Blockbuster Movies
Reserve at Loews Cineplex 34th Street (312 West 34th Street; 212-244-8850). For $13.99, you’re guaranteed the sweet spot in the middle aisle—and waiter service.
“Warm Up” at P.S. 1
Show up at noon and start your afternoon in the galleries; $50 gets you a summerlong VIP pass; MoMA members can also jump the queue.
Shakespeare in the Park
Go on a weekend before the reviews come out, or hit one of the underpublicized outer-borough locations (see publictheater.org for details). Or try posting for a placeholder on Craigslist.
SummerStage
Line up at 6 a.m. for a good seat at the big shows, and two to three hours before showtime just to get in. SummerStage memberships (from $50 up to $10,000) gain access to the “members’ entrance.”