Battle of the Outdoor Concert Venues

Over the years more and more outdoor venues have sprung up out of the lush park land and the not-so-lush concrete spaces of New York. From Central Park Summerstage to the Seaport to McCarren Pool (RIP), there's no shortage of outdoor music venues during the summer months. But now the NY Post is pitting them against each other! They say that while Summerstage used to be "a magnet for denizens of the five boroughs, as well as hordes of tourists," its reign may be challenged as people are beginning to voice complaints of it "being too hot, too crowded, too greedy."

While the venue does offer some free shows, the big names will cost you. However, over in Prospect Park, the Celebrate Brooklyn! series offers up some major headliners (David Byrne, for instance) for a mere suggested donation. And at the Seaport Music Festival, all of the shows are free, as are the Pool Parties which will likely be relocated to the Williamsburg waterfront. Do we even have a right to complain when there are so many choices?