New York City has been called the “Capital of the World.” There are so many exciting things to see and do in the city. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the most expensive cities to live in or visit. That makes it tough for us in the academic sector who don’t make Wall Street salaries. However, come the hot summer days, there are a wide range of outdoor activities that are either free or inexpensive.

Probably the best known are the free concerts on the Great Lawn in Central Park. The New York Philharmonic will present its usual two concerts this year: on Wednesday July 12, works by Tchaikovsky and Dvořák; and Tuesday July 18 featuring Prokofiev and Beethoven. Concerts start at 8 p.m. with fireworks afterwards. In August, the Metropolitan Opera gives two free presentations: La Traviata on August 22 and Rigoletto on August 23. These four concerts are famous for people picnicking on the Great Lawn, usually with wine and cheese. Enter the park at 79th or 85th Street and Fifth Avenue. If you are more interested in hearing the concert, arrive early to get a place up front. The more serious picnickers are toward the south end. More information about these concerts can be found at http://www.lincolncenter.org.

Another great Central Park event series is SummerStage. At Rumsey Playfield, the series showcases a wide range of music, dance, and spoken word productions. Most events are free, but there are a few benefit concerts put on throughout the summer. The headliners this year include Audra McDonald, Edie Brickell, Joan Didion, Bonnie Raitt, and Fiona Apple. Enter the park at 69th Street and Fifth Avenue, and follow the path to Rumsey Playfield. For some of the more popular artists, a line forms in front of the gate well beforehand. There are bleacher seats in back and Astroturf up front, sometimes with folding chairs. You can bring in food, but no glass bottles. There are food vendors inside. For a complete schedule, go to www.summerstage.org.

One of the best Central Park activities is Shakespeare in the Park. Produced by the Public Theater and presented at the Delacorte Theater, this year’s plays will be Macbeth, from June 13 to July 9, and Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and Her Children featuring Meryl Streep, from August 8 to September 3. Tickets, though free, must be obtained by standing on line in front of the Public Theater on Lafayette Street or at the Delacorte Theater in the park. Tickets are distributed at 1 p.m. on the day of the performance. These are very good productions which usually draw a crowd. The complete schedule can be found at www.publictheater.org.

Lincoln Center hosts some fun and inexpensive events in the summer. Lincoln Center Out of Doors presents a range of international music and dance events, with some special events for children. This series is free and runs from August 4–27 this year. Midsummer Night Swing is a run of dance events with everything from salsa to disco. There are group dance lessons at 6:30 p.m. and live music at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased on the day of the event or online. Both series are on the Josie Robertson Plaza at Lincoln Center. More information can be found at http://www.lincolncenter.org.

HBO sponsors a summer film series at Bryant Park on Monday nights. The movies this year range from Hitchcock’s The Birds to Rocky. Blankets and food are allowed. The lawn opens at 5 p.m., but there is usually a crowd gathered well in advance to get a spot. The movies begin at sunset, and they show an old Warner Bros. cartoon beforehand. People will cheer for Porky Pig’s famous sign off (…That’s all folks!). The complete schedule is at http://www.bryantpark.org. At both the Central Park Great Lawn concerts and Bryant Park, it is traditional to have some members of your group arrive early to secure a spot, and have some predetermined arrangement of balloons or a flag for the rest of the group to find.

Another great venue is Hudson River Park. It runs for five miles along the river and hosts a plethora of summer events, all free. The MoonDance series features a live band on Sunday nights, ranging in styles from swing to tango. On Pier 54, on West 14th Street, dance lessons are given at 6:30 p.m. and the bands start at 7 p.m. The RiverRocks series, also on Pier 54, focuses on up-and-coming musicians. The River Flicks events features two series of outdoors movies. The Wednesday night movies are held on Pier 54 from July 5–August 23. The theme this year is “One Mean Summer” including such great movies as Rosemary’s Baby and Goodfellas. The Friday night movies are more family oriented, including such fare as Willy Wonka and March of the Penguins. These are shown on Pier 46 at Charles and West Streets. Both movie series start at sunset. Free popcorn is available if you get there early. Some seating is provided, or you can bring a blanket to sit on. The RiverFlicks events are usually not as crowded as the Bryant Park movies. The Hudson River Park Trust also host several other series of free summer events; more information can be found at http://www.hudsonriverpark.org.

The River-to-River Festival, meant to boost the downtown economy, hosts almost 500 different free cultural events June through September. Information about these many events can be found at http://www.rivertorivernyc.org.

Two good websites to find information about these and other events in the city are newyork.citysearch.com and http://www.newyorkled.com. The NewYorkled site also includes a complete calendar of the city’s many street fairs. With all of these options available, one can have a great summer in the city without going broke.