So much activity happens just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Times Square over in Bryant Park. One of the first activities I took advantage of when I was poor and unemployed in NYC was the free movies shown in Bryant Park each Monday, hosted by HBO.

Timeline goes like this:

<5:00pm – Get in line to enter the park. One line for people with Bags, One line for people without bags.

5:00pm – Bryant Park Lawn opens to the public

5:05pm – Individuals in “no-bag” line enter the park through security and find a lawn spot

5:15pm – Bryant Park Lawn is completely Full

6:00pm – Individuals with Bags finally enter park through security

6:01pm – Individuals from “bag” line join friends and begin drinking wine/beer and eating snacks

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9:00pm – Movie Starts, beverages continue thru the end.

The key to success was to get there early and get a spot and save enough room for everyone expected to come. Plus a few others, just in case. We would bring wine (a box, because 5 bottles is too heavy) and food into the park and have a nice picnic. Its gotten even more popular over the last couple of years, but the crowd is great and (mostly) friendly.

One of the best parts of the evening, after sitting around “socializing”, is when the vintage HBO Feature Presentation intro begins and everyone gets up and dances before settling in the the next two hours, watching a movie in the middle of NYC, underneath the stars (that you can actually see).

Live For Fun, Spread Joy, Visit Bryant Park!