The hustle and bustle of New York city life does not subside even at night, and there are hundreds of nightclubs, jazz pubs, discos and bars all over the city.
Generally the nightlife is in New York very diverse, but the entertainment area focuses on very specific places. Times Square, once a little disreputable, is currently experiencing a renaissance, where popular restaurants, bars and cinemas have settled, which attract the masses. The central village from Sixth Avenue to Broadway is known for its late night coffee bars, music clubs and lively street life. SoHo is the capital of the hip scene, here there are the most extravagant nightclubs, where artists, models and people from the media industry are bustling, while the gay scene is more in the bars around the West Village, where there is also a lively jazz scene. Those with a slightly more expensive taste are served with the elegant lounges, clubs and cocktail bars on the Upper East and Upper West Side.
The entrance fees (only in cash) for some of the smarter nightclubs can be tough and the trendiest clubs usually have strict dress codes, so that only the coolest and most beautiful can step through the barriers. The curfew is generally 4:00 a.m., but many clubs are open all night. A constantly changing selection of after-hours facilities provides entertainment until sunrise, but alcohol is prohibited from 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. (Sundays from 12 a.m.). You should also consider that alcohol should not be served to people under the age of 21. There is no smoking in restaurants, bars, clubs, cocktail bars etc. It is best to always have your ID with you.
Time Out New York is an excellent source of information. This guide is published weekly and is available from newsagents or newsstands.
Cultural event
“Culture just seems to be in the air here as if it were part of the weather,” wrote author Tom Wolfe. From the glaring lights of Broadway to the sacred stages of Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, from the Rockettes in Radio City Music Hall to the daring maneuvers of the Big Apple Circus trapeze artists, New York City has something for everyone.
New York continues to grow and offers something new every day in addition to the established offerings. Times Square is one of the busiest places. Madame Tussaud’s wax museum, which also houses a cinema complex, the Disney-owned New Amsterdam Theater and a host of similar renovated historical theaters – such as the Victory, the Lyric and the Academy / Apollo – have ensured that New York City’s cultural heritage continues Capital remains.
The main entertainment districts are the Theater District around Broadway, at 42nd Street / Times Square, and the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts on the Upper West Side. Most Broadway theaters are located east or west of Broadway between 41st and 53rd Streets, while the so-called off and off-off Broadway theaters can be found throughout Manhattan, most of them in the East and West Village, Chelsea, and a couple west of the Broadway theater district.
The grouping of the New York theater stages into Broadway, Off-Broadway or Off-Off-Broadway refers to the decreasing standard, what prices, cut of production, elegance and comfort and the increasing degree of innovation, experimentation and theater around art and not for the sake of money. Off-Broadway is still the best place to see the works of the world’s most innovative stage writers. There is social and political drama, satire, ethnic plays and repertoire here: in short, everything that Broadway would not consider as a guaranteed money-maker. The lower maintenance costs also mean that Off-Broadway is often used as a test stage for pieces that eventually end up as a large Broadway production.
Off-Off-Broadway is New York’s avant-garde theater. Unlike off-Broadway plays, off-off plays do not always only feature professional actors, and the performances range from the simplest productions of old classics to extravagant and experimental performance pieces.
Musical fans will find current information in German on all Broadway performances and booking options on the website www.ilovenytheater.com.
Tickets can be purchased through Telecharge (Tel: (212) 239 62 00) (mainly Broadway and Off-Broadway performances and some concerts), and through Ticketmaster (Tel: (212) 307 71 71), also Broadway and Off -Broadway performances as well as tickets for Madison Square Garden and Radio City. Half-price tickets can be bought for performances on the same day at the TKTS point of sale on 47th Street, on the corner of Broadway (daily from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. for evening performances, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for afternoon performances on Wednesday and Saturday and from 12 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. Open for all Sunday performances).
Information on cultural events can be found on the Internet at www.nycvisit.com and www.whatsonwhen.com. The Time Out New York guide is also a good resource. It comes out every week and is available in newsagents and kiosks.
Other Events
New York’s largest antiques event , Manhattan Antiques and Collectibles Triple Pier Expo , is held on three piers on the Hudson River each February. The New York Flower Show , the city’s annual spring messenger, takes place in March on Pier 90 and 93, 51st Street, corner of Twelfth Avenue. At Art Expo New York, the world’s largest exhibition of popular art, you can admire a wide range of paintings and sculptures, posters and decorative art. The exhibition takes place in March at the Javits Convention Center .
The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival in May is a street food festival with live bands and hundreds of small stalls selling an unparalleled variety of ethnic delicacies and junk food. At the Summerstage Festival, pop, folk and jazz musicians perform in Central Park all summer, the concerts are free or cost very little.
