Student Blog: New York City Arts on a Budget

Culture. Art. Broadway. Those are some of the words that might pop into your head if you think about New York City. Another word pops into mine- expensive. I moved to New York City from a small town in Wisconsin to experience what the city is all about (especially arts wise) and I quickly learned how difficult the city lifestyle is to maintain financially. Going to an arts school in Manhattan-going out and experiencing life here is encouraged, well basically, mandatory. In total since being here I have seen fifty-five shows, and you just might be wondering how I do it, and to add to that, how I do it on a budget. 

The first thing that I like to look for: seeing what the city has to offer. Broadway is obviously the big ticket, but there is so much more to do such as Off-Broadway, ballet, operas, concerts… The list could go on and on. On any day you can google and see what is going on in the city that day. The first thing that I do in the morning is enter the Broadway lottery. There are multiple different sites and apps to find lotteries for most shows (warning: some shows do not offer lottery tickets) such as TodayTix, Broadway Direct, Telecharge, Lucky Seat, the Hamilton app. On these sites you can usually find both on or off-Broadway shows and the pricing usually range from $25-$55. Hamilton even gives out tickets for $10, but those are extremely hard to win. And even if you do win the lottery you never know what your seats will be like. I have been front row, rear orchestra, obstructed view- it really just depends on which show you are seeing and you never know which show will place you where (Hamilton and Sweeney Todd do release where those will be). 

Another way to find cheaper tickets is to see what shows, museums, concerts offer student pricing. Some venues such as Lincoln Center offer student ticket pricing, or some Broadway shows such as Wicked offer student ticket deals. Showing up to the box office at opening or two hours before showtime are also great ways to get rush deals and steals. 

My favorite way to get cheap/free tickets has to be on the Theatr app. This is an app where you can find free or reduced pricing tickets that anyone can buy/sell. I have been able to see all types of shows ranging from concerts, ballets, operas, and Broadway shows such as “Bad Cinderella”, “Camelot”, “Moulin Rouge”, Etc. 

If you are lucky you even might be going to a school in the city that gets complimentary show tickets. 

I hope from this blog you have found some ways to get affordable tickets to all sorts of venues on a budget. Google and luck will be your best friend on this adventure and just remember- don’t get stressed out. Theater is not as affordable for a college student's budget, but don’t give up! Keep looking and trying and you never know what show you might get to see next!