St Bartholomew's Church

Elite '08

56

381

diana m.

Brooklyn, NY

Ok I'll admit I didn't actually attend services here.  But I did attend an event here.  I wouldn't normally review a church but this place is absolutely beautiful.  I think it's one of the prettiest churchs in the city.  And even though I'm not religous I can appreciate the beauty of this place.  Not to mention that it's a historic landmark also.

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2

8

Dan C.

Brooklyn, NY

It's amusing to read reviews of great New York institutions written by people who are experiencing it afresh.

It's true that the church stupidly attempted to have an office building built literally over it. And it's a very beautiful work of architecture.

I would just mention that St. Bart's is an important piece of Manhattan social history. It has always been "the" church for people of high social rank, what was once called the Social Register, or "the 400".

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Elite '08

280

1314

Irene F.

Morganville, NJ

As a Jew, it feels a little wrong to review a church, but this one is really pretty! Obviously I have not gone to any services here, but I did have my NY Cares orientation here. Of course, not knowing how the inside of a church works, I wandered all over the inside before being told I wasn't supposed to be inside and directed to the basement. It's pretty inside and out, and I have heard some great things about the cafe, especially for a spring/summer lunch (it's a bit cold now to sit out there!).

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4

17

jon c.

NY

My girlfriend's family is very religious. This past Palm Sunday my grlfriend dragged me to St. Barts. She wanted to go to St. Pat's but Bart's was the only church in our area that was holding a mass at 6pm.  I was obviously not looking forward to the experience, but let me tell you this place knows how to throw a mass. Instead of a priest preaching for an hour, they had a singing group, complete with acoustic guitar,  perform quasi-religious songs. And this was the first mass (granted I haven't been to many) in which the songs were laced with profanities. Well maybe this is an exaggeration, but I kid you not, I heard at least one four letter word. As an added bonus, I learned how to make a crucifix out of palm. Viva St. Bart's!

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26

104

alli k.

Brooklyn, NY

I attended a choral concert at St. Bart's last night, so this is a review of the historic church in it's role as a performance venue. Aside from being visually stunning and grand (I especially loved the ceiling), the acoustics are fantastic (in my humble opinion, anyway) and perfectly suited to enhance the sound of the elite men's chorus that I was there to enjoy. It should also be noted that St. Bart's is home to the largest organ in the city, which according to my friend, caused no end of jokes amongst the members of his group, the Gay Gotham Chorus. Hehe...sorry...I couldn't resist. All kidding aside, the organist was very talented too, and from what I read in the program, he's a regular at this venue, so if you're into that sort of thing,  go check him out. I had to take one star off because the pews were pretty uncomfortable, which led me to be a lot more fidgety than I'd like to admit.

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4

10

Beth S.

Brooklyn, NY

I love this church!  It became my home parish within a month of moving to New York.  There's something for everyone ~ well, probably.  For more traditional services, the morning offers a more typical Eucharist.

But if you want something a bit edgier, a bit more connected to the ancient yet still urban, go to EMERGE!  It's at 7pm on Sunday nights and is AMAZING!!!!!  Go!!!!!

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Elite '08

55

524

Arwen O.

San Francisco, CA

I love St. Bart's. Partly because the name cracks me up, but mostly because it is so unexpected and beautiful, a daintily grandiose gem amongst all the grandiose grandiosity of Midtown Park Avenue.

The light is exquisitely soft, and the wall paintings are trying so very hard to be Venetian. Tons of gold leaf never hurts, either.

I hadn't been in a while, and I popped in on a whim while walking cross town last week. I stepped into magic. I was the only one there, besides a homeless man sleeping on one of the pews, and an entire chamber orchestra was up front, practicing Bach's oratorios for a concert that weekend. I'm not religious, but those fifteen minutes of ecstasy made some kind of believer out of me. Now I'm a Bach groupie for sure, and a St. Bart's lover for ever.

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120

2112

Gourmet G.

San Francisco, CA

Built in 1918, this third home of what was once one of the largest Episcopalian communities in the city is well-remembered for its central role in a highly-charged legal case that lasted eleven years. When the church seriously considered a developer's proposal to buy its community house in order to demolish it and construct a high-rise office tower in its place, objections were raised by both parishoners and city officials. Eventually, the Supreme Court upheld the New York State law protecting the landmark property from drastic renovation and/or reconstruction, thus preserving both a piece of history and a stunning architectural achievement. Nestled among the corporate monoliths that line Park Avenue, and with all controversy in its past, the church today is known for its ongoing charitable programs (including a nightly shelter for the homeless, a twice-weekly soup kitchen, and a food pantry that assists low-income families), its low-cost classical concerts (a presentation of Bach's Brandenburg Concerti is an annual New Year's Eve event), and Cafe St. Bart's, which serves excellent New American cuisine in the Great Hall in winter months and on the garden terrace when the weather is warm, and hosts weekly Jazz at Noon concerts from December through March.

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