Philharmonic Draws A Huge Crowd

Last night, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra ended their summer series in Central Park. They kicked off the series June 24th and have since been to all five boroughs, New Jersey, and Long Island. I’m not sure why—maybe it’s because the venue was five minutes from my apartment, maybe it’s because I’ve never seen an orchestra draw out a crowd fit for U2—but all my logic escaped me and believed it would be okay to show up after work at 7 for an 8 o’clock show. Newsflash to anyone like myself: free in Manhattan means finding a spot at least three hours before, especially when fireworks are part of the finale.

More pictures and a recap of the concert below:

After trying to brave the crowd, I settle on a spot behind the venue for my picnic and walked around the perimeter during parts of the concert. Luckily, you don’t really need to see the orchestra to have a wonderful experience and come out feeling just a little more cultured than before. According to a few people, the Prospect Park concert was a little lower key, replacing the wine and cheese picnics with hot dogs and beer. It was less crowded as well, so that’s a mental note for next year. Unfortunately, the next chance to catch the Philharmonic will be on September 17th at their Opening Night Gala unless you can catch them in Vail or Europe!