New York - Art & 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 Ziegfield 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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Bronx Zoo


Lions, tigers and bears
 Bronx River Parkway
(At Fordham Road)
New York, NY 10460
+1 718 367 1010
http://www.bronxzoo.com
Bronx Zoo
Caroline's on Broadway


Top-tier comics
 1626 Broadway
(between 49th and 50th Streets)
New York, NY 10019
+1 212 757 4100 / +1 212 956 0101
http://www.carolines.com
Caroline's on Broadway
New York Knicks


City basketball
 2 Pennsylvania Plaza
Madison Square Garden
New York, NY 10121
+1 212 465 6073
http://www.nba.com/knicks
New York Knicks
New York Rangers


Hockey pros
 2 Pennsylvania Plaza
(at Seventh Avenue)
New York, NY 10121
+1 212 465 6000
http://www.newyorkrangers.com/
New York Rangers
Cinema Classics


Coffee and a movie
 332 East 11th Street
(between First and Second avenues)
New York, NY 10003
+1 212 243 4905
http://www.cinemaclassics.com
Cinema Classics
Dangerfield's


Stomping ground for serious comics
 1118 First Avenue
(Between 61st and 62nd streets)
New York, NY 10021
+1 212 593 1650
http://www.dangerfieldscomedyclub.com
Dangerfield's
Knitting Factory


Nightly jam session
 74 Leonard Street, Main Performance Space
Between Church Street and Broadway
New York, NY 10013
+1 212 219 3132
http://www.knittingfactory.com/
Knitting Factory
Symphony Space


Performing Arts Center
 2537 Broadway
New York, NY 10025-6990
+1 212 864 1414
http://www.symphonyspace.org/
Symphony Space
Wollman Rink at Central Park


Central Park ice skating
 Central Park
(at 59th Street and Sixth Avenue)
New York, NY 10019
+1 212 439 6900
http://www.wollmanskatingrink.com/
Wollman Rink at Central Park
Bowery Ballroom


Live shows
 6 Delancey Street
New York, NY 10002
+1 212 533 2111 / +1 212 260 4700 (Box Office)
http://www.boweryballroom.com/
Bowery Ballroom
New York Shakespeare Festival in the Park


New York Shakespeare Festival in the Park
 81st Street
(Delacorte Theater)
New York, NY 10024
+1 212 539 8500
http://www.publictheater.org/
New York Shakespeare Festival in the Park
Arlene's Grocery


Tomorrow's rock stars
 95 Stanton St
(between Ludlow & Orchard St)
New York, NY 10002
+1 212 995 1652
http://www.arlenesgrocery.net
Arlene's Grocery
Irving Plaza


Premiere Concert Venue
 17 Irving Place between 15th & 16th Street
New York, NY 10003
+1 212 777 6800 / +1 212 777 1224 (Concert Hotline)
http://www.irvingplaza.com
Irving Plaza
Blue Man Group (Astor Place Theatre)


In Living Color!
 434 Lafayette St
New York, NY 10003
+1 212 254 4370
http://www.blueman.com
Blue Man Group (Astor Place Theatre)
Carlyle


Outstanding services
 35 East 76th Street
(Btwn 5th & Madison)
New York, NY 10021
+1 212 717 4682
http://www.thecarlyle.com
Carlyle
Central Park


A park like no other
 14 East 60th Street
Between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West
New York, NY 10022
+1 212 310 6600
http://www.centralparknyc.org
Central Park
Guggenheim Museum


Modern art in Manhattan
 1071 Fifth Avenue at 89th Street
New York, NY 10128-0173
+1 212 423 3500
http://www.guggenheim.org/new_york_index.shtml
Guggenheim Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art


World-Class Museum
 1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10028-0198
+1 212 535 7710
http://www.metmuseum.org
Metropolitan Museum of Art
MoMA - Museum of Modern Art


Cutting Edge Art
 11 West 53rd Street
Between 5th and 6th Avenues
New York, NY 10019-5497
+1 212 708 9400
http://www.moma.org
MoMA - Museum of Modern Art
Metropolitan Opera House


Opera and ballet supreme
 Broadway at 64th Street
Between 62nd and 65th Streets, Lincoln Center
New York, NY 10023
+1 212 362 6000 (Tickets) / +1 212 799 3100 (Office)
http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/
Metropolitan Opera House
Madison Square Garden


New York City's entertainment venue
 4 Pennsylvania Plaza, Seventh Avenue
(between 31st and 33rd streets)
New York, NY 10121
+1 212 465 6741
http://www.thegarden.com
Madison Square Garden
Bowlmor Lanes


Looking to score
 110 University Place
(between 12th & 13th St)
New York, NY 10003
+1 212 255 8188
http://www.bowlmor.com
Bowlmor Lanes
S.O.B.'s


Hip-hop to Afro-Pop
 204 Varick Street
At West Houston Street
New York, NY 10014
+1 212 243 4940
http://www.sobs.com
S.O.B.'s
New York
New York - Historical Background
New York - Where to Stay
New York - Neighborhood Guide
New York - Dining & Drinking
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