New York City (Fodor's, 2012) - Fodor's [96]
HARLEM
Hispanic Society of America.
This is the best collection of Spanish art outside the Prado in Madrid, with (primarily 15th- and 16th-century) paintings, sculptures, textiles, and decorative arts from Spain, Portugal, Italy, and South America. There are notable pieces by Goya, El Greco, and Velázquez. An entire room is filled with a collection of antique brass knockers. | Audubon Terr., Broadway, between W. 155th and W. 156th Sts., entrance up steps to left, Harlem | 10032 | 212/926–2234 | www.hispanicsociety.org | Free | Sept.–July, Tues.–Sat. 10–4:30, Sun. 1–4 | Subway: 1 to 157th St.
Studio Museum in Harlem.
Contemporary art by African-American, Caribbean, and African artists is the focus of this small museum with a light-filled sculpture garden. Its changing exhibits have included Black Artists and Abstraction and Africa Comics. Three artists in residence present their works each year. | 144 W. 125th St., between Lenox Ave. and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., Harlem | 10027 | 212/864–4500 | www.studiomuseum.org | $7 suggested donation | Thurs. and Fri. noon–9, Sat. 10–6, Sun. noon–6 | Subway: 2, 3 to 125th St.
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Main Table of Contents
THE SCENE
Planner
THE PERFORMING ARTS BY NEIGHBORHOOD
Lower Manhattan
Tribeca
SoHo
The East Village
Lower East Side
Greenwich Village
West Village
Chelsea
Midtown
Upper East Side
Central Park
Upper West Side
Harlem
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Planner
Updated by Lynne Arany
“Where do you wait tables?” is the not-so-ironic question New York performers get when they say they’re in the arts. But even more telling is that most of these toughened artists won’t miss a beat when they respond with the restaurant’s name. Fact is, if you’re an aspiring performer here, you’d better be tough and competitive. There is a constant influx of artists from around the globe, and all these actors, singers, dancers, and musicians striving for their big break infuse the city with a crackling creative energy.
Just as tough are the audiences, many out-of-towners, many discerning local patrons, who help drive the arts scene as they thrive on keeping up with the latest—flocking to a concert hall to hear a world-class soprano deliver a flawless performance, then crowding into a cramped café to support young writers floundering through their own prose.
New York has somewhere between 200 and 250 legitimate theaters (meaning those with theatrical performances, not movies or strip shows), and many more ad hoc venues—parks, churches, lofts, galleries, rooftops, even parking lots.
The city is also a revolving door of special events: summer jazz, one-act-play marathons, film festivals, and music and dance celebrations from the classical to the avant-garde, to name just a few. It’s this unrivaled wealth of culture and art that many New Yorkers cite as the reason why they’re here, and the reason why many millions more say they’re visiting here.
PLANNER
BUYING TICKETS AT FULL PRICE
What do tickets sell for, anyway? Not counting the limited “premium seat” category (or discount deals), the top ticket price for Broadway musicals is now hovering at $136; the low end for musicals is in the $50 range. Nonmusical comedies and dramas start at about $70 and top out at about $120. Off Broadway show tickets average $50–$90, and Off Off Broadway shows can run as low as $15–$25.
Tickets to an opera start at about $25 for nosebleed seats and can soar close to $400 for prime locations. Classical music concerts go for $25 to $100 or more, depending on the venue. Dance performances are usually in the $15 to $60 range, but expect