Big Time City Your Ultimate Guide to the City!
55 Bar
West Village Bar.
Arthur’s Tavern
Arthur’s hosts live jazz, blues, rhythm & blues, and Dixieland jazz music every night of the week with no cover charge. There are nightly happy hour drink specials and a light continental menu available at this West Village spot.
B.B. King Club
Located in the heart of Times Square, the club features world-class musical talent.
Birdland
Located on West 44th Street, Birdland offers jazz nightly, for $20-35 per set.
Bitter End
Located in the West Village, The Bitter End is host to a variety of musical and comedic performances.
Blender Theatre at Gramercy
Located on 23rd Street, the Blender Theatre at Gramercy offers music fans an intimate venue for enjoying a variety of different musical performances.
Blue Note
Perhaps NYC’s popular jazz club, the Blue Note garners $25-$40 per person per set in their West Village location. Sets are usually at 8 and 10:30. Monday nights, sets are 1/2 price and the performers tend to be less famous, but often as good.
Blue Smoke
Barbecue restaurant above Jazz Standard offering a jazz and soul juke box.
Bowery Ballroom
As one of NYC’s most popular venues, this Lower East Side theater hosts a variety of well-known acts.
Brooklyn Academy of Music
A variety of independent movies and experimental performances, as well as traditional arts are the focus at BAM. There is even a BAMbus that leaves from 42nd and Park Avenue to bring you to the Academy.
Cafe Wha?
Live music 7 nights a week, including Wednesday & Sunday when there is no cover! Rock/pop, Brazilian, Funk and more entice visitors to this Greenwich Village club nightly.
Carnegie Hall
If you can’t make it to a performance here, get a glimpse of Carnegie Hall during a guided tour.
Central Park Summerstage
A variety of performances are available all summer on the summerstage.
Cotton Club
Originally a club where the most talented black performers played for an all-white audience, the Cotton Club holds a place in music history. Come for their Jazz dinners and Gospel brunches to experience it for yourself.
Don Hill’s
Featuring predominantly heavy metal/hard rock acts, Don Hill’s also has a Thursday night 80s dance party. Located just outside the Holland Tunnel, this grungy club is welcoming to both gay and straight clubbers who like to have a good time.
Hammerstein Ballroom
This pre-war ballroom hosts popular concerts and can accommodate audiences of up to 2,500.
Hiro Ballroom
at the Maritime Hotel Located in the Maritime Hotel in Chelsea, The Hiro Ballroom has a unique Asian-inspired atmosphere and holds just a few hundred guests.
Iridium
Jazz nightly.
Jazz Gallery
Downtown jazz art & artist showcase.
Jazz Standard
Basement club (below Blue Smoke) featuring live jazz nightly. Cover varies, but is normally between $15-20. Sets at 7:30 & 9:30 p.m. and music continues until about 1 a.m.
Joe’s Pub
Part of The Public Theater, Joe’s offers everything from Shakespearean plays to late night DJs. There is also food available until midnight.
Knitting Factory
Both a popular venue for experimental performances (including jazz, electronica and more) and a recording studio, check out the schedule of events at the new Brooklyn location.
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Lincoln Center is the world’s largest cultural complex. Find information on tours and performances here.
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden has two venues for concerts — the arena, and the WAMU Theatre at MSG. Both attract top name acts, but the WAMU Theatre is a more intimate venue.
Mercury Lounge
With so many music venues in the East Village, Mercury Lounge is a standout for hearing live music. Mercury Lounge’s reputation promises top acts in an intimate environment.
Metropolitan Opera
Since opening in 1883, the opera has maintained a pereminent position based on the quality of performances. Find all the information you need about this world famous opera here — from tickets and touring to history and photos.
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, the Music Hall of Williamsburg hosts an eclectic array of lesser known musical acts.
New York City Opera
This opera company strives to make operas accessible to a wide audience, with affordable tickets, student discounts and special deals. Check out their schedule and prices online. Of course, like all good deals, they sell out fast, so check early.
Nokia Theatre Times Square
Located in Times Square, the Nokia Theatre opened in 2005 and can accommodate audiences of up to 2100. The Nokia Theatre hosts a variety of popular musical events.
Radio City Music Hall
Best known for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, Radio City is host to a variety of popular performers and events.
Roseland Ballroom
Hosting diverse events from boxing matches to black-tie benefits, the Roseland Ballroom is also an intimate music venue. Located on West 52nd Street, they tend to host bigger name acts, like the White Stripes and the Rolling Stones, but it’s an intimate venue where it’s a treat to see them.
Rue B
East Village
Jazz venue with no cover.
Live world music will get you dancing at S.O.B.s. Jazz, Brazillian and Reggae music are played live nightly. This Village venue features a full menu and bar.
This West Village favorite offers 10-12 hours of jazz for just $10. Non-alcoholic drinks and snacks are free, you can bring your own alcohol if you like.
Sets at 9, 11, 12:30 at this Upper West Side Jazz club which strives to continue the traditions begun by Augie’s Jazz Bar (which closed in 1998.) Happy hour deals and cover can often be applied to drink prices.
Southpaw
Located in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Southpaw is a large capacity venue that can accommodate audiences up to 5,000 and attracts a variety of different musical guests.
Terminal 5
Located in Midtown Manhattan, Terminal 5 hosts musical guests from a variety of genres and can accommodate an audience of up to 4000 people.
The Bottom Line
Located on West 4th Street, the Bottom Line serves up great music in an intimate setting.
The Fillmore
New York at Irving Plaza Just off of Union Square, The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza hosts a variety of acts, from well known bands to more obscure choices, in an all ages setting. Wrist bands are required for drinking, and couches in the lounge area offer a nice break when you’re tired from dancing.
The Town Hall
A National Historic Site in the theatre district, The Town Hall features music, dance, film and more.
The Village Underground
This intimate Greenwich Village venue requires all acts to be of high quality, but is open to all styles of music. Their Sunday night open mic is rumored to have occassional celebrity appearances.
Village Vanguard
Since 1935, the Village Vanguard has been a mecca for live jazz performance in NYC. Find out about upcoming shows and the clubs history here.
Webster Hall
Located on East 11th Street, Webster Hall frequently hosts well known bands. When the performances are over, Webster Hall transforms into a popular nightclub on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Zinc Bar
$10 cover for most shows, with a one or two drink minimum at this Lower East Side bar. Rumored to be favored by musicians after playing their own sets elsewhere.
