The best seats are the ones you get to sit in

And you do want to go to things, after all, what did you work all those years for? so if you've been used to orchestra seats, consider the unthinkable--the last row. This works out just fine in almost every place except the Metropolitan Opera (and there are special programs for the Met that I will talk about later). The Rose Theater (part of Lincoln Center) is perfect, Avery Fisher (the back is fine but the side seats will give you a pain in the  neck, literally), the Koch Theater (here the sides are excellent for listening and OK for viewing, if you lean a little), the City Center is also fine and you can get tickets to three great American musicals (the Encores Series) in the balcony for $90. I promise you will not get a nose bleed.

(bloomberg.com)

Then there are the special deals. Carnegie Hall will give you 50% off for partial view (and they're perfectly all right--we've sat in them) and of course the sound is amazing. Go to www.carnegiehall.org and look for your series. When you click on seating, if there are partial view tickets available, the site will show it. You can buy a series of five concerts for $97/pp in advance. There are also rush seats. You can buy these even for sold-out shows, day of the concert, for $10. Look at www.carnegiehall.org/Tickets/Discount-Ticket-Programs/ for box office hours. Yes, I know that people waited five hours to hear Horowitz in 1965 and we didn't and we regret it to this day.

The New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher has senior rush tickets that they announce the day of the concert. Call 212-875-5656 that day to find out. You can only purchase in person; just show proof of age 62+. The cost is $13.50/per ticket plus a fee of $2.50. This is a fantastic deal--just be persistent!

(nytimes.com)

We live in a city that has three of the best music schools in the nation: Juilliard, Manhattan School and Mannes. All of them have top-notch programs and they are either free or modestly priced for $25 or less. In fact, you have to be on your toes to get seats to their opera, dance and orchestra performances as people-in-the-know snap them up early. You need tickets even for free events.

To find out when you can go and nab them, for Juilliard, visit www.juilliard.edu/juilliard-box-office for box office hours and more details. For the Manhattan School, go to www.msmnyc.edu/concertgoer/Buy-tickets and for Mannes, go to www.newschool.edu/mannes/subpage.aspx?id=30667 to get $15 senior tickets to chamber music concerts. You, too, will be glad you are retired in New York.

#retiredinnewyork
#rushseatsinnewyork
#dayofticketsnewyork