Open Jar Studios rents event space for company events, training sessions, team-building days, networking evenings, product launches, cocktail receptions and private parties. The complex covers 50,000 square feet on two floors at 1601 Broadway, in the Theatre District of New York, and holds 22 studios that can be rented one by one or together. The dance rooms are described as suitable for up to 125 people.
Seminars and company events
The studios were built for rehearsals, so the rooms are open and free of columns. That suits a plenary session, a workshop with breakout groups, or a standing reception. The official site says the flexible rooms allow a central room with several breakout rooms for groups of all sizes. It lists group events, training sessions and team-building events as typical bookings, along with networking events, launch events, fashion shows and photo or film shoots.
Three event rooms are featured. The Center Stage measures 4,015 square feet, with a 22-foot ceiling, a mezzanine level and windows facing the Theatre District. The Premiere measures 3,300 square feet, also with a 22-foot ceiling and a mezzanine overlook. The Broadway Lounge measures 2,520 square feet and looks out over Times Square. A Stage Door Lounge is also listed with its own floor plan. Floor plans and specifications are available for the full complex and for each of these rooms, and site tours are offered on request.
Rooms and capacities
Studios A and B have 22-foot ceilings. Dance and movement rooms have a sprung floor and are described as ideal for up to 125 people. Music and acting rooms are sound attenuated, have a piano and are described as suitable for up to 50 people. The event rooms have a ceiling pipe grid with power, natural light and a reception lounge with a kitchen area. The official site gives no seated or banquet capacities, so ask for a layout for your headcount.
Practical equipment
Access is by freight elevator and a private elevator entrance, and there is an off-street loading dock for deliveries and staging. The site lists high-speed wifi, free daily lockers, on-site copy and printing services and an on-site recording booth. Every studio, restroom and hallway is accessible to wheelchair users. Opening hours are 9 am to 10 pm Monday to Saturday and 9 am to 8 pm on Sunday, and access at any hour can be arranged for an event.
Catering
The official site describes a kitchen and lounge area and a reception lounge. For its after-party formula, which follows a Broadway show, it mentions catering, a visit from a cast member and a live pianist. For other events, ask the team which catering arrangements apply.
History and setting
Open Jar Studios presents itself as the largest studio complex in New York. It is used by Broadway companies for rehearsals, and the original cast of Hamilton prepared a Tony Awards performance here. It is also registered as a New York State Qualified Production Facility, so it works as a location for film, television and photography.
Getting there
The studios sit on Broadway at 48th Street, in the middle of the Theatre District. The nearest subway stations are 49th Street (N, R, W) and 50th Street (A, C, E and the 1 train).
