Knock, and the door shall be opened

By Tony Cella

Brooklyn voyeurs, here’s your chance to see how the other half lives — the other half that lives better than you do, that is.

Yes, folks, house tour season is upon us once again. Starting this weekend and through the fall, the cream of the crop in nearly a dozen neighborhoods across the borough will be opening up their doors for those who can’t get enough of unique architectural details, modern home decor or simply meeting new people.

Want in? Here’s your one-stop shop for all of that this year’s self-guided house tours have to offer, from the landmarked homes of Brooklyn Heights to the brownstones of Bedford-Stuyvesant.

TOUR: LiveWorkPlayFortGreene

DATE: May 2

TIME: Noon–5 pm

COST: $20 in advance

STARTING LOCATION: BAM Triangle Park, Lafayette Avenue and Fulton Street

HIGHLIGHTS: Behind-the-scenes tours of BAM’s Howard Gilman Opera House, as well as a focus on places where people live and work, such as an artist who has a studio in her home. “It’s a lifestyle that a lot of people are beginning to associate with Brooklyn,” said Hallie Kapner, of the Fort Greene Association.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.historicfortgreene.org/house-tour-2010 or call (718) 875-1855

TOUR: Brooklyn Heights tour

DATE: May 8

TIME: 1–5 pm

COST: $40

STARTING LOCATION: 129 Pierrepont St. at Clinton Street

HIGHLIGHTS: An Italianate styled brownstone built in 1865. The current owners have restored the villa-styled building’s double-door stoop, which was removed during the 1950s in favor of a black brick door “the size of a closet,” said Judy Stanton, executive director of the Brooklyn Heights Association.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.thebha.org or call (718) 858-9193

TOUR: Park Slope Civic Council

DATE: May 16

TIME: Noon to 5 pm

COST: $20

STARTING LOCATION: Poly Prep Country Day School, 50 Prospect Park West at First Street

HIGHLIGHTS: A 1919 Neo-Tudor, one of the last single-family homes built in the neighborhood. “The house has a driveway that leads up to the house because back then, people actually had cars,” said Candace Woodward, of the Park Slope Civic Council.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit, www.parkslopeciviccouncil.org or call (718) 832-8227

TOUR: Boerum Hill tour

DATE: May 23

TIME: 1–5 pm

COST: $20 in advance

STARTING LOCATION: Bishop Mugavero Center, Hoyt and Pacific streets

HIGHLIGHTS: An 1870s Italianate brownstone with flat Greco revival facades and an expansive third floor family room with Scrabble and Play-doh stashed in antique wooden cabinets.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.boerumhillassociation.org or call (718) 625-4073

TOUR: Prospect Lefferts Garden tour

DATE: May 23

TIME: Noon–5 pm

COST: $20 in advance

STARTING LOCATION: K-Dog & Dunebuggy, 43 Lincoln Rd. between Ocean and Flatbush avenues

HIGHLIGHTS: The kitchen in a free-standing neo-Georgian two-story English-bond brick home: arched doors lead to a dramatic full-width black and white kitchen featuring high-end European appliances housed in an ingenious triple island design.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.leffertsmanor.org or call (718) 284-6210

TOUR: Clinton Hill garden walk

DATE: June 6

TIME: 11 am–5 pm

COST: $15 in advance

HIGHLIGHTS: Symbols, Parables and Healing, a biblical-themed garden run by Teen Challenge, a group that helps keep kids off the streets.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.brownpapertickets.com/event/107257 or call (718) 852-9283

TOUR: Victorian Flatbush tour

DATE: June 13

TIME: 1–6 pm

COST: $20 in advance

STARTING LOCATION: Temple Beth Emith (83 Marlborough Rd. near E. 15th Street)

HIGHLIGHTS: Legitimate houses; home and garden enthusiasts come from all over the country to tour this suburban oasis.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.fdconline.org or call (718) 859-3800

TOUR: Crown Heights North tour

DATE: Oct. 2

TIME: 11 am-4 pm

COST: $20 in advance

HIGHLIGHTS: Artist and artisan homes, historic places of worship and architecturally significant residential buildings.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.crownheightsnorth.org or call (917) 748-4664

TOUR: Bedford-Stuyvesant tour

DATE: Oct. 16

TIME: 11 am-4 pm

COST: $15 in advance

STARTING LOCATION: Brooklyn Academy at Marcy and Putnam avenues (tentative)

HIGHLIGHTS: In addition to gorgeous brownstones and limestones, this year’s will feature the Bed-Stuy Bazaar — get started on that holiday shopping early.

BASIC INFO: For info, visit www.brownstonersofbedstuy.org or call (718) 221-2213

— with Elizabeth Dana