Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
attracting increasingly big names. If you're looking to picnic you're in luck; the square's main attraction is the
Shake Shack (
212/889-6600;
www.shakeshacknyc.com
), with $3.55 burgers making for a perfect accompanying
picnic. (
Note:
If you're planning on eating from the Shake Shack, allow an extra 8-10 hr. to get through the line,
which in nice weather stretches to Maryland.)
Madison Square Park, Fifth Ave. at 23rd St.
212/325-2101.
www.madisonsquarepark.org
.
Subway: N/R or 6 to 23rd St.
Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series
Jazz, soul, gospel, and old-school rap (MC Hammer!) are some of
the genres that can be heard on the Monday night program here. Seating is limited, so you might want to bring
your own chair. In case of rain, concerts are postponed to Tuesday. Shows start at 7:30pm.
Wingate Field, Winthrop St., btw.
Brooklyn and Kingston aves., Brooklyn.
718/222-0600.
www.brooklynconcerts.com
. Subway: 2/5 to Winthrop St.
Music in the Square
Union Square invites you to stop by with a blanket and a picnic to enjoy live after-
work music. Shows are Thursday evenings at 6pm from mid-June through mid-August, in the South Plaza. Jazz,
indie bands, and world music nights provide a diversity of beats.
Union Sq.
212/460-1200.
www.unionsquarenyc.org
. Subway:
L/N/Q/R/4/5/6 to 14th St./Union Sq.
Music on the Oval
The massive housing development that is Stuy Town (some 80 acres hold 25,000 resid-
ents) hosts summer music parties on its central green. In June and July, half a dozen Saturday afternoons from 3
to 7pm are dedicated to big-name performers like Blitzen Trapper, Ben Kweller, and Kelly Willis. Note that these
shows are nominally reserved for Stuy Town tenants and their guests, although that's all but impossible to en-
force.
Stuyvesant Town Oval, btw. aves. A and B at 17th St.
212/420-5000.
www.stuytown.com
. Subway: L to First Ave.
RiverRocks
I love the festive atmosphere of this concert series. The crowd is friendly, and sunset over the
Hudson and the Jersey skyline is inspiring. Roomy Pier 84 does the hosting. If you show up late you won't get
very close to the band, but you will find plenty of space for hanging out, or even dancing. Recent performers
have been first-rate indie groups like the Antlers and Phosphorescent. Shows are usually Thursday nights; you
can find smaller-scale Tuesday and Friday night shows on Pier 45.
Pier 84 at W. 44th St. and the Hudson.
212/627-2121.
www.riverrocksnyc.com
.
Subway: A/C/E/7 to 42nd St./Port Authority. Walk toward the river.
Riverside Clay Tennis Association Sunset Concert Series
This is perhaps the shortest wait ever to get
on a tennis court in New York City. Blankets and picnic baskets are encouraged at this Riverside Park shindig,
as accompaniment for live jazz, classical, samba, and bluegrass. The setting is lovely, and you can hang around
afterward to enjoy the summer night air. Shows are Saturdays from 7 to 9pm, with rain dates set for the same
time on Sunday.
Riverside Park, the Hudson at 97th St.
212/978-0277.
www.rcta.info
. Subway: 1/2/3 to 96th St.
Seaport Music Festival
The South Street Seaport isn't much more than a glorified mall, which is cause
enough for most locals to give it a wide berth. In the summer, however, Pier 17 becomes a great draw, with free
music. There's not as much as there used to be here, but programming is solid, with memorable recent visits
from Animal Collective, Dave Alvin, and Jay Farrar. Events are usually held on Friday nights, with Saturday mat-
inees thrown in. The festival runs late June through mid-July. Also in mid-July, you'll find the
VillageVoice
's free
4Knots Music Festivals,
with up-and-comers holding down outdoor and indoor stages at the Seaport.
Pier 17, btw.
Beekman and Fulton sts., just east of South St.
212/SEAPORT
(732-7678).
www.seaportmusicfestival.com
. Subway: A/C/J/Z/2/3/4/5 to Fulton St./Broadway
Nassau.
Seaside Summer Concert Series
One of NYC's oldest and largest outdoor concerts, this series is a hit
with Coney Island locals, who settle in next to MCU Park for convivial evenings. The booking for this event is
borderline scary, with Michael Bolton, Liza Minnelli, and Air Supply playing in recent years. (Shows in '12 in-
cluded such acts as the Jacksons and Joan Jett.) Concerts begin at 7:30pm on Thursday nights from mid-July to
late August.
W. 21st St. and Surf Ave., Coney Island, across from MCU Park.
718/222-0600.
www.brooklynconcerts.com
.
Subway: D/F/N/Q to Coney
Island/Stillwell Ave.
Summergarden
For over 40 years, MoMA has been throwing these jazz-inflected summer concerts. The
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden plays host, so if your mind wanders from the music you have Philip
Johnson's elegant layout to enjoy. Juilliard students and groups vetted by Jazz at Lincoln Center do the perform-
ing. The shows are on Sundays at 8pm; the garden gates on 54th between Fifth and Sixth avenues open at 7pm,
