Thursday, January 15, 2015
Want a Free 1-Year Membership to NYC Theaters?
Backstage: Being from New York City comes with its own brand of pride. Whether it’s bragging to foreigners about your near 24/7 access to pretty much anything you want (the train, booze, cookies...) or willingly putting up with ridiculous rent prices so you can still say you’re a New Yorker, it all comes with a tinge of (understandable) hubris.
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2 comments:
As if people from New York needed another thing to brag about. But in all actuality this seems like a really cool idea, and I wonder how it’s going to pan out. Is everyone who lives in New York eligible for one of these cards, or is it only for people from certain socioeconomic backgrounds? Depending on how wide the audience for these cards is, this plan could have some very interesting outcomes. I know a lot of museums in the city have certain times when they’re free, and some just have suggested donations (but if you don’t pay them the ticket vendors give you a really mean death stare), but I’d be curious to see what places like Lincoln Center and The Public Theater, where membership rates are much steeper, will do. Also, I find it kinda weird that they’re also going to be using these cards to open bank accounts and handle prescription medications. Suddenly losing your library card seems a bit more serious.
As a New Yorker, I think this is a great idea. There is a significant portion of our population who don’t have permanent addresses and beyond being able to participate in entertainment, these cards are going to give so many people much needed access to public services. The additional admission to theaters and the library are also really great. People, who actually live in the city so often have to miss out on its vast cultural expression because they don’t have enough disposable income to see shows or exhibits. Some of these events even end up almost exclusively catering to tourists. I hope this program continues after the first year of these cards availability, giving the city’s residents access to what is essentially their culture. I know I definitely will be taking advantage of this opportunity as it opens doors to forms of expression that I haven’t got to experience before, such as the opera or symphonies.
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