2 days · theater-lovers · New York City
Broadway is the reason many people come to New York. Here's how to build a weekend that maximizes the theater experience and doesn't blow your budget on tourist traps.
**Before you go:** Book one show in advance at full price (the one you really want). Plan to get the second show at TKTS for 30-50% off.
**DAY 1 — Arrival & Show #1**
Afternoon: Check into your hotel near Midtown or Times Square. Walk to the TKTS booth in Times Square (under the red steps at 47th & Broadway). Browse the boards for tonight's discount options — shows ranging from $40 to $100. Pick one.
Pre-show dinner: Avoid the tourist restaurants in Times Square proper. Walk a few blocks west to Hell's Kitchen (9th Ave between 42nd and 57th) — lots of good pre-theater spots, many with prix-fixe "theater menus." Try Danji (Korean), Esca (seafood), or Becco (Italian).
7:00 PM curtain: Your show. Orchestra seating if you're splurging; mezzanine is often the best value-to-view ratio.
Post-show: Walk through the Times Square neon chaos (tourists love it, locals hate it, but it is genuinely a sight worth seeing once). End at Birdland Jazz Club on 44th Street for a late set, or Sardi's for a post-show drink.
**DAY 2 — Morning Off, Show #2, Goodbye**
Morning: Sleep in. Late breakfast at Carnegie Diner or Joe Allen (a classic theater-district spot covered in "flop" posters — Broadway humor).
Afternoon: Something cultural that isn't a play. The Morgan Library, the Museum of Broadway (opened 2022, actually good), or just walk Central Park.
Pre-show: Another TKTS run for a matinee or 7 PM show. Alternatively, splurge on a matinee at a full-price show you wanted to see.
Matinee or early evening: Show #2. Go to any show you missed at TKTS before.
Post-show dinner: Now you have options. Dinner in Hell's Kitchen again, or head to Koreatown on 32nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenue for Korean BBQ that stays open late.
**Tips:** - TKTS booth at Lincoln Center has shorter lines than Times Square. - Rush tickets and lotteries for specific shows can get you front-row seats for $30-40 — check sites like TodayTix and individual show websites. - Sunday evening has fewer shows (most close Sunday night) so plan accordingly. - Intermission drinks are $15-20 and a pre-theater dinner is cheaper than eating at the lobby.