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."
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