Jazz at Lincoln Center – The Appel Room

I have always seen the «jazz» sign hanging outside of the entrance to the time warner center but never really thought twice about it. I have been inside to shop, eat, and sip on coffee but never thought there was a whole auditorium sitting upstairs waiting for some jazz enthusiasts to call home for two hours.
I arrived at 6pm for an 8pm show, picked up my tickets and immediately headed for the landmarc restaurant upstairs. Unfortunately I did not plan ahead to make a reservation, but luckily for us there were some great Unilocal reviews we found for a local Italian restaurant and we weren’t disappointed! Even on a weekday, definitely plan your dinner ahead and make a reservation in a timely manner.
The hall itself is large and spacious and there are two concession stands selling snacks — pretzels m and ms and other small food items as well as beer and wine. Alcoholic beverages can be brought into the auditorium just as long as they are in the Jazz tumblr 14 dollars total for beer 15 for wine — worth every penny.
The best part about this is that students can get tickets for 10 dollars the day of the show!!!
Will definitely be coming back — with my tumblr too!

A gem on Columbus Circle. The view of the city behind the performer may be the best view in Manhattan. The sound in the small room is crisp and the orchestra seating is both comfortable and provides good sight lines with only two rows of seats per tier and the second row of seats are taller. The venue staff ensure that you navigate the mall lobby and elevators to get to and from the room.

Amazing location, we came from Oakland, Ca to watch our neighbor play John Handy. The setting was intimate and the view was was as spectacular as the Jazz. Food delicious and Hector the bar tender friendly and very professional!
We loved it.

We saw Bill Frisell here last night. Bill squeezed the blood out of every tune and then the band played the soulless shell that remained.
Fortunately this beautiful room has a great view of Central Park South and I gazed out dreaming that I was stuck in traffic rather than trapped inside.

Yes another five star review! Damn! I am annoyed I just discovered this place. Just left a performance by Meshell Ndegchello… I know I spelled her name wrong but you know who I am talking about!!! She was GREAT! The space is dynamite! Nice and cozy but yet plenty of room. I was in the second row but all seats are good! The acoustics were great. We were able to hear every instrument clearly as well as all the singers! Do yourself a favor and see a show here! Looking forward to seeing W. Marsalis at this venue. Oh and the view is great as there are ceiling to floor windows directly behind the stage…

My husband got us tickets to tonight’s performance! The holiday show was amazing. The location is located I side a mall across down the Colombia circle plaza. It’s an amazing time of the year and this consent just put everything into perspective, the played from Jingle Bell to who’s child’s is this. Loved it!

Wynton Marsalis — beautiful venue! I’m so happy and honored! I look forward to returning!

Gran lugar para escuchar jazz!

Went to a jazz concert here and was amazed at the jaw-​dropping venue. It’s got the NYC street movements and shiny buildings as backdrop, which somehow makes the music sound so current. The place is medium sized and feels intimate and approachable. Crowd of art-​appreciating New Yorkers who are not too stuck up. Amazing!

Allen Room has wonderful views of Central Park. Intimate setting with good music performances. Staff is friendly.

Saw Joe Lavano Us Five (which became Us Eight later in the evening).
Acoustics: excellent
View: pretty
The only downer is the chairs… uncomfortable

Everything from the venue to the music is excellent. It’s very intimate and creates a vibe that allows you to really get into the show. I came here to see a show around a Christmas time and everything about the experience was perfect. I cant think of anything better than an intimate show of authentic jazz around Christmas time. Had a few glasses of wine with family and enjoyed the show. Everything about this experience was excellent and I highly recommend it to any jazz lovers out there who are looking for authentic experience.

The Allen Room is a GORGEOUS performing venue. The concerts here all have a fantastic view of East manhattan and Central Park.
They always have top-​notch, legendary artists perform here, and the staff is very friendly, helful and professional.
I am always excited to see concerts here!
(and isn’t this where Anderson Cooper’s show is filmed. Or used to be filmed. sometimes…/?

Jazz at Lincoln seems to have that magic combination of upscale meets approachable. Came here for a jazz performance, ended up with amazing seats but realized that pretty much every seat gives you a great view of the stage. The acoustics are also great, arguably better than in order venues around the city.
No hint of stuffiness could be found while there but the high-​class venue made me want to come back for another show or possibly a subscription.

Beautiful breathtaking Venue!
I catered here many times for events big and small. Ranging from holiday parties, to Weddings, to fund raisers, auctions, and band performances. The view onto Columbus circle and the traffic surrounding it is amazing.
If only I could afford to throw a party here.

The whole night was so magical.
Light purple gown and Kenneth Cole heels. Pearls and light green gown. Cocktail hour next door: three bartenders and full bar, tiny tables for you to place your clutch and drinks, and perfectly manicured hors d’œuvre (bite sized so as not to ruin your lipstick). Then we are escorted to The Allen Room. Fifty feet floor to ceiling windows overlooking Columbus circle and the traffic below. The Allen room is high enough to see part of New York’s sky line and close enough to view of the symphony of traffic. It was beautiful to listen to the Mingus Dynasty and watch the effervescent Dee Dee Bridgewater croon as New York bustled below soundlessly. I felt like I lived and breathed New York as the traffic sped by as if we were in a time lapsed film frame.
Our table was perfectly situated in the middle of the room. We could see the ballerinas en pointe and the finger placement on the bass but not be so close that we were within spitting distance. The tickets came with a chardonnay, merlot, and Saratoga (my favorite!)
The night ended in a dream state. We got to chat with Dee Dee Bridgewater. I played the role of a star struck fan and could only blurt out, «Your voice is amazing!’, which I’m sure she hears all the time. My friends said something more substantial, because afterwards she hugged them and told them ‘I hope our paths cross again’.
Me too, Dee Dee. Me too.

Great place for live jazz from around the world come here, there are separate theatres all within each other inside Jazz at Lincoln Centre
Seating is arranged very well inside the Rose Theatre
If you like Jazz, come here

The Allen Room boasts one of the most breath-​taking views in the city. Overlooking Columbus Circle and the southwest entrance to Central Park, each longing gaze out its floor-​to-​ceiling glass wall is another classic Big Apple moment in itself. From this vantage point, the metropolis before you is undeniably alive, pulsating as if it were the heart of the city. And, actually, ever see those out-​of-​state highway signs, stating the exact distance in miles to New York? Ever wonder from which specific point in Manhattan they’re measured exactly? You guessed it — that aforementioned roundabout right below The Allen Room.*
There are certainly other spots around town that provide some heart-​stopping, gargantuan landscape views of The Greatest City in the World, but few are this true-​blue New York. And that’s because tourists don’t know a damn thing about this place. They can take the elevator to every skyscraper in the city and flash their camera bulbs until their hometown cows, well, come home. But none of them will enjoy the feel of a nice suit, the comfort of a glass of wine in hand, and that indescribable feeling you get when you stare out The Allen Room window and realize there’s no other place on the planet where you should be.
And I’m no yuppie, I swear. However, I can’t deny the sense of privilege I feel being in this signature space at Lincoln Center. I’m fortunate enough to visit a number of fantastic venues in the city for industry events — but none quite as satisfying as The Allen Room. If you’re ever given the chance to come here, don’t think twice. Dress to impress, grab a glass, and behold the magnificent view like a bona-​fide New Yorker. Drink it in. You deserve it.
*Thank you, Jeopardy!

I love, love, love The Allen Room. My only regret is that some of the legends I would love to hear here are no longer with us or no longer performing.
This setting just puts you into a zone that I can’t describe. It is a quintessential jazz setting, but not in a blue lights in the basement or a smoky hole in the wall joint sort of way. Unlike some other venues in the city that spotlight jazz, you are not crammed into a small speak-​easy type setting where your first concern when seated is noting where the exits are in case you have to make a run for it. This place oozes a laid-​back, classy, vibe.
The acoustics are fantastic. And even though there’s a big glass wall as a backdrop, there is a feeling of intimacy. During the solos, it felt like the vocalist or musician was playing just for me.
After the set, take a gander out the window overlooking Columbus Circle and the park. Awesome!

The concept behind the glass wall is to allow the listener to admire the most beautiful backdrop while listening to live music, and what better idea than to place you, the listener, in front of an overreaching view of NYC, the place where jazz was born?
Loose seats are placed on inclined risers. Given the large piece of glass that sits behind the performers, extra attention was placed on acoustics to bring to the listener a most enjoyable musical experience.

The Allen Room is evidence that I’m not the only person who enjoys spacing out while listening to jazz. I’m still a little shaky on this whole Time Warner Center mall thing — I mean, the concept of 5-​star restaurants and a state-​of-​the-​art concert hall inside a retail complex appears nouveau riche to me — After all, this isn’t Dubai.
Anyway, I like it. The Allen Room is a beautiful venue — The main attraction is either the act themselves or the huge wall of glass behind them providing Columbus Circle, 59^th Street and Central Park as an unmistakably New York backdrop. The concert hall itself is not terribly large, but in my opinion does not feel intimate as a result of the sweeping glass wall. Overall, I think it’s thoughtfully designed and the acoustics are terrific. The entire hall is independently suspended from above (you, of course, do not know this unless you have looked into it/​interned for the architecture firm that designed it, etc.), so it can legitimately be called state-​of-​the-​art. Naturally, that wall of glass provides some nice distractions while listening to the music play, and that’s certainly not a bad thing.
The waiting area outside the concert hall is a bit lackluster to me anyway — It’s kind of a big hallway with entrances to multiple venues including another theater and a jazz club/​bar-​type thing, but overall, it’s nice enough and in true «we’re inside a retail establishment”-fashion, there was a Cadillac CTS inside the waiting area on display (as they were the main sponsor of the concert series) to gawk at while waiting. I liked the casual feel of the venue and since the prices were pretty reasonable, and I could go to Whole Foods downstairs afterward, I look forward to returning.