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ENTERTAINMENT
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New York offers a dizzying array
of entertainment options. So much so that the enormous
number of choices often overwhelms even the most jaded New
Yorker.
After all, walking down Fifth Avenue or St. Marks Place (two
streets as different as they can be) entertains New Yorkers
far more than most Hollywood movies. However, if one sees a
movie at Sony
IMAX or Cinema
Classics, New York does not disappoint. Many days,
visitors may choose between a USD70 Broadway extravaganza or
one of the city's many free parades. Adventurous
theatergoers eschew Broadway for off- and off-off-Broadway
while those seeking to express themselves haunt the city's
many nightclubs. Meanwhile, divas and drag queens prove
nightly that cabaret is not a thing of the past.
Sinatra was wise when he sang, "If I can make it there,
I'll make it anywhere...." The world's best performers
know that without success in the Big Apple, they aren't
really successful. Thus, Ricky Martin shakes his hips at Madison
Square Garden and Celine Dion croons at Radio
City Music Hall. From the latest diva at the Metropolitan
Opera House to Irving Plaza's hottest band, the best
of the best make it all look easy.
All the while, art museums and galleries mount shows, street
performers entertain in the parks, Gus the Polar Bear swims
the backstroke at the zoo and rollerbladers enjoy the
sunshine while basking in the city's spectacle.
Visitors and residents alike choose their entertainment
based on budget. Happily, the city bursts with options
whether one is a prince or a pauper:
Free
Those without means will find summertime particularly rich
with options. From concerts by the New York Philharmonic to Shakespeare
in Central Park, free culture is everywhere.
Year round, most museums offer a day of free admission
during the week. Many other galleries and museums are free
all the time. The Metropolitan
Museum of Art is technically free, although they
push you for an optional donation. Even without a concert,
from Belvedere Castle to Sheep's Meadow, Central
Park itself provides numerous amusements for its
visitors.
Downtown, with its traditionally youthful edge, offers
numerous free choices. The Luna Lounge, Arlene's Grocery and
The Sidewalk Cafe are three venues overflowing with every
kind of band trying to make it in this big, bad city. Some
are better than others. The Void is a bar where a video
screen is center stage; a "Warhol-Factory"
flavored bar, it shows movies like Kubrick's "A
Clockwork Orange" and Coppola's "Rumble
Fish." Check out the hot new art gallery Zao, where the
interior design and outdoor space are worth the trip alone.
Inexpensive
Great jazz happens literally all night long at Smalls.
Its B.Y.O.B policy makes it one of the best deals in the
world. Attend a performance at The Amato Opera and then a
heavy rock show at CBGB's.
They're on the same street.
Art films from all over the world play at The
Film Forum, while Hollywood movies show for USD4 at
Cineplex Odeon Worldwide Cinemas. There's comedy on select
nights at the Luna Lounge and all types of performances at Symphony
Space. Bowling at Bowlmor
Lanes and spending a day at the Bronx
Zoo are longstanding New York City pastimes.
Moderate
S.O.B.'s
showcases world music, while Izzy
Bar and the Knitting
Factory provide a mixed bag of music, spoken word
and art. De La Guarda and Blue Man Group are totally funky
yet accessible ongoing off-Broadway shows. The historic
Zeigfield Theater mesmerizes moviegoers no matter what it
shows, and long-running off-Broadway show The Fantasticks
plays to a new generation of romantics. Inside and out, the Guggenheim
will blow your mind, while ice-skating at Wollman
Rink is a great way to see Central
Park.
In the summer months, Lincoln
Center presents its Festival, which showcases
innovative performances from around the world for reasonable
prices.
Expensive
When money is no object, the sky isn't the limit in New
York.
See well-known bands up close at the Bowery
Ballroom or Woody Allen play his clarinet Mondays at
the Carlyle
Hotel. The legendary Bobby Short still packs them in
as well. World-class comedians perform at Dangerfield's
and Caroline's,
while The Mingus Big Band knocks them dead at Fez.
In addition to being a museum, the Museum
of Modern Art is a performance and cinema mecca.
Meanwhile, the club Twilo
provides the complete techno experience. The Rangers and
Knicks defeat their rivals at Madison
Square Garden, and The Metropolitan Opera and
The New York City Ballet dazzle at Lincoln
Center. Meanwhile, The Lion King roars on Broadway
and reigns supreme as most coveted ticket. |
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