Be part of the audience in NYC

If there is one thing as synonymous with New York as hot dogs and yellow cabs, it is  live TV shows. Emblematic American programmes such as Good Morning America, The Today Show, David Letterman and many others are either taped or transmitted lived from the Big Apple, often with the city’s dramatic skyline blazing in the studio background.

Most of these shows need audiences and being part of them is a fun thing to do on your visit to New York (albeit perhaps you won’t see the they type of mayhem portrayed in 24 Rock, a comedy series about the making of a live variety show).

NYC Free shows

Tickets, which are free, are very much in demand by locals too, so you’ll need to be persistent and act quickly.

Good Morning America (ABC Network)

If you don’t mind heading to the Times Square studio at 7am, make a request for tickets well in advance via their website (www.abcnews.com). If not, arrive at the studio by 6:45am and try your luck for a standby ticket.

The View, (ABC Network)

If you are prepared to wait a year or two, you may be able to score tickets for The View, the hugely popular, all female panel discussion show led by Whoopi Goldberg. Apply now through the show’s website: http://theview.abc.go.com/

Late Show with David Letterman (CBS Network)

The holy grail of the live audience tickets, you can either register on-line or in person at the Ed Sullivan Theatre (where the show is taped) Monday through Thursday from 9:30am to noon, or on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 6pm. You’ll be called if you get lucky but its not over there; you’ll also have to answer a question about the show in order to get the tickets.

The Daily Show with John Stewart (Comedy Central)

My personal favourite for its mix of politics and irreverence, simply email requesttickets@thedailyshow.com for tickets. They are generally booked well in advance but give them a good reason why you should attend and you just may get lucky.

The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens: NYC’s ‘other’ great park

Central Park is one of the joys of the New York; a vast green space that is a vital counterpoint to the relentless urbanism of the rest of the city. But across the Brooklyn Bridge lies another magnificent park that equals it in term of beauty.

The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens date from the late 19^th century and cover 39 acres in Park Slope, the most genteel and elegant part of Brooklyn that is famous for its wide avenues and historic brownstones.

Botanic Gardens in Brooklyn

Soon after inauguration the Japanese Garden, one of its most charming features, was installed, followed by a rock garden, a children’s garden, a glasshouse, lily pond and various other gifts that make up this incredibly diverse and magical park.

The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens are renowned for their specialist ‘gardens within the gardens’ which range from avenues replete with cherry trees to a plaza filled with magnolias, a magnificent rose garden and an English cottage garden (called ‘The Shakespeare Garden) and a fragrance garden.

But nature aside, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens also hosts an incredibly active calendar of educational and cultural activities. For example, until early May you could come and celebrate Hanami, the Japanese tradition of cherry tree appreciation, or take a tour of the blooming plants of spring.

The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, New York are open Tuesday–Friday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m, and Saturday & Sunday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The entrance fee for adults is $8 (children under 12 enter free).