Entertainment Guide to New York City

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.

Cinema

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. If the outdoor entertainment is not enough, catch a movie at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 with IMAX or Cinema Classics. Art films from all over the world play at the Film Forum, while the historic Ziegfeld Theater mesmerizes moviegoers no matter what it shows. 

Galleries & Museums

Whatever the month, art museums and galleries put on shows and street performers entertain in the parks. 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 do push you for an optional donation. Other nearby museums include the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). Other interesting museums in the city include the American Folk Art Museum, the ever popular American Museum of Natural History and the Lower East Side Tenement Museum.

Music

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. Catch all types of performances at Symphony Space.

Downtown, with its traditionally youthful edge, offers numerous free choices. The Sidewalk Cafe is a great venue overflowing with every kind of band trying to make it in this big, bad city. Some are better than others. See well-known bands up close at the Bowery Ballroom.

Frank 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, and a good measure of achievement is the chance to perform at Madison Square Garden. 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.

Nightclubs

New York is the very last word in club culture, with places in every corner of the city blasting music all night long. S.O.B.'s showcases world music, while the Knitting Factory provides a mixed bag of music, spoken word and art. If you're looking for a trendy, upscale establishment, Tenjune fits the bill; for the hipsters there's Niagara.

Attractions

Even without a concert, from Belvedere Castle to Sheep's Meadow, Central Park itself provides numerous amusements for its visitors.

Bowling at Bowlmor Lanes and spending a day at the Bronx Zoo are longstanding New York City pastimes.

For some local and national history, take a trip on the Circle Line and pay a visit to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island and its Ellis Island Immigration Museum, both important landmarks for the melting pot that is America.

Theater

Many days, visitors may choose between a pricey Broadway extravaganza or one of the city's numerous 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.

De La Guarda and Blue Man Group are totally funky yet accessible ongoing off-Broadway shows.

In addition to being a museum, the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) is a performance and cinema mecca.

See world-class comedians perform at Dangerfield's and Carolines on Broadway. The Metropolitan Opera House and The New York City Ballet dazzle at Lincoln Center.

Sports

Ice-skating at Wollman Rink is a great way to see Central Park. Watch the Rangers and the Knicks defeat their rivals at Madison Square Garden.