By David Gordon
“Summertime and the living’s easy.” But you don’t have a lot of money to spend. Here are a number of things to do in New York City that are either cheap, or, even better, free.
The Good Morning America Summer Concert Series in Bryant Park, 7 to 9 a.m. Fridays, from May 16-August 22. Hosted by Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, Chris Cuomo and Sam Champion. Come see some of your favorite performers completely for free (you just have to get there early). Performers this summer include Usher, Cyndi Lauper, Maroon 5, Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers and the cast of the Broadway musical “RENT.”
Also in Bryant Park, every Thursday in July and August, from 12:30 to 1:30 PM, 106.7 Lite FM sponsors “Broadway in Bryant Park,” featuring performances from the biggest hits on Broadway. The performance schedule will be announced soon.
Live from Rockefeller Plaza is the Toyota Concert Series on the “TODAY Show,” hosted by Matt Lauer, Meredith Viera, Al Roker and Anne Curry. Performances also take place from 7 a.m. every Friday. On the list of performers are Ashlee Simpson, Rascal Flats, Sheryl Crow and Paula Abdul.
A personal favorite: free kayaking in the Hudson River, offered by the New York Downtown Boathouse. Just walk up to one of their locations (Pier 40 at Houston Street, Pier 96 at Clinton Cove at 56th Street and the 72nd Street Boat Basin – all at the Hudson River) and ask for a kayak. They briefly teach you how to paddle and then you’re off in the surprisingly clean Hudson for an hour (within their barriers, of course.) For more info, go to www.downtownboathouse.org.
Perhaps the staple of free summer events is “Shakespeare in the Park,” presented at the Delacorte Theater in the heart of Central Park. Productions this year include “Hamlet,” starring Michael Stuhlbarg (“The Pillowman), Lauren Ambrose (“Six Feet Under”), Sam Waterston (“Law and Order”) and Hofstra alumna Margaret Colin and the musical “Hair,” starring Jonathan Groff (“Spring Awakening”). Tickets are distributed at the theater (81st Street and Central Park West) on the day of the performance at 1 p.m., but get there much earlier than that. For the first time this summer, the Public will be distributing tickets online, as well. Check out www.publictheater.org for more details.
Also in Central Park (Rumsey Playfield, East 72nd off 5th Avenue) is Summerstage, a weekly series of concerts, dance and spoken word events.
The New York Philharmonic performs various concerts in each of the five boroughs, from the Great Lawn in Central Park to Van Cortlandt Park in the Bronx. Performances are at 8 PM.
There are many more events which just haven’t been announced yet, including the annual Bryant Park film series every Monday night.
Keep your eyes posted on www.gonyc.com for more info. And have a fun summer.
Free kayaking is also one of the many summer attractions awaiting vacationers looking for a cheap way to beat the vacation boredom. More information about it at “www.downtownboathouse.org” (downtownboathouse.org)
Maroon 5, Usher and The Jonas Brothers (above) are just some of the many acts lined up for Good Morning America’s Summer Concert Series, playing at Bryant Park between May and August. (popculturemadness.com)