Metropolitan Opera House
Upper West Side & Central Park
New York’s premier opera company is the place to see classics such as La Boheme, Madame Butterfly and Macbeth. It also hosts premieres and revivals of…
Brooklyn Academy of Music
New York City
Founded in 1861 (the year the Civil War erupted), BAM is the country’s oldest performing-arts center. Spanning several venues in the Fort Greene area, the…
Richard Rodgers Theatre
Midtown
This theater opened in 1926 and is unique for several reasons. It was the first to allow all patrons to enter through one set of doors (generally there…
Carnegie Hall
Midtown
The legendary Carnegie Hall may not be the world's biggest concert hall, nor its grandest, but it's definitely one of the most acoustically blessed. Opera…
Sleep No More
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
One of the most immersive theater experiences ever conceived, Sleep No More is a loose, noir retelling of Macbeth set inside a series of Chelsea…
Metrograph
East Village & Lower East Side
The Lower East Side hasn't gentrified this far yet, giving the owners of this true movie mecca the chance to acquire a building adequate for their vision…
New York City Ballet
Upper West Side & Central Park
This prestigious company was first directed by renowned Russian-born choreographer George Balanchine in the 1940s. Today, it's the largest ballet…
Jazz at Lincoln Center
Midtown
Perched atop the Time Warner Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center comprises three state-of-the-art venues: midsized Rose Theater; panoramic, glass-backed Appel…
Marjorie Eliot’s Parlor Jazz
Harlem & Upper Manhattan
Each Sunday the charming Ms Eliot provides one of New York’s most magical experiences: free, intimate jazz jams in her own apartment. Dedicated to her two…
Kings Theatre
New York City
This dream palace from the twilight of cinema's pre-Depression heyday is a nostalgic landmark and a top-notch concert venue to boot. Allowed to fall…
Gotham Girls Roller Derby
New York City
NYC’s only all-women and skater-operated roller derby league has four borough-inspired home teams: the Bronx Gridlock, Brooklyn Bombshells, Manhattan…
National Sawdust
Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick
Covered in wildly hued murals, this cutting-edge space for classical and new music has come a long way since its days as a sawdust factory, with artists…
Birdland
Midtown
This bird's got a slick look, not to mention the legend – its name comes from bebop legend Charlie Parker (aka ‘Bird’), who headlined at Birdland's former…
Barbès
New York City
This compact bar and performance space, named after a neighborhood in Paris with a strong North African flavor, is owned by French musicians (and longtime…
St Ann's Warehouse
Brooklyn: Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn & Dumbo
This handsome red-brick building, a Civil War–era tobacco warehouse, is the first permanent home of avant-garde performance company St Ann's. The …
Flea Theater
Financial District & Lower Manhattan
One of NYC's top off-off-Broadway venues, Flea is famous for staging innovative and timely new works. It houses three performance spaces, including the …
Terraza 7
Queens
Come to Queens for multicultural eats, then stay for equally diverse sounds at this cool bi-level performance space. It makes creative use of the tiny…
Playwrights Horizons
Midtown
An excellent place to catch what could be the next big thing, this veteran ‘writers’ theater’ is dedicated to fostering contemporary American works…
Eugene O'Neill Theatre
Midtown
The Eugene O'Neill Theatre's shows have ranged from family-friendly Annie all the way to uproarious The Best Little whor*house in Texas, with nearly as…
Signature Theatre
Midtown
Looking good in its Frank Gehry–designed home – complete with three theaters, bookstore and cafe – Signature Theatre is devoted to the work of playwrights…
Al Hirschfeld Theatre
Midtown
Originally the Martin Beck Theatre, this opulent theater was renamed in 2003 when it was purchased from the Beck family. When it opened in 1924 to great…
Jazz Standard
Midtown
Jazz luminaries like Ravi Coltrane, Roy Haynes and Ron Carter have played at this sophisticated club. The service is impeccable and the Southern food …
Smalls
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
Living up to its name, this cramped but appealing basem*nt jazz den offers a grab-bag collection of acts who take the stage nightly. Admission includes a…
Nitehawk Cinema
Brooklyn: Williamsburg, Greenpoint & Bushwick
This indie triplex has a fine lineup of first-run and repertory films, a good sound system and comfy seats. Amplifying the experience is the fact that you…
LGBT Community Center
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
'The Center' has been the nexus of LGBTIQ+ culture in the village since 1983. That’s because it provides a surrogate home for queer folks who may not feel…
New Amsterdam Theatre
Midtown
Known for its fascinating art nouveau details and for being the oldest Broadway theater (1903), the New Amsterdam was the venue for the famous Ziegfeld…
Madison Square Garden
Midtown
NYC's major performance venue – part of the massive complex housing Penn Station – hosts big-arena performers, from Kanye West to Madonna. It’s also a…
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Queens
The US Open, one of the city's premier sporting events, takes place at this tennis center in late August. Tickets usually go on sale at Ticketmaster in…
Film at Lincoln Center
Upper West Side & Central Park
Film at Lincoln Center is one of New York’s cinematic gems, providing an invaluable platform for a wide gamut of documentary, feature, independent,…
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
Midtown
Comedy sketch shows, improv and variety reign at the new location of the legendary venue, which receives drop-ins from casting directors and often…
Alamo Drafthouse
Brooklyn: Brooklyn Heights, Downtown Brooklyn & Dumbo
The NYC branch of this Texas-based movie-house phenomenon shows both first-run movies and special presentations in big-screen cinemas with wide, cushy…
Gershwin Theatre
Midtown
The former Uris Theatre is one of the largest theaters on Broadway, seating nearly 2000. One of NYC's biggest flops played here: Via Galactica (a musical…
New York Philharmonic
Upper West Side & Central Park
The oldest professional orchestra in the US (dating to 1842) holds its season every year at David Geffen Hall; music director Jaap van Zweden took over…
Magnet Theater
Midtown
Tons of comedy in several incarnations (some sketch but mostly improv) lures the crowds at this theater/training-ground for comics. Performances vary…
BAM Strong
New York City
This theater, one of NYC's most important cultural institutions, has hosted long runs by important artists like Tony Kushner, Peter Brook and Laurie…
Village Vanguard
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
Possibly NYC's most prestigious jazz club, the Vanguard has hosted literally every major star of the past 50 years. Starting in 1935 as a venue for beat…
Bell House
New York City
This 1920s warehouse in the light-industrial grid of Gowanus showcases high-profile live music and variety, spanning indie rockers, DJ nights, comedy…
Second Stage Theater
Midtown
This nonprofit theater company is famed for debuting the work of talented emerging writers as well as that of the country's more-established names. If you…
Blue Note
West Village, Chelsea & Meatpacking District
With the likes of Sarah Vaughan, Lionel Hampton and Dizzy Gillespie gracing its stage since it opened in 1981, Blue Note is one of NYC's premier jazz…
Jalopy
New York City
This tavern, and music and teaching space, at the fringes of Carroll Gardens and Red Hook is a fun, DIY kind of affair, where the beer's cold and you can…
More destinations you need to see
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