Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
closing early (you can get in on the Broadway side instead). 61 W. 62nd St., btw. Columbus Ave. and Broadway. 212/875-5350.
www.atrium.lincolncenter.org . Subway: 1 to 66th St./Lincoln Center.
Ear Inn This laid-back old-timer was once a waterfront tavern, although in the course of a couple of cen-
turies, the Hudson has slipped a block or two away. There's solid dinner fare and pints aplenty here, and Monday
and Wednesday nights you can enjoy midnight music. Jazz and blues are the usual Ear candy, although country
and folk sneak in as well. Sunday evenings at 8pm the Ear Regulars perform jazz variations on trumpet, reed,
guitar, and bass. 326 Spring St., btw. Greenwich and Washington sts. 212/226-9060. www.earinn.com . Subway: C/E to Spring St.; 1 to Canal St.
55 Bar Still not entirely recovered from its Prohibition days, 55 Bar has been entertaining the Village on the sly
since 1919. The cluttered room brings in top-shelf acts. The cover charges reflect it on some nights, but generally
you can slip in for $10 or less, which is a pretty good deal for this level of quality. Tuesday and Sunday nights
are your best bets for inexpensive jazz. Officially, there's a two-drink minimum, but the laid-back staff
enforces it loosely. 55 Christopher St., btw. Seventh Ave. S. and Waverly Place. 212/929-9883. www.55bar.com . Subway: 1 to Christopher St.
Zebulon The French owners here manage to blend European sophistication with the low-pretense quo-
tient of greater Brooklyn. Afrobeat, funk, and improv jazz lead the charge. A tin ceiling and jazz posters and
album covers add to the charm. Many nights go no-cover (although the hat is passed), and drinks are inexpens-
ive, at least by contemporary standards. 258 Wythe Ave., btw. Metropolitan Ave. and N. 3rd St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 718/218-6934.
www.zebuloncafeconcert.com . Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Classical Acts
Gotham's classical pedigree is hard to knock, as we boast the nation's oldest orchestra (the New York Philhar-
monic), on top of a couple of venues whose renown just might extend beyond New York Harbor (Carnegie Hall
and Lincoln Center leap to mind). The future of music can also be found here, with the nation's most promin-
ent conservatories (think Juilliard) settled on Manhattan schist. Although high prices can accompany the high
notes, you aren't obligated to pay through the nose. Schools present a bevy of free shows, big-name venues offer
obstructed-view cheap seats, and the Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera both gig for free in the summer
(see “High Culture for Free,” in the “Outdoor Summer Concerts” section, later in this chapter). So weigh your
musical options carefully before settling for that Quiet Riot tribute band on Bleecker Street.
Bargemusic Of all the world's barges dedicated to chamber music, this one is my favorite. Docked just of
the Fulton Ferry landing in Brooklyn Heights, the recital room here hosts over a hundred concerts a year. Tickets
are generally $35, but at least once a month one concert is given away (usually Sat at 3pm). It's “pot-luck,” so you
won't know the program until showtime, but it'll be classical, and the performance will be intimate. (There are
only 130 seats.) No reservations are taken, so show up before the doors open, which is an hour before showtime.
26 New Dock St., at Water St., at the East River, Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn. 718/624-2083. www.bargemusic.org . Subway: 2/3 to Clark St.; A/C to High St.
The Bronx Symphony Orchestra With over 6 decades of music making, this entirely democratic group has
plenty of experience in bringing Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, and Mozart to the masses. All the concerts were
once free, but funding constraints have made them a mix of ticketed (still inexpensive, in the $7-$12 range) and
complimentary. Check the website for the calendar and locations, which hit all corners of the borough. Various loca-
tions around the Bronx. 718/601-9151. http://bronxsymphony.com .
Carnegie Hall A mere Hamilton is all it takes to waltz into Carnegie Hall. Concerts held in the Stern Auditorium
or the Perelman Stage are accessible by same-day $10 Rush tickets-even for sold-out shows. The number of avail-
able tickets is pretty limited, so you'll want to get there well before the box office opens (11am Mon-Sat, noon
on Sun; closed weekends June to late Aug). If you don't mind seeing only half the show, you can also get into
Carnegie for half price. Partial-view seats (hey, you're here for the sound anyway) are made available for Stern
Auditorium and Perelman Stage shows (Gala and Weill Music Institute events excepted). Carnegie Hall Fam-
ily Concerts are also excepted, but then they're already a bargain in their own right—targeted to the wee ones,
tickets are only $9. Carnegie Hall also takes its show on the road. The Neighborhood Concert Series fans out
across all five boroughs, bringing everything from classical to jazz to folk. Some 80 shows a year are performed
for free—check the website for details. 154 W. 57th St., at Seventh Ave. 212/247-7800. www.carnegiehall.org . Subway: A/B/C/D/1 to 59th
St./Columbus Circle; N/Q/R to 57th St./Seventh Ave.
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