Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, June 26-28, 2009

Friday June 26, 2009
Free Pinkberry Samples
5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Get free samples of their new flavors for the summer.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Varies.
Subway: Varies

Saturday June 27, 2009
Hudson River's Greenwich Village Walking Tour
11 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Explore this area of the park and learn about its relation to Herman Meville and the Titanic.
Cheap Chick Info: Free, RSVP to tours@fohrp.org or (212) 757-0981, extension 201.
Location Info: Meet at Pier Pier 45 at Christopher Street
Subway: 1 to Christopher Street

Opera on the Pier
7 p.m.
Enjoy popular arias, duets and overtures by Puccini, Verdi, Ravel, and Rossini outdoors as part of the River-to-River Festival.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: South Street Seaport, Pier 17 (South St and Fulton St)
Subway: 4,5,A,C,E,J,M,Z to Broadway/Fulton/Nassau

Kayaking with The Lunch Club

1 p.m.
Have brunch and learn how to kayak with the downtown boathouse.
Cheap Chick Info:
$8 in advance, $12 at the door, RSVP here: http://www.thelunchclub.com/clubhouse/calendar.php?do=viewlcevent&e=2223
Location Info: West 79th St at the Hudson River
Subway: 1 to 79th Street

Saturday and Sunday June 27th and June 28, 2009
NYC Zine Fest 2009

Noon to 7 p.m.
Celebrate those home-grown mags with workshops and exhibits.
Cheap Chick Info:
Free!
Location Info: Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 Fourth Avenue, Brooklyn
Subway: R to Union Street

Sunday June 28, 2009

NYC Dessert Fest
11 a.m.
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge and sample pies, French apple tarts, peanut butter cookies, an ice cream factory, and gourmet chocolates.
Cheap Chick Info: Suggested donation of $5
Location Info: Kitchenette, 156 Chambers Street, bet. West Broadway and Greenwich
Subway: 1,2,3 to Chambers Street

Unfancy Food Show
Noon to 6 p.m.
Taste everything from chocolate to sandwiches made from local Brooklyn ingredients at this event. Author Julie Powell will be signing copies of her book Julie & Julia, which was made into a movie.
Cheap Chick Info: $5
Location Info: East River Bar, 97 South Sixth Street, Brooklyn
Subway: L to Bedford Avenue

Also don't forget that the New York Botanical Garden's Edible Garden Festival starts on Saturday June 27th and runs through September 13th: http://nybg.org/edible_garden/. It's a little more expensive than the Cheap Chick's usual budget, so it's not on the weekend guide, but it sounds so cool I had to include it. General admission is $20 and Premium admission is $35. Don't forget this doesn't count the cost of getting to the garden!

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, June 19-21, 2009

Friday June 19th
New York Asian Film Festival (Runs through July 6th, 2009.)
Various times.
Enjoy a variety of films as well as giveaways and after-parties during this festival.
Cheap Chick Info: $12, http://www.subwaycinema.com/
Location Info: IFC Center, 323 Sixth Avenue, West 3rd Street
Subway: B,D,F,V,A,C,E to West 4th Street

Friday June 19, Saturday June 20, and Sunday June 21
Taschen Books Warehouse Sale
Dig through art books for that coffee table you wish you had room for in your apartment.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Taschen Bookstore, 107 Greene Street
Subway: N,R,W to Prince Street

Saturday June 20
Mermaid Day Parade
2 p.m.
Pay homage to Neptune by donning fins, tails, shells, or coconuts and watch fellow sea creatures emerge from the water and walk on land for all to see (sea-get it?)
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Coney Island
Subway: D,Q,N,F to Stillwell Avenue

Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival
12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Enjoy music from a wide range of DJs and special guests.
Cheap Chick Info: $10 suggested donation
Location Info: Empire-Fulton Ferry State Park (26 New Dock St) in DUMBO
Subway: F to York Street, A,C to High Street

American Ballroom Theater Middle School Ballroom Competition
1 p.m. and 4 p.m.
See the real story behind Mad Hot Ballroom. So do you think these kids can dance?
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: World Financial Center Winter Garden (220 Vesey St)
Subway: R,W to Rector Street

New Village Music Festival
11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Enjoy a variety of music celebrating the local community.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Tompkins Square Park
Subway: F to Second Avenue, L to 14th Street, 6 to Astor Place

Prospect Park Waterfall Hike
12 p.m.
Discover the hidden waterfalls of Prospect Park
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Prospect Park, meet behind the Picnic House
Subway: F to Seventh Avenue

LES History Food and History Hop with the Lunch Club
2 p.m.
Eat your way through this neighborhood and visit historic sites in the area.
Cheap Chick Info: $8 in advance or $12 at the event, RSVP here: http://www.thelunchclub.com/clubhouse/calendar.php?do=viewlcevent&e=2217
Location Info: Sixth Ward on Orchard Street between Houston and Stanton
Subway: F to Delancey Street

Sunday June 21
Go Go Gowanus Music and Arts Festival
11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Block party with local designers, artists, merchants, and food from area restaurants.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: 7th Street at Second Avenue
Subway: F,R to 9th Street/Fourth Avenue

Tel Aviv Beach Party
11 a.m.
Sunbathers can catch some rays on the sand and listen to Israeli music and bands at this event. Play some traditional Israeli beach games and get info about traveling to Tel Aviv.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Central Park, Naumburg Bandshell
Subway: C to 72nd Street

Cheap Chick Summer Guide 2009

Some may argue, but despite sauna sessions in the NYC subway system, summer is actually one of the Cheap Chick's favorite times to be in New York City, there just seems to be so many cheap and free things to do.

(Notes: I realize not all websites are hyper-linked, for now please copy and paste until I can get all links clickable. Also no worries if the guide gets buried, I'll likely "bump" it and/or include some events in my regular Bargain Bulletins, Weekend Picks, and actual blog entries (remember those? There will be some new ones soon!)

Staycations
1. A beach "staycation." Visit one of the city's many beaches. It's easy to forget that Manhattan actually is an island. There's Orchard, Jones Beach, Far Rockaway (one of my personal faves) Brighton Beach, Sandy Hook, and of course, Coney Island. Don't forget that Fire Island and the Jersey shore are nearby as well. www.cityisland.com/

2. See City Island in the Bronx. Take the 6 train to Pelham Bay Park and switch to the BX 29 bus to get to this other-worldly part of the city and enjoy some seafood, visit The City Island Nautical Museum, pop into the art galleries and antique shops, and admire the stately mansions, such as the Samuel Pell Mansion where Arsenic and Old Lace was filmed for TV. http://www.cityisland.com/


3. Discover Governor's Island. Just a ferry ride away (the terminal is almost next door to the Staten Island Ferry Terminal) this island was once military base, now it plays host to numerous events throughout the summer and fall including the Jazz Age Lawn Party June 6th and 7th. Here's a link to all 2009 activities: http://www.govisland.com/Visit_the_Island/default.asp

4. Coney Island. It's not just for the beach anymore, even while the Disneyification of the place is ongoing, you can still ride the Cyclone, grab a hot dog at Nathan's, and walk the boardwalk. Be sure to visit the New York Aquarium as well. http://www.coneyisland.com/

5. Day trip to Atlantic City (or other casinos.) Pray that luck will be a lady as you take the bus (just $35 round trip-OK a little above the Cheap Chick manifesto, but the cash-back bonus makes this fare worth it) plus get a cash-back voucher good at one of the casinos. Wander along the boardwalk and try your luck at the slot machines, some requiring just a penny! Bus info: http://www.greyhound.com/products_services/casino_nj.shtml

6. Take a staycation to Staten Island. Visit the Snug Harbor Cultural Center, historic Richmondtown, the Alice Austen house/museum, and the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art.

7. A Queens staycation: (Here are several mini-tineraries though feel free to mix and match!)

Jackson Diner (http://jacksondiner.com/) + Louis Armstrong House (http://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/)

Flushing Meadows Park (see the famous Unisphere and other World's fair relics) http://www.nycgovpark.org/sub_your_park/vt_flushing_meadows/vt_flushing_meadows_park.html) + the Panorama (a scale model of NYC constructed for the 1962 World's Fair at the Queens Museum of Art http://www.queensmuseum.org/panorama/).

Uncle George's (Greek food-http://www.unclegeorges.us/) and the Museum of the Moving Image (http://www.movingimage.us/site/site.php) .

Socrates Sculpture Park (http://www.socratessculpturepark.org/) and Noguichi Museum (http://www.noguchi.org/).

P.S. 1 for their summer Warm-up series (http://ps1.org/warmup/)

The Flux Factory art space (http://www.fluxfactory.org/)

Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge (http://www.brooklynbirdclub.org/jamaica.htm)

Everyone loves a parade (or festival!)
1. Street fairs. Where else could you find that $5 pair of sunglasses, eat deep-fried Oreos, or get a Tarot card reading. Here's a site with links to most of the city's street fairs: http://www.nycstreetfairs.com/sched.html

2. Puerto Rican Day Parade. Saturday June 14, 2009 http://manhattan.about.com/od/eventsandattractions/a/puertoricanday.htm

3. Swedish Midsummer Festival. June 19, 2009. http://www.swedenabroad.com/Page____13256.aspx

4. Fringe Festival. August 14-30, 2009. Multi-arts event: http://www.fringenyc.org/

5. Mermaid Day parade. June 20, 2009. Commune with Neptune and other sea creatures at this event, grab a hot dog at Nathan's, visit the aquarium, or a ride on the Cyclone while you're there. http://www.coneyisland.com/mermaid.shtml

6. San Gennaro Festival. September 10 through 20th, 2009. http://www.sangennaro.org/

7. Howl Festival. September 4-6. 2009. http://www.howlfestival.com/

8. Say moi? The French Bastille Day festival in Manhattan. July 13, 2009. http://www.bastilledaynyc.com/. Look for Brooklyn's festivities complete with petanque competition, unfortunately 2009's date seems to be unavailable at publication time.

9. Medieval festival. Enjoy banners, crafts, and entertainment of the Middle Ages variety! Oct. 4, 2009. http://www.whidc.org/home.html

Sports/Outdoor Adventures
1. Central Park. Play Frisbee with your dog, or use your dog as a Frisbee, have a picnic lunch, or be one of those annoying couples who read the Times together, check out the sights such as Strawberry Fields, Cleopatra's Needle, the Delacorte Clock, the Arsenal, or enjoy a free concert! http://www.centralparknyc.org/site/PageServer

2. Go kayaking. The Downtown Boathouse offers free kayaking on the Hudson River from June to September, afterward grab a bite or a drink at the Boat Basin Café. http://www.downtownboathouse.org/

3. Watch a Staten Island Yankees or Brooklyn Cyclones game. Staten Island Yankees tkts start at $12: http://www.siyanks.com/ and Cyclone tkts start at about $8: http://www.brooklyncyclones.com/

4. Walk the Brooklyn Bridge. http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/

5. Take a dip in one of the city's pools. Here's the city's official link to the city's swimming pools: http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/pools, here's a link to the floating swimming pool: http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/facilities/af_floating_pool.html

6. Take a hike (literally.) http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/hikingtrails

7. Dance in the streets (or at least outside.) You can dance to tunes at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night Swing: http://new.lincolncenter.org/live/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=167&Itemid=69, Hudson River’s Moondance: http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/events/eventpanel/moondance.html and in September at Governor’s Island during the second 20’s jazz fest/picnic-check back here for details: http://www.govisland.com/Visit_the_Island/default.asp

8. B-ball. Watch the basketball players at the West 3rd Street courts on 6th Avenue.

9. Get your hunt on with an outdoor scavenger hunt. Groups like The Lunch Club (http://www.thelunchclub.com/), Pogo Events' The Amazing New York Race (http://www.pogoevents.com/calender), and Watson Adventures (https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/cal/487) offer scavenger hunts in museums, parks, and other famous landmarks as well as all over the city. Note: Some of these hunts are a bit over the Cheap Chick budget, but it's summer, if you have cleared the spare change from your couch or resisted the siren call of the ice cream truck, then it's worth it!

10. See the NY Liberty play. Tkts at Madison Square Garden start at $10. http://www.wnba.com/liberty/

11. Belmont Racetrack. See all the pretty horses, with admission only $2 and the MTA fares lower than ever, try your luck at the racetrack. You can bet as little as a $1 a race (on some races even less, and bring your own food/drinks to save even more money. http://www.nyra.com/

12. Got a bike? Ride it. Free bike rentals are also available on Governor's Island through their First Fridays program. http://www.govisland.com/Press_Room/06-03-09freebikefridays.asp

13. Watch the Dragon Boat Festival in Flushing, Queens. Watch the rowers, sample Chinese goodies, and check out demonstrations including dance and kung fu. http://www.hkdbf-ny.org/

14. Randall's Island. Get sporty with a number of athletic facilities, hiking, and bike trails. The island is also the site of concerts and other performances. http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/randallsislandpark

Calling all Film Buffs
1. Watch an outdoor movie. There are a number of free screening venues (all are free except Rooftop films) in the summer:

Hudson River Flicks: http://www.hudsonriverpark.org/events.asp

The Bryant Park Film Festival: http://www.bryantpark.org/calendar/film-festival.php

Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens: http://www.socratessculpturepark.org/programs/outdoorcinema.php

Movies with a View (movies with the Brooklyn Bridge as a backdrop in DUMBO): http://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/index.cfm?objectid=EF670B44-3048-2C77-F20C2202337458ED

Rooftop Films: http://www.rooftopfilms.com/

Movies on the Elevated Acre: http://www.rivertorivernyc.com/events/index.php

Coney Island: http://www.coneyisland.com/films.shtml

Washington Square Park: http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/washingtonsquarepark/events/170295

The Play's the Thing
1. Check out the other (free!) Shakespeare in the Park. New York Classical Theater in Central Park and Battery Park. The season starts with "King Lear" and ends with "School for Husbands." Take a picnic to enjoy before the show! http://www.newyorkclassical.org/

2. Shakespeare in the Parking Lot. Watch out for those cars (lol) as you catch the Bard in action. http://www.drillingcompany.org/shakespeareparkinglot.html

3. Shakespeare in the Park. Join the virtual line or the real thing to get free tickets to find out if Anne Hathaway is as good in this as she was in the Princess Diaries. http://www.publictheater.org/

Mostly Music
1. Catch a summer outdoor concert. (http://gonyc.about.com/cs/music/a/summermusic.htm)

2. Philharmonic in the parks. Free concerts in parks around the city. http://nyphil.org/attend/summer/index.cfm?page=parks

3. Bryant Park. Listen to piano music in the park (http://www.bryantpark.org/calendar/piano.php)

4. Met Opera in the Park. Get your opera on with one of these free concerts: http://gonyc.about.com/od/summer/a/metinparks_2.htm

5. SummerNights Concert Series at the Jewish Museum. Enjoy live music at the museum. http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/summernights

Think like a Tourist
1. Ride the Staten Island ferry. http://home.nyc.gov/html/dot/html/ferrybus/statfery.shtml

2. Visit the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Relive the immigrant experience of arriving on America's shores. http://www.nps.gov/stli/

3. Take a walking tour. Exercise those newly tanned legs and explore new-to-you neighborhoods and historic places such as Harlem, Five Points, The Lower East Side, or the financial district. Big Onion is just one of many walking tour operations. http://www.bigonion.com/schedule/

4. Visit Little Italy. People watch as you eat outside at one of the many restaurants and then wander around the neighborhood (don't forget to admire those red, white, and green fire hydrants) with some tiramisu.

5. Life's a Zoo. Visit the Bronx Zoo: http://www.bronxzoo.com/ and the Central Park Zoo: http://www.centralparkzoo.com/

6. Sit outside the Plaza Hotel fountains and people watch or read a book with a snack from a street vendor.

7. Wander around Chinatown. Sip some bubble tea, sample a savory bite from a bakery or candy shop, and try something new. Get that Louis Vuitton knock-off purse. Check out the Museum of the Chinese in the Americas. http://www.mocanyc.org/

8. Head down to South Street Seaport, walk around, visit the South Street Seaport museum, grab some greasy food from the food court in the mall and eat it on one of the deck chairs or benches outside. There are also regular restaurants that are on the water as well. http://www.southstreetseaport.com/html/

9. Walk down Fifth Ave. Start at the Plaza and make stops at Tiffany, St. Patrick's, FAO Schwartz, Saks, the Apple Store, and whatever else suits your fancy.

10. Visit the city's narrowest house at 75 1/2 Bedford St where poet Edna St. Vincent Millay once lived.

11. Thirsty from all your tourist-ing? Visit some historic taverns where the Gifts of the Magi were written and where Washington made an historic speech-you'll have to figure out which is which:
McSorley's: http://www.mcsorleysnewyork.com/
White Horse: http://nymag.com/listings/bar/white_horse_tavern/
Fraunces Tavern: http://www.frauncestavern.com/index2.htm
Pete's Tavern: http://www.geocities.com/eureka/concourse/9261/petestavern.index.html

12. Stand on Allen Ginsberg's stoop on 206 E. 7th Street between B and C.

13. Visit the African Burial ground. Visitor Center open Monday-Friday. http://www.nps.gov/afbg

14. Aren’t you just dying to go there? City cemeteries:
Green-wood Cemetery: http://www.green-wood.com/
New York Marble Cemetery: http://www.nycmc.org/
Trinity Church Cemetery: http://www.trinitywallstreet.org/welcome/?cemetery
Grant’s Tomb: http://www.nps.gov/gegr/
Woodlawn Cemetery: http://www.thewoodlawncemetery.org/

15. Walk Arthur Avenue in the Bronx. Some call it the "real" Little Italy though I think that’s debatable. Anyway swing by grab some canolis or a sandwich from Mike’s Deli, shop the retail market and top it off with an Italian dinner. http://www.arthuravenuebronx.com/

Summer Eats
1. Eat outdoors at restaurants. Most restaurants offer garden spots or outdoor seating on the sidewalk, take advantage!

2. Buy an ice cream or other sweet cool treat:
Brooklyn Ice Cream Factory: http://brooklyn.citysearch.com/profile/12037820/brooklyn_ny/brooklyn_ice_cream_factory.html
Chinatown Ice Cream Factory: http://www.chinatownicecreamfactory.com/
Pinkberry: http://www.pinkberry.com/
Rice to Riches: (rice pudding): http://www.ricetoriches.com/index.2.php
Cones: http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/cones/

3. Check out a green market or flea market. Probably the best-known one, is of course, the one at Union Square: http://www.cenyc.org/greenmarket

4. Sample some of the crazy gelato flavors at Otto. Corn gelato anyone? http://www.ottopizzeria.com/

Summer Drinks
1. Attend a rooftop party/bar. There are tons of them, find one and grab a drink!
2. Water Taxi beach. Grab a cool drink and relax on the sand. http://www.watertaxibeach.com/
3. Astoria Beer Garden. Outdoor BBQ and beers, what more could you want? http://www.bohemianhall.com/home.htm
4. Enjoy a frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity. http://www.serendipity3.com/main.htm

Garden Views
1. Visit the city's botanical gardens:
The New York Botanical Garden (Bronx): http://www.nybg.org/
The Brooklyn Botanic Garden (two guesses where it's located…): http://www.bbg.org/
The Queens Botanical Garden: http://www.queensbotanical.org/
The Staten Island Botanic Garden: http://www.snug-harbor.org/horticulture/Horticulture.html

Bookworms
1. Browse outdoor book marts. The Strand always has its wares displayed outside by it’s 12th Street location as well as their outdoor book stalls around Fifth Avenue. http://www.strandbooks.com. Nearby Alabaster Books always has several carts of books outside its door. http://www.yelp.com/biz/alabaster-bookshop-new-york.

2. Mad Square Reads. Writers outdoors in a park? Shake Shack nearby? A perfect summer evening. https://www.madisonsquarepark.org/programs/madsqreads.aspx

3. Word for Word. Bryant Park. A variety of day and evening programs including author talks and writing workshops. http://www.bryantpark.org/calendar/wordforword.php

Museum Mileage
1. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. While visiting the museum, check out the view while enjoying a cocktail at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's rooftop bar. Remember the Met is pay-what-you wish so you can give as little as a $1 (or 50 cents, not that I've tried that or anything…) http://www.metmuseum.org/

2. Outdoor art in Queens. Queens has an abundance of outdoor art, check it out:
Socrates Sculpture Park: Outdoor art on the water: http://www.socratessculpturepark.org/
Noguchi Museum: Sculptures plus peaceful garden: http://www.noguchi.org/
Flushing Meadows Corona Park: Unispheres and rockets oh my, this park is home to the US Open and host to two World’s Fairs: http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/vt_flushing_meadows/vt_flushing_meadows_park.html

3. Gallery hop. Research some art galleries in Soho, Chelsea, or Brooklyn. My friend Evan over at hipstertravel.com often runs gallery hops during the art season.

4. Queens County Farm Museum. Talk with the animals, take a hay ride, and check out an historic farmhouse. Cheap Chick Tip: Most days it’s free, but check the website before planning a visit: http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/vt_flushing_meadows/vt_flushing_meadows_park.html

5. Escape the heat (or the rain!) and spend a day at the Paley Center aka the Museum of TV and Radio. Watch old favorites such as I Love Lucy, The Simpsons, and the Twilight Zone. http://www.paleycenter.org/visit-visitny

6. PS 1 Summer Warm-up. Music and art come together in this annual outdoor festival. http://ps1.org/warmup/

Sunday, June 14, 2009

Cheap Chick Bargain Bulletin, June 14, 2009

Don't forget the Bryant Park Film Festival starts Monday June 15th!
The Sting
Cheap Chick Info: Free! Movies start at dusk, but get there early to picnic and grab a spot. The lawn opens at 5 p.m.
Location Info: Bryant Park
Subway Info: B,D,F,V to 42nd Street, 7 to Fifth Avenue


June 13th through June 19th, 2009
New York Food Film Festival
A feast for the eyes as well as the mouth, The New York Food Film Festival is a series of short films and matching foods, where you can even stimulate your sense of touch by enjoying the the feel of sand under your feet as you view the movies at some of the city's water taxi beaches at South Street Seaport and Long Island City.

Here's a link to the film schedule: http://www.nycfoodfilmfestival.com/schedule.html

Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Either the LIC Water Taxi Beach or the new South Street Seaport
Subway: LIC Water Taxi Beach directions: http://www.watertaxibeach.com/directions.html, South Street Seaport: 2,3,4,5,A,C to Broadway-Fulton-Nassau

It's not officially summer until June 21st, so keep your eyes open for the Cheap Chick Summer Guide coming this week!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, June 12-14th, 2009

Friday June 12th, 2009
Merchant of Venice in Inwood Hill Park
7:30 p.m.
Luckily this play does not cost a pound of flesh as admission...
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Inwood Hill Park, On the Inwwod Hill Park Peninsula. Enter the park from 218 Street and Indian Road and walk west past the Nature Center to the peninsula.
Subway: A to 207th Street, 1,9 to 215th Street

Bubble Battle 2009
6:15 p.m.
Bring bubble toys, bubble generators, and bubble solution to compete, careful don't step on any rugrats!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Times Square
Subway: N,R,Q,W,1,2,3,7,S to 42nd Street

50's Dance
8 p.m.
Join the sock hoppers and greasers at this sock hop. Live music provided by Nick Palumbo & the Flipped Fedoras.
Cheap Chick Info: $20, includes one drink!
Location Info: The Parlour, 86th Street and Broadway
Subway: 1 to 86th Street

Summerstage Opening Night With Josh Ritter and the New York Pops
8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Enjoy the premiere of the outdoor concert series tonight!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Central Park Summerstage, Rumsey Playfield in Central Park. Enter the park at 69th Street and 5th Avenue on the east side or at 72nd Street and Central Park West on the west side.
Subway: East side: 6 train to 68th or 77th Streets; N, R or W trains to 5th Avenue; F train to 63rd Street and Lexington
West side: 1, 2, 3, 9, B or C trains to 72nd Street

P.S. Ruben Stoddard is supposed to be there on Saturday night!

Friday June 12th through Sunday June 14th, 2009
Figment Art Festival on Governor's Island
Enjoy art, live music, lectures, and performances throughout the weekend.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Governor's Island, Ferry schedule: http://www.govisland.com/Visit_the_Island/directions.asp
Subway: R to Whitehall Street

Saturday June 13th, 2009
Fishing Festival
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Learn about proper angling techniques, fish biology, and river ecology at this event presented by the Urban park rangers. Other activities include learning to make Native American and colonial crafts, watching Native American dancing, and performances by the New Amsterdam Musical Association. The rangers will provide rods and reels, but the fish will be released after they are caught.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: West Harlem Piers Park (125th Street and the Hudson River)
Subway: 1 to 125th Street

Walk West Hell's Kitchen Tour
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Learn about structures associated with the Hudson River waterfront and the theater district on this tour offered by the Municipal Art Society. The tour will be led by architectural historian Matt Postal.
Cheap Chick Info: $15, no reservations required
Location Info: Meet at the N.W corner of Ninth Avenue & 42nd Street
Subway: A,C,E to 42nd Street

Saturday June 13th and Sunday June 14th, 2009
Big Apple Barbecue Festival
Finger-lickin' ribs and other goodies from around the country.
Cheap Chick Info: $8 for food, $4 for dessert, and $2 for drinks
Location Info: Madison Square Park
Subway: N,R,W to 23rd Street, 6 to 23rd Street

Saturday June 13th and Sunday June 14th, 2009
Revolutionary War Reenactment
11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Drill with soldiers, visit their tents, enjoy a colonial cooking demonstration, and watch a blacksmith demonstration.
Cheap Chick Info: $5
Location Info: Historic Richmond Town on Staten Island, 441 Clarke Avenue
Subway: Take the R to Whitehall Street to catch the Staten Island Ferry, then it's a 30-minute ride from the Staten Island ferry on the S74 bus.

Also check out the North Side music and arts festival going on all weekend, prices and locations vary: http://www.northsidefestival.com/

Cheap Chick Bargain Bulletin, June 10, 2009

Thursday June 11, 2009
Mad Square Reads Kick-off Event
6:30 p.m.
Fellow bookworms unite! This outdoor summer reading series starts tonight with writers from New York magazine including Steve Fishman, Chris Smith, and Joyce Wadler. Why not check out the Shake Shack when the reading is through? Look carefully at a future Mad Square Reads event and you might see the Cheap Chick there!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Madison Square Park, Farragut Monument-25th Street
Subway: N,R,W to 23rd Street, 6 to 23rd Street

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Cheap Chick Bargain Bulletin, June 7, 2009

Festival Fun!

Monday June 8, 2009
Taste of Times Square
5 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Take a drink or bite of the flavors of Times Square restaurants and enjoy local entertainment including swing dancing provided by Swing 46.
Cheap Chick Info: Free, but tickets must be purchased for food samples
Location Info: West 46th Street between Broadway and Ninth Avenue
Subway: N,R,W to 49th Street, A,C,E,S,7 to 42nd Street/Times Square, C,E to 50th Street

Tuesday June 9th, 2009
Museum Mile Festival
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Get into nine museums along the festival route for FREE! Event includes live entertainment and bands. Museums include the Museum of the City of New York, The Jewish Museum, The Cooper-Hewitt, National Academy Museum, The Guggenheim, The Neue Galerie, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info:
5th Avenue between 82nd & 105th
Subway: 4,5,6 to 86th Street

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, June 5-7, 2009

Friday June 5th
Dance Dance Library Revolution
10: 30 p.m.
Put down that book and get your geek on at this dance party!
Cheap Chick Info: Free! Bring a gently-used thesaurus or Spanish-English dictionary and get a free drink!
Location Info: Enid's, 560 Manhattan Avenue
Subway: L to Bedford Street

Shakespeare in Riverside Park
6:30 p.m.
Enjoy a performance of The Tempest in an outdoor setting.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Riverside Park, North Patio of Soldiers' & Sailors' Monument (89th Street)
Subway: 1 to 103rd Street

Friday June 5th through Sunday June 7th
Bushwick Open Studios
Times vary.
Check out a variety of art at this open-studio festival. Click here for a link to a map: http://artsinbushwick.org/.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Varies, around Bushwick
Subway: L to Myrtle/Wyckoff

Saturday June 6th
Housing Works Open Air Street Fair
10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Bookworms rejoice, thousands of books as well as CDs and LPs are on sale for a $1. There's also clothing, jewelry, and artwork for purchase.
Cheap Chick Info: All books, CDs and LPs are $1.
Location Info: Crosby Street bet. Houston and Prince
Subway: F to Broadway Lafayette, 6 to Bleecker Street, N,R,W to Prince Street.

Saturday June 6th and Sunday June 7th
Governor's Island Jazz Festival
10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Travel back in time to the 20's at this event where you can check out vintage cars, sample entries in the pie-eating contest, and Charleston to Michael Michael Arenalla and his Dreamland Orchestra. Tours of the island's historic sites are also available.
Cheap Chick Info: $5
Location Info: Governor's Island, take the ferry to the Island (the terminal is almost next door to the Staten Island Ferry terminal. Here's a link to the ferry schedule: http://www.govisland.com/Visit_the_Island/directions.asp
Subway: 1 to South Ferry, R to Whitehall Street

Atlantic Art Walk
1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

More than 250 artists display their work through tours, exhibits, open studios, and special events.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Atlantic Avenue, Brooklyn
Subway: N,R,Q,2,3 to Atlantic Avenue

Renegade Craft Fair
11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Craftsters have descended with wares specially selected by the renegade jury.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: McCarren Park Pool
Subway: L to Bedford Avenue

Cloisters Garden Days
Sat: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The event includes special tours, family workshops, demonstrations, and lectures.
Cheap Chick Info: Free with museum admission, suggested $20 admission
Location Info: The Cloisters, Fort Tryon Park
Subway: A to 190th Street

Don't forget the Brooklyn Museum is free on the first Saturday of the month! Enjoy lectures, programs, and music for nothin'! http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/

Sunday June 7th
Egg Roll and Egg Cream Festival
12 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Celebrate the Jewish and Chinese heritage of the area with this event sponsored by The Museum at Eldridge Street. Enjoy Klezmer music, Chinese opera, scribal art, calligraphy, take Yiddish and Chinese lessons, create folk arts, and participate in hands-on activities. Free tours of the Eldridge Street Synagogue are also available. And of course eat some egg rolls and drink some egg creams!
Cheap Chick Info:
Free!
Location Info:
12 Eldridge bet. Canal and Division
Subway:
F to East Broadway, D to Grand Street

Brooklyn Beer Experiment
1 p.m.
In case you didn't know, beer's not just for drinking, it's also for cooking. Sample these "experiments" as well as home-brewed beer at this event. The competition will be judged by icons from the Food Network, the Brooklyn Brewery, and Crif dogs.
Cheap Chick Info:
$18
Location Info:
The Bell House149 7th Street, Brooklyn
Subway:
R to 9th Street and 4th Avenue, G or F to 9th Street or Smith Street

Monday, June 1, 2009

Cheap Chick Bargain Bulletin, June 1, 2009

Brace yourself, it's a double-header for all you cheapsters, though one is more convenient if you work in the downtown area...enjoy!

Tuesday June 2, 2009
Dine Around Downtown
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Sample food from 50 downtown restaurants at this event while enjoying live music.
Cheap Chick Info: Foods range from $3 to $6
Location Info: Chase Manhattan Plaza (bet. Liberty and Pine and Nassau & William)
Subway: 2,3 or 4,5 to Wall Street

Wednesday June 3rd, 2009
Brian Stokes Mitchell
7 p.m.
The Broadway star is performing as part of the River-to-River Festival.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Rockefeller Park, 61 Broadway
Subway: R,W to Rector Street