Opened in 1932 and benefiting from a $70 million restoration in 1999, Radio City Music Hall continues to be a popular New York venue for music and entertainment. Photo credit: © NYC & Company RELATED LINKS Return to City Guide: New York City

New York's nonprofit Theatre Development Fund operates discount ticket booths in Times Square (47^th Street between Broadway and Seventh Avenue) and at South Street Seaport (behind the Resnick/Prudential Building at 199 Water St.) that sell discounted same-day tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, concerts and other live entertainment. Prices are 25 or 50 percent below face value plus a $3-per-ticket surcharge, and while you're not likely to get desirable seats to the most popular hit shows, TKTS is a great way for bargain-hunters to tap into the city's diverse performance arts offerings.

At the Times Square location, tickets go on sale daily (except Sundays) at 3 pm for 8 pm performances and at 10 am Wednesdays and Saturdays for 2 pm performances. Sunday matinee tickets go on sale at 11 am, with Sunday evening performances available starting at 3 pm. The South Street location operates on a different schedule, open weekdays from 11 am to 6 pm, Saturdays from 11 am to 7 pm and Sundays from 11 am to 4 pm, with matinee tickets sold one day in advance. As a general rule, it's best to line up early for the best selection of shows and seats, though theaters may release unsold tickets to the TKTS inventory throughout the day, so it's sometimes possible to score good seats a short time before curtain time. Bring cash or travelers checks, as TKTS does not accept credit cards. See www.tdf.org/tkts for more information, including lists of shows recently available at the booths.

If you have your heart set on getting good seats for a top show, it's better to reserve tickets well in advance. Otherwise you can ask the concierge at your hotel to help you out, though you'll almost certainly pay a hefty brokerage fee. Buying from the scalpers who prowl theater district sidewalks is risky business, as there's no guarantee the tickets you buy are authentic.

CityPass, an advance-purchase ticket package covering six major New York attractions, can be a good deal if the included museums and activities are on your list of things to do. The cost is $53 for adults or $41 for ages 6 to 17, including a two-hour Circle-Line cruise and entry to the American Museum of Natural History, the Guggenheim Museum, the Museum of Modern Art, the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum and the Empire State Building Observatory. See www.citypass.com/city/ny for purchasing information.