Entertainment

New York offers a dizzying array of entertainment options. So much so that the enormous number of choices often overwhelms even the most jaded New Yorker.

After all, walking down Fifth Avenue or St. Marks Place (two streets as different as they can be) entertains New Yorkers far more than most Hollywood movies. However, if one sees a movie at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 with IMAX or Cinema Classics, New York does not disappoint. Many days, visitors may choose between a pricey Broadway extravaganza or one of the city's many free parades. Adventurous theatergoers eschew Broadway for off- and off-off-Broadway while those seeking to express themselves haunt the city's many nightclubs. Meanwhile, divas and drag queens prove nightly that cabaret is not a thing of the past.

Frank Sinatra was wise when he sang, "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere..." The world's best performers know that without success in the Big Apple, they aren't really successful. Thus, big stars perform at Madison Square Garden. From the latest diva at the Metropolitan Opera House to Irving Plaza's hottest band, the best of the best make it all look easy.

All the while, art museums and galleries mount shows, street performers entertain in the parks, Gus the Polar Bear swims the backstroke at the zoo and rollerbladers enjoy the sunshine while basking in the city's spectacle.

Visitors and residents alike choose their entertainment based on budget. Happily, the city bursts with options whether one is a prince or a pauper:

Free Those without means will find summertime particularly rich with options. From concerts by the New York Philharmonic to Shakespeare in Central Park, free culture is everywhere.

Year round, most museums offer a day of free admission during the week. Many other galleries and museums are free all the time. The Metropolitan Museum of Art is technically free, although they do push you for an optional donation. Even without a concert, from Belvedere Castle to Sheep's Meadow, Central Park itself provides numerous amusements for its visitors.

Downtown, with its traditionally youthful edge, offers numerous free choices. The Sidewalk Cafe is a great venue overflowing with every kind of band trying to make it in this big, bad city. Some are better than others.

Inexpensive Art films from all over the world play at the Film Forum. Catch all types of performances at Symphony Space. Bowling at Bowlmor Lanes and spending a day at the Bronx Zoo are longstanding New York City pastimes.

Moderate S.O.B.'s showcases world music, while the Knitting Factory provides a mixed bag of music, spoken word and art. De La Guarda and Blue Man Group are totally funky yet accessible ongoing off-Broadway shows. The historic Clearview's Ziegfeld Theater mesmerizes moviegoers no matter what it shows. Inside and out, the Guggenheim Museum will blow your mind, while ice-skating at Wollman Rink is a great way to see Central Park. See well-known bands up close at the Bowery Ballroom. In addition to being a museum, the MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) is a performance and cinema mecca.

In the summer months, the Lincoln Center Festival showcases innovative performances from around the world at reasonable prices.

Expensive When money is no object, the sky isn't the limit in New York.

Relax at the Carlyle Hotel or see world-class comedians perform at Dangerfield's and Caroline's on Broadway. The Rangers and the Knicks defeat their rivals at Madison Square Garden, and The Metropolitan Opera and The New York City Ballet dazzle at Lincoln Center.