, Riley wanted to get back to producing events and work for an organization deeply rooted in New York. He holds a BA in Political Science from Santa Clara University in California. Outside of OHNY, you can find him riding his bike, playing soccer, and waiting for the G train.

What excites you about joining Open House New York?

I never thought I would get the opportunity to “jump the fence” and help produce one of my favorite events in New York. I can attest to the power of experiencing OHNY Weekend as a newcomer and its continued inspiration as I approach “real” New Yorker status (conferred at 10 years of residence per my understanding.) As the Production Assistant, I really look forward to working in support of all our amazing partners and bringing unique and exciting experiences to life for my fellow New Yorkers. 

What’s your most memorable Open House New York experience?

Without a doubt my first OHNY Weekend, in 2019, where I visited the Kingsland Wildflower Garden with friends on that Saturday morning and followed it up with a tour of the Westbeth Artists Housing complex the following day. Westbeth continues to play a role in my life as I am a dedicated patron of their twice-yearly flea market which remains one of the best kept secrets in the city. 

 If you could open up any place for OHNY Weekend, what would it be and why?

North Brother Island in the East River. If you take the Soundview Ferry to the Bronx, you ride right past it and can see a few old brick buildings being reclaimed by the earth. It used to house a power plant and at some point it was a quarantine area. It’s been abandoned for sixty years and people are only allowed to visit for super specific reasons. It’s also supposedly haunted. It seems like one of the city’s last truly unexplored places and appropriately spooky for an October festival like OHNY. 

I’m an Open House New Yorker because…

NYC can often feel like a challenging mystery, but when given the opportunity to learn more about it and peek behind its curtains, I doubt there’s a more deeply rewarding place anywhere in the world.