Postcard from... New York

Many think you need a fat wallet to enjoy yourself in New York City. Tickets for Broadway easily go into three figures. But summertime is not just the season for heat in the Big Apple – it’s also when free entertainment abounds, particularly if you like watching classic films al fresco.

Nowhere does movie night under the stars better than Bryant Park behind the main public library. Every Monday in summer they open the lawn at 5pm, and yesterday fans of Blazing Saddles were taking their positions. Outdoor screenings have popped up everywhere though. Coming up next month is the annual film festival thrown by the Central Park Conservancy opening with Big on 18 August and The Royal Tenenbaums the following night. Gaining in popularity fast is the SummerScreen festival that will begin tomorrow night in McCarren Park, Brooklyn. It has the added bonus of pre-film live music.

How about free live theatre? Yes, that’s possible too, especially if you are up for a bit of the Bard and a seat at the open-air Delacorte Theatre in Central Park. Courtesy of The Public Theatre, Shakespeare in the Park is one of the city’s most treasured summer rituals, and opening on 22 July is King Lear with Annette Bening, John Lithgow and Jessica Hecht.