I have greatly depleted my funds in the past few months, as I work in education and have been traveling in Peru for most of the summer. So, I've been more money-conscious and looking out for the free/cheap way of life recently! Below is my current Top 10 List. Enjoy!
10) Using my neighbors' wi-fi networks. Free internet from the comfort of my home. All the better to read up on the latest cultural and news events, job hunt and update my blog! Alternatively, I enjoy hanging at the free wi-fi cafes in Williamsburg.
9) Myopenbar.com - free drinks, free events, free mingling, free people-watching! - There are seven open bars listed in NYC for tonight alone!
8) Museums. And galleries. Many are free or low-cost, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the American Museum of Natural History, which both offer a suggested donation. See a more comprehensive list here.
7) Art gallery openings, such as this one. (Leo Kesting) Free art and complimentary drinks, maybe even snacks too! Also good for people-watching.
6) PARKs - especially the free events, such as Hudson River Park's RiverFlicks and RiverRocks. Tonight they are screening Sex and the City, and tomorrow Yeasayer and Amazing Baby are playing. Both are at Pier 54 (located at the West Side Highway and 14th St). See here for the full Hudson River Park events calendar. They even have free yoga!! Also see New York Magazine's list of free and cheap movies. (Lots of parks offer free film screenings!)
5) Speaking of yoga, I really need to go back to Yoga to the People, which offers free yoga classes every day, throughout the day. (Classes are by donation, and mat rental is $10 if you need one.) They now not only are in the East Village but also offer classes at studios on 27th St. and 38 St. (See directions here.)
4) Even more convenient exercise, and an animal-bonding time, is volunteer dog walking with BARC (Brooklyn Animal Rescue Coalition) Shelter. They need volunteers from 9-12 pm and 5-8 pm every day. It's a great excuse to stroll around McCarren Park! You also get to meet and play with some lovely pooches in need and maybe some interesting doggie-lovers in the beighborhood as well! (See volunteer info here.) They also need volunteers for the cat loft!
3) The GBH and Shaw Promotion parties. I am still an addict for NYC nightlife. Many events are free or cheap with RSVP (or if you simply know the party promoters' names or get to know the doormen). A lot of large acts play and/or DJ at these parties, and they have fantastic indie dance parties at swank, and not-so-swank, venues around the city.
2) The beach. See the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation for a list of beaches.
1) And, I must admit, my favorite free activity: riding my bike around NYC! Just too convenient -- it's a great form of exercise, active commuting and sightseeing. And check it out: NYC is having its fair share of bike share demos -- maybe bike share in the city will one day become widespread here! And downtown Manhattan is offering free bike rentals, through September: http://www.downtownny.com/bikearound.
So who said living in NYC has to be expensive? Or that you need lots of money to enjoy the city?
See also NY Mag's "78 Days of Fun: The best concerts, outdoor events, and culture happenings of summer 2009."
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Guggenheim "It Came from Brooklyn" concert series
I have to share this Time Out New York highlight: the "It Came from Brooklyn" Guggenheim shows, which feature the Walkmen, High Places and the Brooklyn "Steppers" Marching Band. Looks promising!
Save the date, Friday, August 14! This is just the kick-off event; the series will run through the fall.
See the "It Came from Brooklyn" Guggenheim site here. And click here to buy tickets!
The event is in honor of the Guggenheim's 50th anniversary! Below info and picture from the Guggenheim website, http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/about-us/50th-anniversary/it-came-from-bk.
Save the date, Friday, August 14! This is just the kick-off event; the series will run through the fall.
See the "It Came from Brooklyn" Guggenheim site here. And click here to buy tickets!
The event is in honor of the Guggenheim's 50th anniversary! Below info and picture from the Guggenheim website, http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/about-us/50th-anniversary/it-came-from-bk.
It Came from Brooklyn celebrates the Guggenheim’s 50th Anniversary by showcasing Brooklyn’s emerging and established talents in the fields of music and literature. Beginning on August 14 with headliners the Walkmen, the monthly concert series occurs through the fall and takes place in Frank Lloyd Wright’s famed rotunda from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m., reinforcing its identity as a versatile, dynamic site for a variety of mutually invigorating art practices. Coproduced by Sam Brumbaugh, the series continues the recent tradition of acclaimed performances that have symbiotically activated the space: Marina Abramovic’s Seven Easy Pieces (2005), Cai Guo-Qiang’s collaboration with the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre (2008), and Meredith Monk’s Ascension Variations (2009).
With comedian Leo Allen serving as MC, the August 14 concert kicks off with a special performance by the Brooklyn Steppers Marching Band, followed by opening band High Places, whose warm optimism and intricately layered songs have been described as “short studies in escaping urban claustrophobia” (Mike Powell, Pitchfork). Later, the Walkmen will fill the rotunda with the hypnotic ebb and flow of ramshackle guitar and upright piano, with bursts of beautifully anguished songcraft. Novelist Colson Whitehead reads selections from Walt Whitman between performances.
The second It Came from Brooklyn is scheduled for September 25.
Join our mailing list to receive news on upcoming shows and events.
Special thanks to Christina Lee.
Artwork by Mike Paré, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Cary Grant Week at BAM!
I am a sucker for Cary Grant films, and it seems they are being featured at BAM. See here for a full schedule.
I missed the double-feature tonight, but Tuesday night is the film Topper, Wednesday features Rome Express, Thursday features Penny Serenade, and Friday features The Philadelphia Story.
Saturday presents multiple screenings of To Catch a Thief, while Sunday will present The Awful Truth.
And the Cary Grant films continue next week as well, thanks to BAM's repertory film program!
I missed the double-feature tonight, but Tuesday night is the film Topper, Wednesday features Rome Express, Thursday features Penny Serenade, and Friday features The Philadelphia Story.
Saturday presents multiple screenings of To Catch a Thief, while Sunday will present The Awful Truth.
And the Cary Grant films continue next week as well, thanks to BAM's repertory film program!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Sunday Night Swank
Even after a muddy, musically soaked weekend at APW, I decided to meet my friend Sunday night for a prospective music and dancing adventure in the city. We met at Broadway East, a small restaurant and bar in the depths of Chinatown. (See dining reviews on Yelp.) The party is one that apparently changes venues for each event. While the party at Broadway East last night featured a relatively sparse crowd, it was a lively, hip group of cool cats who danced and jived to the jazz, soul and funk music of the night. The highlights: the candle-lit passageway to the bar, the outdoorsy feel of the venue, the exhuberance of the party-goers, and the live saxophone player to complement the DJ's tunes. The best fun I've had on a Sunday night in quite some time.
(above: my friend, and the seating above the bar and dance space))
When I find out the name of this party, I may share it... but then again, some of the best things are left better largely undiscovered to revel in their underground status.
(above: my friend, and the seating above the bar and dance space))When I find out the name of this party, I may share it... but then again, some of the best things are left better largely undiscovered to revel in their underground status.
APW: Muddy Times
Funny that I chose to attend all 3 days of the APW music fest less than a week after returning from my two-month sojourn in Peru. How I longed for this music fest to break my fast from NYC shows and adventures, and how the fest was somehow very un-New York, offering rugged outdoorsy fun with a distinct hippie flair. A 3-day event at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, NJ, with 3 different stages and different headliner acts for each night, the weather was less than favorable and yet the excitement of the festival prevailed over the inconveniences of rain and mud.
The event organizers were kind enough to honor Friday ticket-holders free entrance for the following days due to the inclement weather, while Saturday, a gloriously sunny day, was the embodiment of festival-goers' weather expectations, minus the puddles and mud. Sunday, another rainy day, offered the most disappointing start, in that entrance was delayed until the weather cleared up. All in all, it was a very saturated weekend.
Pictures below.
Friday, July 31:
(even though the Beastie Boys canceled...)
(above, the "Do Lab," featuring DJ's, dancing and mud-wrestling ...)
(above, lemonade stand knocked down because of the wind! Right before it started raining Friday).
(above, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
(above, Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
(above, count down for Jay-Z, who replaced the Beastie Boys as Friday's headliner)
(above, Jay-Z performing)
(above, some of the art installations at APW)
Saturday, August 1:
(above, the Cool Kids performing)
(above 3 pictures, St. Vincent performing - lovely!!)
Sunday, August 2:
(The Black Keys, performing, above pictures)
(MGMT, pictures above, and videos below)
A music festival inherently has its pros and cons. Of APW this year...
PRO'S: many music acts every day, wide open spaces, all-day event, outdoors, amazing view of NYC skyline, art installations
CON'S: sound quality not as good as indoor venues, short set times, Beastie Boys canceled (!), drinks and food very over-priced, overlapping set times between stages (a problem if there are two different bands playing at the same time that you're interested in seeing!)
Overall, it was worth it... but I am looking forward to more indoor shows and nightlife as well!
(See Metromix's reviews of the bands and 3 days at APW here)
The event organizers were kind enough to honor Friday ticket-holders free entrance for the following days due to the inclement weather, while Saturday, a gloriously sunny day, was the embodiment of festival-goers' weather expectations, minus the puddles and mud. Sunday, another rainy day, offered the most disappointing start, in that entrance was delayed until the weather cleared up. All in all, it was a very saturated weekend.
Pictures below.
Friday, July 31:
(even though the Beastie Boys canceled...)
(above, the "Do Lab," featuring DJ's, dancing and mud-wrestling ...)
(above, lemonade stand knocked down because of the wind! Right before it started raining Friday).
(above, Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
(above, Karen O and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
(above, count down for Jay-Z, who replaced the Beastie Boys as Friday's headliner)
(above, Jay-Z performing)
(above, some of the art installations at APW)
Saturday, August 1:
(above, the Cool Kids performing)
(above 3 pictures, St. Vincent performing - lovely!!)
Sunday, August 2:
(The Black Keys, performing, above pictures)
(MGMT, pictures above, and videos below)A music festival inherently has its pros and cons. Of APW this year...
PRO'S: many music acts every day, wide open spaces, all-day event, outdoors, amazing view of NYC skyline, art installations
CON'S: sound quality not as good as indoor venues, short set times, Beastie Boys canceled (!), drinks and food very over-priced, overlapping set times between stages (a problem if there are two different bands playing at the same time that you're interested in seeing!)
Overall, it was worth it... but I am looking forward to more indoor shows and nightlife as well!
(See Metromix's reviews of the bands and 3 days at APW here)
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Chasing the Rainy Day Blues Away - Spelling Bee This Monday!
Ok - so, my plan is: Glasslands tomorrow, APW Fri-Sun, and.. Monday? SPELLING BEE! Pete's Candy Store, a bar in Williamsburg (off the Lorimer L stop, at 709 Lorimer St.) is hosting its twice-monthly spelling bee event this coming Monday!
So, for all those over-educated liberal arts grads like myself who at some point envisioned winning a spelling bee, or simply taking part in one, now is the chance! I have only been to a spelling bee at Pete's once before, years ago, but it was a riotously good time, and I made it through... two rounds? I anticipate some good competition!
Sign-up is at 7:00 pm and the bee starts at 7:30.
Also, as an added bonus, if it does not rain for a change, Pete's Candy Store has a lovely backyard!
This Thursday - Party at Glasslands
Hmm, if I go out late Thursday night, I may go to this -- the featured event of myopenbar:
Camp Wanatachi Dance Party
well vodka, $6 cover / 10pm-11pm
Ah, summer camp. Such sweet memories! Donkey Lips. Psycho killers in hockey masks. That handsy, handsome counselor who liked to visit after lights out...
In honor of all that goodness, GlassLands is throwing a serious summer camp-themed blowout. Crazy-in-the-best-way Unicornicopia invites you and all your nostalgically horny friends to a dance party of epic proportions with music by DJs Caroline Polachek (of Chairlift), Machinedrum, Ben Bromley (of Fischerspooner) and Sam (Z's).
Live performances of "We All Need Jesus in Our Lives" and "Let's Ride Bareback," songs from a new musical about two 13 year-old girls who fall in love at a Christian summer camp, will keep you and the Holy Spirit jazzed big time. Summer camp classics – s'mores, friendship bracelets and hair wraps –and a strictly camp dress code.
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