I explored the Upper East Side's glamorous townhomes and didn't pay admission-here's how to do it

"Much of the Upper East Side is off limits-its ornate townhomes, gigantic mansions and charming carriage houses are reserved for museums, consulates and those who can afford the hefty price tag to live there. And most of the Gilded Age homes that decorated the area have been lost to time, so the experience of touring such a glamorous space is even more rare these days, unless you get a ticket to The Frick Collection or The Ukrainian Institute of America."

"The first townhome I visited was Salon 94, a permanent contemporary art gallery at 3 East 89th Street (open Wednesdays through Saturdays, 11am to 6pm). Founded by Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn in 2002, it is a sight to behold-and not just because of the art. As you enter the gallery, the room opens into a massive, mostly blank foyer (the porte-cochère-like space has been restored in marble granite) that leads into a gigantic gallery."

Much of the Upper East Side is off limits, with ornate townhomes, gigantic mansions and charming carriage houses reserved for museums, consulates and wealthy residents. Many Gilded Age homes have been lost, making tours of glamorous spaces rare unless one visits major institutions. Open House New York offers paid access to normally closed spaces, but several historic properties can be visited freely outside the annual event. Salon 94 at 3 East 89th Street is a public contemporary gallery housed in a restored townhome with a marble-granite foyer and a large gallery. The current exhibition "Shucks & Aww" by Urs Fischer features whimsical domestic sculptures and installations.

Read at Time Out New York