Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in waves, every 3 hours or so. Usually early May; check the website.
Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway, at 95th St.
212/864-5400.
www.symphonyspace.org
.
Subway: 1/2/3 to 96th St.
Outdoor Summer Concerts
The high season for free music is summer, when cool sounds seem to be coming from every corner of the city.
You would think that with so many events the crowds would spread thin, but concerts tend to be consistently
well attended. If you're going primarily to see the band, better allow at least an hour to carve out some space.
For particularly big names you'll need to get there even earlier. If the scene is more interesting than the sound,
however, New York concerts are laid-back enough that you can just wander in and out as the mood strikes you.
With shows held at so many spectacular sites, a sunset on the Hudson or late afternoon light on the Brooklyn
skyline often come with your (metaphorical) price of admission.
BAM Rhythm & Blues Festival at MetroTech
MetroTech Commons is as close to a municipal center as
Brooklyn gets, and in the summer it's the site of a free lunchtime concert series. As the name suggests, R&B is
the focus, though the definition stretches to include blues, reggae, and funk as well. Surprisingly big names like
the Neville Brothers and Ohio Players come through. Ten shows are held in all, Thursdays from noon to 2pm,
mid-June to mid-August.
MetroTech Commons, at Flatbush and Myrtle aves.
718/636-4100.
www.bam.org
. Subway: 2/3 to Hoyt St.; A/C/F/R to
Jay St./Metro Tech; B/Q/R to DeKalb Ave.
Battery Park
Battery Park has the city's most spectacular gardens and shoreline, but its corner-pocket loc-
ation causes it to be overlooked. Come quitting time, much of the working crowd rushes of to subway cars and
ferries, leaving the rest of us more space to enjoy the cultural resources. The River to River Festival cosponsors
several summer concerts down here, many of which are underattended by New York standards. The World Fin-
ancial Center Plaza, Rockefeller Park, and One New York Plaza are among the venues that do the hosting. Check
www.rivertorivernyc.com
for full schedules, and see p. 246 for shows on the Seaport's river.
RockefellerPark,
at the west
end of Chambers and Warren sts.
212/528-2733.
www.batteryparkcity.org
. Subway: 1/2/3 or A/C to Chambers St.
WorldFinancialCenterPlaza,
due east of
the North Cove Yacht Harbor.
212/528-2733.
www.worldinancialcenter.com
.
Subway: E to World Trade Center; R to Cortlandt St.
OneNewYorkPlaza,
at
Water and Whitehall sts.
www.rivertorivernyc.com
.
Subway: R to Whitehall St.; 1 to South Ferry.
Bryant Park
Every year, Bryant Park seems to pack its live music schedule a little tighter. There's a big
range of genres, and the park's central location makes it a convenient place to catch some tunes. Broadway's
brightest play select summer Thursdays (p. 263). Old-timey piano sounds, as popularized by the likes of Fats
Waller, Scott Joplin, and the Gershwins, enliven weekday lunches from 12:30 to 2:30pm (May-Oct). If you're look-
ing for a tuneful segue between your cubicle and a night on the town, check out the After Work concert series,
with hot sounds filling the Fountain Terrace from 6 to 7pm on summer Wednesdays.
Bryant Park, btw. W. 40th and 42nd sts.,
along Sixth Ave.
212/768-4242.
www.bryantpark.org
.
Subway: B/D/F/M to 42nd St.; 7 to Fifth Ave.
Celebrate Brooklyn!
The Prospect Park Bandshell is a perfect place for a concert, with a festive and friendly
crowd. The audio selections are as eclectic as Brooklyn, with acts like Rufus Wainwright, the Spanish Harlem
Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Shows are well attended, so show up early if you want a decent view.
Check the website for schedules. The season kicks of at Brooklyn Bridge Park in May, with 3 nights of DJs, dan-
cing, and live music.
A $3 donation is suggested for the band shell shows, with a couple of pricey be-
nefits thrown in.
The Prospect Park Bandshell, Park Slope, Brooklyn.
718/855-7882.
www.bricartsmedia.org
.
Subway: F or B/Q to Seventh Ave.; 2/3
to Grand Army Plaza. Enter at Prospect Park W. and 9th St. Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1, near Doughty and Furman sts. Subway: A/C to High St.; 2/3 to Clark St.
City Parks Foundation
This group is a major player in New York's free music scene, putting on some hun-
dreds of events in 750 parks across all five boroughs. Check online to see what's playing and when (the same or-
ganization runs the legendary SummerStage; see p. 242). One event to keep an eye out for is late August's
Charlie
Parker Jazz Festival.
Bird gets honored with shows in two of his neighborhoods, Harlem (where he worked)
and the East Village (where he lived). The Harlem show is Saturday afternoon in Marcus Garvey Park. Tompkins
Square Park takes over on Sunday.
MarcusGarveyPark,
18 Mount Morris Park West, at Fifth Ave.
212/360-1399.
www.cityparksfoundation.org
.
Subway: 2/3 or 4/5/6 to 125th St.
Tompkins Sq.,
btw. 7th and 10th sts. and aves. A and B. Subway: 6 to Astor Place; F to Second Ave.
