Cheap Chick NYC New Year's Day Message

Hi all, Happy New Year!

I think I've decided that people will be too busy recovering from NYE to do much, but in case you can drag yourself out of bed you could watch the Polar Bears take an icy dip, attend mass at St. Patrick's, and check out marathon readings at the Bowery Poetry Club, and St. Mark's Poetry Project.

The Phaidon (arty-type coffee table books) Warehouse sale also starts today and runs through January 10. Mon.-Sat., 9 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun., 9 a.m.-7 p.m. 100 Wooster St., bet. Prince & Spring.

You can also go on a Times Square Walking tour at 1 p.m. (meet at the southeast corner of 42nd Street & Sixth Avenue, at Bryant Park) for $15, or explore Flushing with a Koreatown walking tour at 1 p.m. (Meet at the eastern end (front, coming from Manhattan) of the Main St. station (#7 train) at the foot of the escalators. Do not exit in middle of platform!) also for $15, and don't forget on Sat. Jan 2, the Brooklyn Museum is free!

Cheap Chick NYC New Year's Eve Picks!

Mazel tov, or Auld lang syne, I think that's it. Anyway, even though you probably haven't left cookies and milk for Santa, or unwrapped any gifts yet, here are my New Year's Eve picks, hopefully you haven't already made plans to fall asleep before midnight or pay $100+ to party at a local nightspot. Watch for more posts as events come in, and there may also be NYC New Year's Day Picks (but I'm not promising anything!) Enjoy!

Historic Lower Manhattan-New York in a New Year Walking Tour http://www.bigonion.com/description/index.html#13

Emerald Nuts Midnight Run (free to watch!) http://www.nyrr.org/races/2009/r1231x00.asp

Get relaxed at Jivamukti Yoga with a dance party, silent meditation, and a massage for free! (pre-dinner and class beforehand cost $.) http://www.jivamuktiyoga.com/fms/event_fm.html

Time's Up New Year's Eve bike ride and after-party! http://times-up.org/

Watch New Year's Eve fireworks at Grand Army Plaza. Starts at 11 p.m. http://www.prospectpark.org/calendar/event/235303

The Cake Shop on Ludlow is having a Death to the Decade party with just a $15 cover! http://cake-shop.com/ (check the calendar for more info.)

Auld Twang Syne at the Living Room, starts at 9 p.m., $15 for bar and music, $10 for just bar. (scroll down calendar for info.) http://www.livingroomny.com/calendar

Start off New Year's Eve right with a free champagne tasting at Columbus Wines and Spirits, 1802 Broadway. 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

See singing duo Dean and Britta at Southpaw for an early New Year's concert. Tkts are $20 in advance. http://spsounds.com/

Feel nostalgic for new year's past at the Paley Center, as you watch old-time TV shows until 5 p.m. and of course the Met is open New Year's Eve as well-remember you need only make a donation-I think a $1 works well! I'm sure some of the other museums will be open as well!

See the Champian Fulton Quartet for free at Lincoln Center. http://new.lincolncenter.org/live/index.php/atrium-champian-fulton-quartet-dec-31

Watch Breakfast at Tiffany's (at 3:20 p.m. and 7:40 p.m.) or The Apartment (at 1:10, 5:30, and 9:50 p.m., with a champagne toast after the 9:50 p.m. showing) as part of the Film Forum's Madcap Manhattan series.

A spiritual New Year's awaits you at St. John the Divine's Concert for Peace. General admission for the public is free.

Party at 92ndY Tribeca with music, conceptual art, and comedy.

The Village Pourhouse party has only a $20 cover!

Prospect Park Fun Run, still only $20 until Dec. 31, $25 day of. Get your exercise on, and then watch the fireworks!

Of course you can always think like a tourist and brave the crowds at Times Square for the big ball drop!

Feel free to send me your suggestions for a cheap and/or free New Year's celebration! Of course I think an apartment party, game night, or a meal out are fun recession-worthy events for new year's too!

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, Dec. 18-20, 2009

Enjoy these weekend picks everyone, the Cheap Chick will be taking a holiday break, there will be no weekend picks for next weekend, so be sure to mine the Christmas and Hanukkah guides for things to do (there may be some updates to watch for on those lists, so check back on them), but keep an eye out too, there may be some bargain bulletins coming up or some regular length entries in the meantime. Also watch for the Cheap Chick New Year's Eve Guide, which will be up next week!

Friday December 18, 2009
Holiday Pub Crawl With the Lunch Club
7:30 p.m.
Wassail, Wassail all over the town, or you might be after a few drinks...Cheers!
Cheap Chick Info: $8 in advance, $10 at the door, RSVP here.
Location Info: Meet at the Village Lantern, 167 Bleecker bet. Thompson and Sullivan
Subway: F,V,B,D,A,C,E to West 4th St.

His Girl Friday Screening (Starts today-through Dec. 24, 2009)
Various Times
I think this movie inspired Gilmore Girls. How many words a minute can you speak?
Cheap Chick Info: $12, info here.
Location Info: BAM, 30 Lafayette Ave., Brooklyn
Subway: 2,3,4,5,Q to Atlantic Ave.

Silent Films on Christmas Themes
7:30 p.m.
Live organ music accompanies screenings of Night Before Christmas, and Christmas Past, a collection of American silent films.
Cheap Chick Info: $15 general admission, $9 students, $12 seniors
Location Info: Ukranian Society of America, Two East 79th Street
(at Fifth Avenue)
Subway: 6 to 77th St.

Jazz All-Stars
7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
All you hepcats can jump (in your seat anyway) jive, and wail (tho not too loudly!) to the sounds of the Duke Ellington festival!
Cheap Chick Info: $18 in advance/$20 at the door
Location Info: Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St.
Subway: A,C,E to 14th St.

Saturday December 19, 2009
Start Trekkn' Comedy Show
9:30 p.m.
You have Captain Kirk to rescue you from this long-form improv based on the original series.
Cheap Chick Info: $5
Location Info: The Tank, 345 W. 45th St. bet. 8th and 9th Aves.
Subway: A,C,E to 42nd St./Times Square

Loopt’s Holiday Scavenger Crawl
No time given, assume you receive it after you register.
Described as part scavenger hunt, part pub crawl, this race will take you all over the city to places from "speakeasies to swanky galleries to coffee shops." There are freebies and prizes too!
Cheap Chick Info: Free, you just need to register and download the Looopt application here.
Location Info: Varies. Find out after you start the game!
Subway: Varies

Chante Noel: A Martinque Holiday Celebration
6:30 p.m.
The island of Martinque awaits with local carols and delicacies. One lucky winner gets two round-trip tickets to the Caribbean retreat.
Cheap Chick Info: $20
Location Info: French Institute Alliance Francaise, 55 E 59th St.
Subway: N,R,W to Fifth Ave./59th St.

Craftermath
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Get some last-minute holiday shopping and mix a little partying in at this self-described "punk craftbrigade's" craft fair.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: The Local 269 (269 E Houston St)
Subway: F to 2nd Avenue

Christmas Bird Count
3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
One, I count one bird. Two, I count two birds...or something like that, tho I don't think the Count will be lurking around Prospect Park as you participate in a nationwide bird census.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Prospect Park Audubon Center (Enter the Park at Lincoln Road & Ocean Avenue or Flatbush Avenue & Empire Boulevard)
Subway: F to 7th Ave. station, 15th St./Prospect Park station, and Fort Hamilton Parkway station

Also Astor Wines is hosting a bazaar today too! Purchase tkts here. There's a free mead tasting (scroll down) at Long's Wines and Liquors in Brooklyn, an East Meets West Holiday parade, and a Spinal Tap sing-a-long!

Sunday December 20, 2009
"Scrooge and Marley" Performance at Trinity Church
1 p.m.
Don't be fraid of no ghosts as you revisit the classic Dickens tale as performed by the Theater at Trinity.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Trinity Church, 74 Trinity Place, Second floor parlor
Subway: 4,5 to Wall Street

Early Morning Speed Hike
8 a.m.
Catch some worms or at least some exercise on this outing!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Inwood Hill Nature Center, Inwood Hill Park. Enter park at West 218th Street and Indian Road.
Subway: 1,9 to 215th Street

The Main Squeeze Orchestra Holiday Extravaganza With the Last of the International Playboys
Doors open at 8 p.m., show starts at 8:30 p.m.
Get your Steve Urkel on with this accordion fest!
Cheap Chick Info: $12, plus $2 processing fee. Buy tkts here.
Location Info: Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker
Subway: F,V,B,D,A,C,E to West 4th St.

Mysteries of NYC History
1 p.m.
Learn about "the city that never was, from the highways that were never built, to the parks that were never developed" on this walking tour.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Fort Greene Park, looks like you have to call for more info and likely a meeting place. (718) 722-3218
Subway: C to Lafayette, G to Fulton

Hot Chocolate Crawl
3 p.m.
Stay warm with hot chocolate as you rate the different versions of this classic winter treat around the city!
Cheap Chick Info: Free, just pay for your chocolate!
Location Info: Meet at the southwest corner of Washington Square Park (near the chess tables)
Subway: R,W to 8th St.

Also be sure to check out the Film Forum's Madcap Manhattan series! There are also aerial acrobatics on hand at Galapagos Saturday and Sunday!

Cheap Chick Bonus NYC Holiday Shopping Guide (Scroll Down for Weekend Picks)

Gifts
Re-gifting. Do not be afraid of re-gifting. I repeat, do not be afraid of re-gifting. Though this method of gift-giving was stigmatized in certain Seinfeld episodes, I think it has come back into vogue lately, and you certainly should not be ashamed to exploit this gift-giving tool. Just so we're clear, re-gifting is the act of giving someone else a gift that you received, but didn't need to keep because it didn't fit/wasn't your style/was actually meant for someone older/younger.

Some things to remember, if you can, try to actually match the gift to the gift-tee, for example no cat stuff for your older brother. Also remember who you got the gift from and DO NOT re-gift it to them, or re-gift it in a social setting that they partake in. Make sure your re-gift is in good condition,and in the spirit of the holiday, if the gift is worn or doesn't fit anyone on your list, it might be better to donate it to a local charity. Score if you actually have a gift with price tags still on!

Gift cards.'Nuf said. Easy buy for the person on your list who's impossible to shop for or someone (like my mom) who really likes to get gift cards. Plus you decide what amount of $ to spend. There is no one who would turn down a movie/restaurant/store gift card.

Work discounts/purchases/products. If you work at a bookstore, clothing store, or any other place that sells consumer products, what are you waiting for? Do whatever shopping you can on your employee discount. Also keep your eye out for company giveaways or work sales (i.e. products the company gets for free are "sold" to employees for a $1 or similar such events) and those friends and family fliers. for holiday gifts.

Pulling names for relative Secret Santa. If you've somehow acquired a large number of extended family, consider throwing everyone's name in a hat and simply buying a gift for the person whose name you draw, it’s simple math, the less people you have to shop for, the more $ you save.

Doing a gift swap for family with jokey gifts/re-gifting. The ultimate in saving $, and good for a few laughs, agree with family members that you will purposefully re-gift items. Throw them all into a pile and let someone select the first gift, unwrap it, and then let the next person take that gift or choose one from the pile, and so on, until the last person gets to either keep the gift they’ve opened or “steal” one from all the other gift-tees. We did this last year and I think I got the biggest laugh with a Hannah Montana 2009 calendar that I re-gifted.

Using actual wrapping paper as a card instead of spending $ on labels. To save a few dollars, you don't need to shell out for cutesy tags with snowmen and bears on them; you can simply cut some paper from your gift wrap and fold it over to make a tag. Voila!

Spending limits. Agree with friends/relatives on a pre-set amount of money to spend on gifts and stick to it.

Dollar stores.These are a great source for all of those holiday extras such as wrapping paper, cards, gift bags, tissue paper. Note: I am not endorsing them for your actual gift shopping, but you can sometimes find some neat gifts there too.

Re-use and Recycle. Save those gift bags and boxes from holidays past, and use them for current gifts. Check for tears and past tags before stuffing them full of gifts.

Inexpensive gift ideas:
Coupons. Create some “naughty” or “nice” coupons for those you love with cards for things like household chores like doing dishes, vacuuming, dusting, walking the dog, making dinner, washing the car, child care, or doing yard work.

Donations to charity. Pick a cause, any cause, and make a gift of money in one of your gift-ees names. Of course if you can match the cause to the person (a donation to an animal shelter for the pet-lover in your life, or a donation the local library for the bookworm you know) that's the just the extra stripes on the candy cane.

Lottery tickets. I know those nutcracker ads are probably driving you nuts, but these can be a fun way to say “happy holidays!” There are holiday-themed cards, and who knows, maybe you can get a finder’s fee if your gift-tee strikes it rich.

For the book-lover. Books at the Strand/Housing Works are half-price and many are in almost-new condition so you're sure to find something that they’ll like, and a $10-$20 gift card from one of these institutions will go far. (This gift may also perform double-duty for someone on your list who likes a good cause-all purchases at Housing Works goes to help homeless people with HIV and AIDS in NYC.)

Candles, calendars, and bookmarks can be found in many places and are generally inexpensive.

Making gifts
Put together photos in an album, bonus points if you decorate the album with extras like ribbon, markers, glitter, and other crafty favorites.

Buy a nice picture frame and put a meaningful picture in it

Knit or crochet a scarf or sweater

Make a collage of cut-out magazine words/images, or actual photographs that remind you of the person you are giving it to, and possibly frame it.

Make cookies, brownies, pies, or other treats and wrap them up with some ribbon or seasonal covering.

Burn a CD of your friend or family member’s favorite songs. I once had a friend help me make a CD of NYC-inspired songs like “New York, New York” and “The Easter Parade.”

Favorite websites: These are a few of the Cheap Chick's favorite gift websites (any family members who are looking, close your eyes now!)

http://uncommongoods.com

Our Name is Mud (also has bricks-and-mortar store in Grand Central): http://ournameismud.com

Fave Stores/Gift Marts in NYC:
MOMA store and design store: http://www.moma.org/visit/plan/stores

The Union Square, Grand Central, Bryant Park, and Columbus Circle holiday marts.

Kate's Paperie: http://www.katespaperie.com/about_kates/category/our_stores/article/our_stores

Met Museum gift shop: http://store.metmuseum.org/

Evolution: http://www.theevolutionstore.com

Forbidden Planet: http://www.fpnyc.com/

Pearl River Mart: http://www.pearlriver.com/v2/storelocation.html

Papyrus: http://www.papyrusonline.com/, select store locator to find NYC locations

NYPL gift shop: http://www.thelibraryshop.org

Aphrodisia: http://www.aphrodisiaherbshoppe.com/

Porto Rico Tea Importing Company: http://www.portorico.com/store/

Bath and Body Works: http://www.bathandbodyworks.com/corp/index.jsp?page=storeLocator&clickid=topnav_storeLocator_txt

Urban Outfitters: http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/help/store_locator.jsp

Peanut Butter & Company: http://www.ilovepeanutbutter.com/

Dylan’s Candy Bar: http://www.dylanscandybar.com/

Child’s Play

For the young ones in your life!

Scholastic Store: http://www.scholasticstore.com

M&M store (http://www.mymms.com/service/locations.asp

And yes there are bargains to be found at Toys R Us, and Babies R Us, if you're willing to fight the crowds. Locations for both stores found here: http://www2.toysrus.com/store/index.cfm?tru=1&sa_referral=http://www.toysrusinc.com/tstorelocator

Closing Thoughts
You can find some good bargains at the Union Square, Grand Central, Bryant Park, and Columbus Circle holiday marts if you look for them, I am particularly fond of the ornaments that you can get personalized.

Remember that both Queens and Brooklyn have their own Targets, and there are a couple of Kmart locations in Manhattan. The bargain sections of Barnes & Noble are also chock full of gift possibilities.

Of course there are always I Love New York t-shirts, always a hit, I think ;-)

Feel free to comment with your own favorite websites and NYC stores!

Cheap Chick NYC Weekend Picks, Dec. 11-13, 2009

Hopefully you're snuggled with someone under the mistletoe, but if you need a break here are this weekend's picks, and don't forget there are most listings on my NYC Hanukkah, and NYC Christmas Guides! Also watch for a special holiday gift guide from the Cheap Chick to be published by Saturday!

Friday December 11, 2009
Writer's Studio Reading Series
6:30 p.m.
Hear writers from the Pushcart Press share their works.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker
Subway: A,C,E,F,V,B to West 4th St.

Biblioball
8 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Wow, there's finally a place for bookworms to hang out in NYC...hmmm...wait, well here's one more place for book addicts to hang, this time with live music and raffle prizes. All proceeds go to Literacy for Incarcerated Teens.
Cheap Chick Info: Some tkts are $20, but some are listed at $25, so you might have to stretch the Cheap Chick budget a touch...
Location Info: The Bell House, 149 Seventh Street, bet. 2nd and 3rd Aves.
Subway: F,G,R to 9^th St./4^th Ave.

Friday December 11-Sunday December 13, 2009
Zero Film Festival
Friday and Saturday: 6:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
This film festival is composed of films made entirely by self-financed filmmakers.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main St., DUMBO, Brooklyn
Subway: A,C to High St., F to York St.

Saturday December 12, 2009
Lois Lowry reading
1 p.m.
I ask, who didn't want to keep a green notebook like Anastasia Krupnik? I know I did. Learn the secrets of the author of the Anastasia books, Number the Stars, and the surreal The Giver.
Cheap Chick Info: $10
Location Info: 92nd St. Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue@92nd St.
Subway: 6 to 96th St.

Immigrant New York Walking Tour
11 a.m.
This Lower East Side jaunt explores the sites related to the diverse groups who once called the neighborhood home as well as places related to historic figures like Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Jacob Riis, Abraham Cahan, Pierre Toussaint, and Emma Goldman.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Meet at the southeast corner of Broadway & Chambers Street, at City Hall Park.
Subway: 4,5,6 to Brooklyn Bridge, R,W to City Hall

Remember SantaCon is today! And watch the Central Park Zoo animals open their presents (Sunday and next weekend as well!) and participate in holiday activities at the Bartow-Pell Mansion in the Bronx.

Sunday December 13, 2009 Facts, Myths, and Lore of Evergreen and Mistletoe
11 a.m.
Get into the holiday season with the history and current uses of this seasonal greenery.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn
Subway: C to Lafayette, G to Fulton,

Jewish Harlem Walking Tour
11 a.m.
Did you know that Harlem was once home to a large Jewish population? Neither did I! Find out more with stops at Commandment Keepers, Harlem’s active Ethiopian Hebrew Synagogue and the former Temple Israel.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Meet in the plaza in front of the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building at 163 W. 125th St.
Subway: A,C,D,2,3 trains to 125th St.

Christmas Window Watching With the Lunch Club
2 p.m.
It's not Christmas in NYC without seeing the windows or the tree at Rockefeller Center. Who knows, maybe you'll have your own miracle on 34th St...
Cheap Chick Info: $8 in advance, $10 at the event, http://www.thelunchclub.com/clubhouse/calendar.php?do=viewlcevent&e=2362
Location Info: TBD, check website or look for email after signing up.
Subway: See above.

You can also catch the free Tuba Christmas Concert on Sunday at Rockefeller Center at 3:30 p.m., which features 500 tubas!

Cheap Chick NYC Hanukkah 2009 Guide (Scroll Down for Christmas Guide)

Time to eat some latkes, spin the dreidel, and light the lights!

The Jewish Museum is giving Hanukkah-based tours of the collections on Tuesdays and Thursdays. http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/site/pages/calendar_main.php

December 11-December 19, 2009
See the Lighting of the World’s Largest Menorah. The menorah will be lit Monday-Thursday at 5:30 p.m., Fri. at 3:40 p.m., and Sat. at 8:30 p.m. at Grand Army Plaza, at 59th Street. Take the N,R to Fifth Ave./59th St.

December 11, 2009
Celebrate the first day of Hannukkah with the Stuyvesant Square Community Alliance. http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=190684069219&ref=mf

"Do the Light Thing" Chanukah Celebration With The New Shul. http://www.newshul.org/

December 12, 2009
Catch "The Menorah Horah," a burlesque show. http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=584415

2009 Major League Dreidel Tournament at the Knitting Factory. http://bk.knittingfactory.com/event-details/?tfly_event_id=689

December 13, 2009
Make edible menorah cookies at Belvedere Castle from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. http://www.centralpark.com/pages/attractions/belvedere-castle.html

December 23, 2009
Rachael Sage "Tchatchkes & Latkes!" comedy show. http://www.joespub.com/component/option,com_shows/task,view/Itemid,40/id,4899

December 24, 2009
Heebonism (Heeb magazine party) http://www.heebmagazine.com/events/view/113

December 25, 2009
Christmas Day Vietnamese Food and the Movies with The Lunch Club. http://www.thelunchclub.com/clubhouse/calendar.php?do=viewlcevent&e=2359

Go on a Jewish Lower East Side Tour With Big Onion Walking Tours. Tours are at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. http://www.bigonion.com/description/index.html#19

Cheap Chick NYC Christmas 2009 Guide

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! Or good day, or something...anyway grab a candy cane for energy and your trusty metrocard to sample all of the holiday goodies the city has to offer. This year, I will also have a separate Hanukkah blog and a gift-buying blog, probably coming out next week. Watch for weekend picks with holiday flair coming up, but they may appear a bit later than usual since this took up some of my time. Hopefully these will keep you busy while you're dodging the mistletoe and waiting for weekend picks! Check back on this guide too, there may be some additions popping up, and feel free to send me a note with any holiday celebrations you'd like me to promote as well!

Ongoing:
Holiday Marts:
It's always free to browse the booths at the city's holiday marts. There are shops set up at Bryant Park, Columbus Circle, Union Square, and Grand Central Terminal.

See the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. http://www.rockefellercenter.com/index.php/section/5#/5/-1/-1/86/

Gawk at the holiday store windows at Macy’s, Saks Fifth Ave., Barney’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdale’s, and Lord & Taylor. http://gonyc.about.com/od/christmassights/l/bl_xmaswindows.htm

See Christmas-related literary works at the New York Public Library. http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/exhib/hssl/uelisthssl.cfm

The Winter Garden is alight with lights as well! http://worldfinancialcenter.com/

Check out the annual holiday train show at the New York Transit Museum and the holiday light show at Grand Central. http://grandcentralterminal.com/go/mallEvents.cfm?eventsonly=1

Travel back in time to holidays past at the Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. http://www.metmuseum.org/special/se_event.asp?OccurrenceId=%7BDDAFAB34-F33A-4480-AE7B-102CC4C66205}

Get a little wild this holiday season with the origami tree at the American Museum of Natural History. http://www.amnh.org/news/2009/11/origami_holiday_tree/

Gingerbread Houses at the Parker Meridian Hotel. http://www.parkermeridien.com/gingerbread.php

Carriage rides, ice sculpting, and a toy and coat drive at the Bronx Zoo. http://www.bronxzoo.com/this-season-at-the-zoo/events-calendar.aspx

All aboard at the New York Botanical Garden’s train ride! http://www.nybg.org/hts09/#your_visit/hours

Ride a vintage train on Sundays through December 27, 2009. http://mta.info/mta/news/releases/?en=091203-NYCT195a

Learn about celebrating the New Year in old New York at the Merchant's House Museum (through Jan. 11, 2010.) http://www.merchantshouse.com/events/index.html

View "Winter and the Holidays" art exhibit at the Salmagundi Club. http://www.salmagundi.org/

Upcoming:
December 7-11, 2009
Enjoy bargains, free gifts, and the chance to save on holiday purchases and meals downtown! Check here for more info: http://www.downtownny.com/holiday/promo/?utm_source=Downtown+Alliance&utm_medium=email&utm_term=interactive+map&utm_content=writerbug%40hotmail.com&utm_campaign=Downtown+for+the+Holidays%3A+5+Days

December 8, 2009
Listen to live caroling as you shop at Housing Works bookstore. http://www.housingworks.org/events/detail/nyc-master-chorale/

Music, opera, and hot chocolate, oh my! At the Met Opera. http://www.metoperafamily.org//metopera/news/features/detail.aspx?id=10822

December 10-20, 2009
Don’t be a blockhead-go see a live performance of A Charlie Brown Christmas! http://www.brooklynlyceum.com/news/a-charlie-brown-christmas..-live-with-jazz-trio.-back-by-popular-demand-this-december.-runs-dec-10-20

December 11-13, 2009
Take in a performance of “Everybody Cries @ Christmas.” http://www.thetanknyc.org/theater

December 11 and 18, 2009
Caroling at the Morgan Library and Museum. http://www.themorgan.org/public/program.asp?id=237

December 13, 2009
Sweep the clouds away with BAM’s “A Special Sesame Street Christmas” Program. http://www.bam.org/view.aspx?pid=1790

December 12 and 19, 2009
Make your own holiday cookies at the Brooklyn Kitchen. http://www.thebrooklynkitchen.com/calendar-of-classes-and-events/

December 12, 2009
Get crafty at the 3rd Ward Holiday Craft Fair, http://www.3rdward.com/events/

December 14, 2009
Does Santa Claus really exist? Perhaps the Virginia of the Santa Claus letter fame will be there or Susan from Miracle on 34th Street…just kidding! http://www.petescandystore.com/home2.html#

December 17, 2009
Cheer on Mr. Scrooge at the Strand’s annual reading of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol. Remember you can see the original at the New York Public Library. http://www.strandbooks.com/app/www/p/calendar/#1442

December 18 and 19, 2009
Candlelight Holiday tour and celebration at the Mount Vernon Museum. http://www.mvhm.org/pages/events/events.htm

December 19 and 20, 2009
Shop at the Brooklyn Lyceum’s Holiday Craft Market. http://www.bkcraftcentral.com/

December 19, 2009
The 92nd Street Y presents “Kevin’s Holiday Grab Bag” a weird, crazy holiday show. http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?category=92Tri+92YTribeca+Film888&productid=T-MM5FD18

December 20, 2009
Say Hi to Cookie Monster for me at the Bell House’s Holiday Cookie Takedown. http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=679505

December 24, 2009
Sing carols with your fellow New Yorkers at Washington Square Park. http://www.washingtonsquarenyc.org/index.htm

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, Dec. 4-6, 2009 (Scroll Down for new Christmas Guide!)

Friday December 4, 2009
A Killer Burlesque Christmas
11:30 p.m.
Hopefully the after-life of this show (it's entirely based on the album "A Christmas Gift to You from Phil Spector") will be worth the cover charge.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette St.
Subway: R to 8th St./6 to Astor Place

Lighting of the Bryant Park Christmas Tree
7 p.m.
Live skating and musical performances will be part of the ceremony!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Bryant Park-obviously!
Subway: B,D,F,V to 42nd St., 7 to Fifth Ave.

Also the Neue Galerie’s free First Fridays start tonight! And a McSweeney's party at Housing Works!

Friday December 4-Sunday December 6, 2009
Crafts at the Cathedral
Do your holiday shopping Cathedral-style with their crafts fair!
Cheap Chick Info: $6 a day or $7/weekend
Location Info: Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Subway: 1 to 110th Street

Saturday December 5, 2009
Iron Mule Short Film Festival
8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
The Y says: "The name [Iron Mule] describes the movies we love to show; tough, burly, uncompromising shorts which can't be stopped." It's apparently also the name a Buster Keaton Film where the name gets its inspiration. Enjoy!
Cheap Chick Info: $10
Location Info: 92ndY Tribeca, 200 Hudson Street
Subway: 1,E to Canal St.

See a Tarot Card Reader Psychoanalyzed
6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Jungian analyst Ami Ronnberg will analyze a Tarot Card reader in honor of the museum's Red Book Exhibit during one of The Red Book Dialogues programs.
Cheap Chick Info: $20
Location Info: Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St.
Subway: A, C or E to 14th Street

BeFitNYC Winter Sports Showcase
11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Learn about winter sports and take advantage of half-price skating, broomball and sled hockey demonstrations, ice skating clinics, and running activities organized by the New York Road Runners.
Cheap Chick Info: Free, except for skating
Location Info: Prospect Park pond
Subway: Q,S to Prospect Park

Saturday and Sunday December 5 and 6, 2009
Native American Craft Fair
10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Go Native with your holiday giving and check out the museum as well!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: National Museum of the American Indian, 1 Bowling Green
Subway: 4,5 to Bowling Green

Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival
11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Geek out all day with comics and more than 50 exhibitors!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Our Lady of Consolation Church, 184 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.

You can also shop at the Heart of Brooklyn's Sip and Shop event!

Sunday December 6, 2009
Bust magazine Holiday Craftacular
10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Time to get all those holiday shopping worries off your chest-hee-hee, and finish your holiday shopping!
Cheap Chick Info: $2, plus goody bags for the first 500 attendees!
Location Info: Metropolitan Pavillion, 125 W. 18th Street bet 6th and 7th Aves.
Subway: F,R to 23rd St., L to 6th Ave.

Pinetum Festival
2 p.m.
Inhale the fresh piney scent just in time for the holidays as you tour the Arthur Ross Pinetum with one of the park rangers.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Central Park, Arthur Ross Pinetum, mid-park bet. 84th and 86th St.
Subway: 6,C to 86th St.

Songs of the Season With the Brooklyn Philharmonia
12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.
It just wouldn't be Christmas without some carols!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Prospect Park, Lefferts Historic House, Prospect Park (Flatbush Avenue and Empire Boulevard)
Subway: Q to Prospect Park

Hanukkah Festival
10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Get your dreidel on at this annual event, which includes crafts, a live klezmer jazz performance, and leapfrog. I think the only things are missing are the latkes...
Cheap Chick Info: $20 for adults, $15 for children
Location Info: 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Ave., near 92nd St.
Subway: 4,5,6 to 86th St.

Remember it's First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum! If you missed last week's Black Friday sale at Housing Works, don't despair, they are having a 30% off sale this weekend! And Word (one of Brooklyn's independent bookstores is having a holiday open house.

Cheap Chick Bargain Bulletin, Dec. 1, 2009, Holiday News

Hope you're still enjoying those Thanksgiving leftovers! I'm working hard to get a holiday guide and a gift-giving guide up for the holidays, but in the meantime there are some events coming up this week that I thought you should know about, enjoy!

Tuesday December 1, 2009
An Evening of Arts and Literature
The Cooper Union is celebrating its 150th anniversary with its "Great Evenings in the Great Hall" programs. Tonight's line-up features celebs such as Tony Kushner, Salman Rushdie, Siri Hustvedt, Olympia Dukakis presenting literary readings.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: The Great Hall, Cooper Union, Cooper Square (3rd Avenue between 6th and 7th Streets)
Subway: 6 to Astor Place, L to 3rd Ave.

Max Brenner at the Strand
7 p.m.
A must-do for chocaholics, the eponymous "Bald Man" from down the street will be on-hand tonight promoting a new chocolate-based cookbook called Chocolate A Love Story. Rumors are that some actual chocolate faves of the bald guy will be available for sampling!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: The Strand Bookstore, Broadway and 12th St.
Subway: 4,5,6,L,N,R,Q,W to 14th St./Union Square.

Wednesday December 2, 2009
Opening Reception for Robert Frost's Annual Christmas Cards, An Exhibition & Celebration
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
This shindig celebrates a new Poet's House exhibit, which features displays of illustrated chapbooks of Frost's poetry that were sent out as holiday cards. This isn't the only time to check out the cards, the exhibition runs through January 16, 2010.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Poets House, 10 River Terrace
Subway: 1,2,3,A,C to Chambers St.

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Watch the lighting of the iconic holiday symbol, the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, of course there will be celebs and other musical acts there too, but be ready to fight the crowds to catch a glimpse of the stars that aren't on the tree.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Rockefeller Center, 47th/48th St. bet. Fifth and Sixth Ave.
Subway: B,D,F,V to 47-50th Street-Rockefeller Center

Thursday December 3rd, 2009
Screening of Breaking the News (This is the news part of the title.)
6 p.m.
Yo, this is for all journalists in da' house (or the blog...) The Deadline Club (the local Society of Professional Journalists chapter) has organized an exclusive showing of the documentary Breaking the News! This film is not available through Netflix; this is a special screening in conjunction with the Paley Center. This event may be of special interest to journalists (the doc details how big names in journalism like Peter Jennings, Bob Simon, Barbara Walters and others got their big stories), but is open to all.
Cheap Chick Info: $10, RSVP to rsvp@deadlineclub.org.
Location Info: Paley Center for Media, 25 W. 52nd St. (bet. Fifth and Sixth Ave.)
Subway: E,V to Fifth Ave./53rd St., N,R,W to Fifth Ave.

Cheap Chick Thanksgiving Weekend Guide for November 25-29, 2009! *More Events Will be Posted Throughout the Weekend so Check Back for More Events!

Hmmm, you could stay home and decide how many ways to prepare that turkey (there's the classic sandwich, soup, pot pie, dumplings, turkey curry, turkey loaf etc.), but you could also get out of the house and gorge on all NYC has to offer...Tough choice. Scroll below for official Macy's festivities!

Wednesday November 25, 2009
Great Gowanus Pre-Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
7 p.m.
Explore Carroll Gardens and Park Slope and compete for prizes.
Cheap Chick Info: $5
Location Info: The Bell House, 149 7th St., Brooklyn
Subway: F,G,R to 9thSt./4th Ave.

Le Bingo!
7 p.m.
Join local drag celebs Linda Simpson and Murray Hill as they host a prize-filled night of bingo. A full menu of drinks and food is also available.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Le Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker
Subway: A,C,E,F,V,B,D to West 4th St.

Comix Thanksgiving Comedy Show
10 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
The L.A.-based show Comedy Juice hits NYC, and features Pete Holmes and other special guests.
Cheap Chick Info: $15-$20, buy tkts here.
Location Info: Comix, 353 W. 14th Street
Subway: A,C,E,L to 14th and 8th

The Aspen Social Club is also offering a free open bar from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m. tonight!

Friday November 27, 2009
Mallrats and Clueless Double Feature
7 p.m. to Midnight
Drag some of your favorite Bettys and Baldwins to this screening, and say hi to Jay and Silent Bob if you happen to run into them-costumes are encouraged!
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: 92nd Street Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St.
Subway: 1,6, or E to Canal Street

Seaport Chorus and Tree-Lighting Ceremony
6 p.m.
Dive right in to the Chirstmas season with this year's first tree-lighting ceremony! Holiday songs will be performed, and you may even get to rub elbows with Mrs. Claus.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: South Street Seaport
Subway: A,C to Broadway–Nassau St; J,M,Z,2,3,4,5 to Fulton St.

Lincoln and Thanksgiving
10 a.m.
This family-friendly event brings the Civil War to life, with a Lincoln re-enactor, Union army regiments, crafts, gospel choir performers, and a scavenger hunt.
Cheap Chick Info: $12
Location Info: NY Historical Society, 170 Central Park West at 77th Street
Subway: B,C to 81st St.

Central Park Cross-Park Promenade
11 a.m.
Work off that turkey dinner with an east-west walking tour of the park where some of its many secrets are revealed.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Meet inside the park at Fifth Avenue and East 72nd Street, in front of the statue of Samuel F. B. Morse.
Subway: B,C to 72nd St.

50's Sock Hop
8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Swing into the 50's with an-old fashioned sock hop-I can see the leather jackets and poodle skirts now. Nick Palumbo's provides the tunes for people as they hop onto the dance floor.
Cheap Chick Info: $10
Location Info: Connolly's, 121 W. 45th Street, 3rd Floor
Subway: N,R,W,Q1,2,3,7,S to 42nd St., N,R,W to 49th St.

The Housing Works Bookstore Black Friday sale should be hot (even though it's cold outside)! I hear they're putting out special books and unique gift items out today. Also don't forget that MOMA is free today, but I'm not sure I'd want to fight the crowds for the new Tim Burton exhibit yet. iShop Brooklyn shopping specials start today-notice that alliteration-and run through Christmas!

Saturday November 28, 2009
Thanks-4-Giving Benefit
8 p.m. to 10 p.m.
City Winery is sponsoring this music-based fundraiser to gather funds for the Food Bank for New York City, an organization dedicated to feeding the homeless. Music acts include John Hammond, Jesse Harris, Richard Julian, Bob Dobrow, and others.
Cheap Chick Info: $20
Location Info: City Winery, 155 Varick St. bet. Spring and Vandam
Subway: 1 to Houston or Canal, E to Spring

New York Harbor Light Parade
6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
This is the finale to the Hudson River Quadracentennial with boats decked out in holiday style.
Cheap Chick Info: Free to watch!
Location Info: Varies according to viewing location. Info is here.
Subway: Same as above.

Floating Kabarette
Doors open at 10 p.m., show starts at 10:30 p.m.
Variety show, burlesque, and cabaret all rolled into one! Enjoy!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Galapagos Art Space
Subway: F to York Street, A,C to High St.

Saturday and Sunday November 28th and 29th, 2009
Mark Twain's New York Walking Tour
1 p.m.
Visit sites related to the author's life in the Big Apple, though I don't think you'll see any board fences that need to be painted or frog-jumping contests...but who knows, this is New York.
Cheap Chick Info: $15, Call 927-620-5371 for reservations/more info.
Location Info: Meet at the southwest corner of Broadway and Spring St.
Subway: N,R,W to Prince St., 6 to Spring St.

Sunday November 29th, 2009
Trains and Trolleys
Check out historic transport at the park!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Fort Greene Park, Fort Greene Visitor Center, Enter the park at Myrtle Avenue and Washington Park.
Subway: R,M to Dekalb, C to Lafayette, G to Fulton

Vanya on 42nd Street Viewing
2 p.m.
Watch the 1994 Louis Malle play within a movie starring Julianne Moore, Brooke Smith, and George Gaynes.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Mid-Manhattan Library, 40th St. and Fifth Ave.
Subway: F,D to 42nd St., 7 to Fifth Ave., 4,5,6,S,7 to Grand Central

*Remember more events will be posted throughout the weekend, so vist this listing again for more T-day weekend diversions!

Cheap Chick Thanksgiving Guide

There are a few things going on in-between turkey time, so be sure to enjoy the city if you're staying here over the long weekend! A more detailed weekend guide including other festivities will be forthcoming in the next few days!

Wednesday November 25, 2009
3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Hopefully your ego won't be inflated when you telll your friends you've seen the balloons that will be in the eponymous Macy's parade on Thursday.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: 77th and 81st streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue
Subway: B,C to 81st Street/Museum of Natural History

Thursday November 26, 2009-Turkey Day, Happy Thanksgiving!
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
People start lining up as early as 6:30 a.m., the parade starts at 9 a.m.
Cheap Chick Info: Free, but get there early and expect to stay, with no bathroom breaks!
Location Info: The parade is on a new route this year along Seventh Avenue. The route stats at 77th Street and Central Park West and go south on Central Park West. More route info is available here.
Subway: Whatever gets you closest to the parade.

Of course you can always watch the parade on TV (it will be airing on NBC), which is always free!

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, November 20-22, 2009

Friday November 20, 2009
Lower East Side Pub Crawl with the Lunch Club
7:30 p.m.
Discover the pubs of the LES, and scarf down some grub at Katz's-do you want what's she's having?
Cheap Chick Info: $7 in advance or $10 at the door, RSVP here.
Location Info: Meet at Max Fish, Ludlow Street between Houston and Stanton
Subway: F to Delancey

Twihards Anonymous: A Meeting of Twilight Addicts
Midnight
For those of you who can't get enough of vampire-werewolf-human love triangles, this is a supportive environment where you can celebrate the release of the latest movie without being judged. Of course there's also a comedy show...
Cheap Chick Info: $5, Make a reservation here.
Location: UCB Club, 307 W. 26th bet. 8th and 9th
Subway: C,E to 23rd Street

Saturday November 21, 2009
Team America Sing-a-long
11 p.m. to 1 p.m.
Watch the 2004 movie, and well, sing! Sorry folks, I got nuthin' on this one...Pls feel free to share your more clever comments below.
Cheap Chick Info: $13, includes a free drink
Location Info: 92nd Street Y, Tribeca, 200 Hudson St.
Subway: E to Canal

Turkey Count Hike
10 a.m.
Be sure to check out this event if you want to see a turkey in the wild before it ends up on your table next week.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Pelham Bay Park, Bartow-Pell Mansion Museum (895 Shore Road)
Subway: 6 to Pelham Bay Park, then transfer to the Bee-line Bus System #45 bus

Baroque Ball
8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Like they said in Beauty and the Beast, "If it isn't Baroque, don't fix it," so hopefully there won't be anything you want to fix at this night of 18th century music and dancing. Costumes are encouraged, so you know what that means...
Cheap Chick Info: $15 in advance, $20 at the door
Location Info: 92nd Street Y (the original) at 92nd and Lexington Ave.
Subway: 6 to 96th street

Downtown's Lost Neighborhood Walking Tour
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Pay a visit to this long-along world, which was once home to Irish, Arabic and Slavic immigrants.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Meet on the steps of the U.S. Custom House (Museum of the American Indian), One Bowling Green
Subway: 4,5 to Bowling, R to Whitehall

Gangs of New York Walking Tour
11 a.m.
You may have to look hard for signs of Leonardo DiCaprio or Daniel Day-Lewis on this walking tour, but you'll definitely see the real-life sites that inspired the recent movie such as Paradise Square, and Murderers Alley.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Meet at the southeast corner of Broadway and Chambers Street, at City Hall Park
Subway: 4,5,6 to Brooklyn Bridge, 1,2,3,A,C,E to Chambers Street, R,W to City Hall

Saturday and Sunday November 21st and 22nd
Goodard Riverside Community Book Fair
Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Start shopping for the bookworm in your life at this Mecca for book-lovers. All books and gifts are marked down up to 50 percent off, and all profits go to the center.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Goddard Riverside Community Center, 593 Columbus Ave.
Subway: C to 86th Street

Sunday November 22, 2009
Chili Takedown
4 p.m.
My 12-year-old self thinks "beans, beans, the magical fruit" will be involved in this chili contest, but you'll have to see for yourself. Come sample every type of chili you can possibly think of...and make up your own rhyme.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: The Bell House
Subway: F,G,R to 9^th St./4^th Ave.

UrbanGlass Open House
Tours on the hour 12-4 p.m.
I'm thinking it wouldn't be a good idea to throw stones while you're touring a glass-blowing facility. You can take a free tour, watch demonstrations, and maybe even participate in a half-hour workshop. Today's open-house is holiday-inspired...starting the shopping soon, anyone?
Cheap Chick Info: Free, though tours are first-com, first-served, and the workshops have a fee.
Location Info: UrbanGlass, (at Rockwell Place) 3rd floor
Subway: B, M, Q, or R to DeKalb Avenue, C to Lafayette, and G to Fulton Street

Rooftop Farms Sale
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pick up some tasty Thanksgiving treats (see how I used alliteration here? Isn't that cool?) at this urban farm, which is usually just open to professional chefs.
Cheap Chick Info: Depends on purchase
Location Info: 44 Eagle St. between Franklin and West Sts., Brooklyn, Greenpoint
Subway: G to Metropolitan/Lorimer

Dumpling Making Workshop
1 p.m.
Learn to make those yummy snacks! Dumpling is not just a pet name anymore.
Cheap Chick Info: $10, you may need to RSVP (valyn@chinesedance.org), and there was a Nov. 15 deadline given, but it's been listed a few places since then, so I would try to check it out!
Location Info: NY Chinese Cultural Center, 390 Broadway (between Walker and White sts) 2nd fl.
Subway: 6,N,R,Q,W to Canal St.

Brooklyn Pie Bake-Off Benefit
1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Hopefully these competitors will find the contest as easy as pie! All proceeds will benefit Bags of the People. Course when you leave you can say, "Bye bye, Miss American Pie."
Cheap Chick Info: $10 and includes free drinks, ice cream, and two pie slice tickets.
Location Info: SPACECRAFT, 355 Bedford, Brooklyn
Subway: L to Bedford

Free screening of American Splendor
2 p.m.
Help fill the void between Comic-cons, by watching the 2003 pic about the life of Harvey Pekar. It stars Paul Giamatti, who incidentally, I loved in Sideways.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Mid-Manhattan Library
Subway: D,F to 42nd Street, 7 to Fifth Ave.

Also a Norwegian craft fair is going on at a local church, watch flicks at the New York Horror Film Festival, ride the smArt shuttle in Brooklyn, and there's a Cupcake Crawl on Sunday.

Cheap Chick Bargain Bulletin, November 16, 2009

If you want to party like a native New Yorker, then crash this soiree...
Tuesday November 17, 2009
Not for Tourists 2010 Guide Release Party
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Get a free book, as well as free drinks and the chance to win prizes from Economy Candy, Exit 9, Idlewild, and Cafe Grumpy.
Cheap Chick Info: Free, but you need this flier in order to get the free books.
Location Info: Fontana's, 105 Eldridge Street
Subway: F to Delancey Street

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, Nov. 13-15, 2009

Friday November 13, 2009
Rouge Soiree
6 p.m. to 6:50 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 7:50 p.m.
Sample holiday colors for the lips and nails as well as the latest Bacchus red wines. Also be entered in a raffle to win a spa service!
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Lancome Boutique, 201 Columbus Ave.@69th Street
Subway: 1 to 66th St.

1-Night Stand Music Festival
Various Times
Check out seven clubs, and 30 bands in one night!
Cheap Chick Info: Pay $10 at one club and get into the other six for free!
Location Info: For showtimes and bands, as well as venue info, visit http://www.myspace.com/djmisterx
Subway: Varies

Art Battles
7:30 p.m.
This event is almost like Project Runway except with paint. Teams of two create masterpieces in just three hours as music plays in the background.
Cheap Chick Info: $7
Location Info: M1-5, 52 Walker St.
Subway: 6,J,M,Z,A,C,E,Q,W to Canal St. (remember the R isn't running below 34th St. this weekend.)

Samurai Cinema Series
6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
In honor of the museum's exhibit, "Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868, the Met is screening a number Akira Kurosawa's movies including tonight's showing of The Hidden Fortress from 1958, which I'm told was an inspiration for Star Wars.
Cheap Chick Info: $15, tickets can be purchased in advance here.
Location Info: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium
Subway: 4,5,6 to 86th Street

Saturday November. 14, 2009
Transfer: A Seminar With Naomi Shahib Nye
3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
This is a round-table discussion for adults about how poetry can help people through different stages of life.
Cheap Chick Info: $10, $7 for students and seniors, free to Poets House members
Location Info: Poets House, 10 River Terrace
Subway: A,C,2,3 to World Trade Center

My Dinner With Andre Screening
2 p.m.
Feast on this 1981 Louis Malle film, where Wallace Shawn and Andre Gregory dine and converse about their lives-I hope they get dessert too! A cocktail reception and a conversation with Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn, and Bob Balaban follows the screening.
Cheap Chick Info: $10, main theater is sold out, but other tkts may be available day of show, and the cocktail reception is open to all.
Location Info: Maysles Cinema, 343 Lenox Ave.
Subway: A, C, B, D, 2, 3 to 125th St.

Radio Happy Hour
2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
An old-time radio show that features interviews, performances, and trivia. Today's event includes Craig Finn, Tad Kubler, and Chuck Klosterman.
Cheap Chick Info: $10 in advance, $12 day of show, 18+ only
Location Info: Le Poisson Rouge, 358 Bleecker
Subway: A,C,E,D,F to West 4th St.

Chelsea Art Gallery Hop With the Lunch Club
2 p.m.
Mingle with the arterati (is there such a word?) and don't forget your berets and black clothes.
Cheap Chick Info: $10 in advance or $15 at the door. RSVP here.
Location Info: Meet at Westside Tavern, 23rd bet. 8th and 9th
Subway: C,E to 23rd St.

Firefighter Auction
7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Things are sure to heat up with some of New York's hottest firefighters are auctioned off to the highest bidder! FDNY members will also sign their "City of the Brave" calendar.
Cheap Chick Info: Free, plus $3-$5 drink specials, but be careful on how much you bid ;-)
Location Info: Turtle Bay, 52nd and 2nd
Subway: E,6 to 51st and Lex.

Saturday November 14, 2009 and Sunday November 15, 2009
New-New Sale at Brooklyn Indie Mart
11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Start your pre-Thanksgiving holiday shopping at the Indie Mart with new artists' wares on display.
Cheap Chick Info: Free to attend, make your own purchases, but here's a link to a 10% off coupon!
Location Info: Smith and Union Streets in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn
Subway: F,G to Carroll Street

Sunday November 15, 2009
Brooklyn Chocolate Experiment
1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
I don't know if there will be any Oompa-Loompas, but I'm sure imagination will be used to create some interesting treats!
Cheap Chick Info: $20, get tkts here.
Location Info: Bell House, 149 7th Street, bet 2nd and 3rd Avenues
Subway: F,G (the R isn't running past 34th Street this w/e) to 9th St./4th Ave.

233rd Anniversary of the Battle of Fort Washington
12 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Travel back in time to the American revolution and visit a recreation of a Continental Army camp, complete with musket demonstration. Historic photos and maps will be on display and there will be a blacksmith demonstration, and bagpipe performance.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Fort Tryon Park, Fort Washington Avenue, north of West 190th Street Cafe Lawn in Fort Tryon Park. Enter the park at Margaret Corbin Circle and take the path on your right to the first lawn.
Subway: A to 200th Street

Dutch Bouwerie, Irish Ale House, and the Yiddish King Lear-Historic Diversity in the East Vilage
1 p.m.
This 2-hour walking tour is led by Joyce Gold, a history teacher at NYU and the New School. Stops include McSorley's, Cooper Union, the Yiddish Rialto theater, and the sites of the Astor Place Opera Riot, and the General Slocum disaster.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Meet at St. Mark's in the Bowery, E. 10th and 2nd Ave.
Subway: 6 to Astor Place

Here's a link to a coupon for 30% off at Banana Republic, Gap, and Old Navy. Plus Housing Works is having a sale on cookbooks!

There are tons of events going on in honor of Five Dutch Days, see what "uncanny" structures there are at Canstruction, and a new Sesame Street exhibit has started at the Brooklyn Public Library.

Cheap Chick Bargain Bulletin, Nov. 10, 2009

Kick-off Party for Independent Bookstore Week
7-10 p.m.
Mingle with local authors including Kurt Andersen (Heyday), Jennifer Egan (The Keep), Michael Greenberg (Beg, Borrow, Steal), Josh Neufeld (A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge) and Sharon Zukin (Naked City: The Death and Life of Authentic Urban Places) and get down with your bad self to music by Jones Street Station. Independent Bookstore Week will run from Nov. 15-21st, 2009, check here for info on the week's events.
Cheap Chick Info: Suggested donation of $10
Location Info: PowerHouse Arena, 37 Main St., DUMBO, Brooklyn
Subway: F to York Street, A,C to High Street

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, Nov. 6-8, 2009

Friday Nov. 6, 2009
Vermeer: Art in the Making
6 p.m.
Lecture about Vermeer's style and techniques in conjunction with Vermeer’s Masterpiece "The Milkmaid."
Cheap Chick Info: Free with museum admission (admission is pay-what-you-wish, you can pay as low as $1, or a little less, just tell the cashier you'd like to make a donation and hand over whatever you can afford to pay.
Location Info: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Ave. at 82nd Street, Meet in the Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall in the Uris Center for Education
Subway: 6 to 86th Street

Film Screening: Border Cafe
7 p.m. to 8:45 p.m.
Watch an Iranian movie about a woman who runs her late husband's cafe even though she is threatened by the local male population. This event is presented in conjunction with the Global Film Initiative
Cheap Chick Info: $7 members/students/seniors; $11 nonmembers
Location Info: Asia Society Museum, 725 Park Avenue
Subway: 6 to 68th Street

Saturday Nov. 7, 2009
House of Diehl's Style Wars
10 p.m.
Calling all Project Runway fans! You'll be wondering if you are hearing Tim Gunn saying, "Make it work," when you see designers duke it out over vintage materials and present their creations on the runway. A celeb panel judges the competition, but you can snark amongst yourselves about who you think should be auf'ed.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Don Hill's, 511 Greenwich Street
Subway: C,E to Spring St.

Comic Relief: New York's History in Funny Pages and Capes
11 a.m.
From the parks website, "Join us as we see the role NYC has played in the formation of the superhero myths and see the impact those caped crusaders have had on the very world around us."
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Fort Greene Park, Brooklyn
Subway: R,Q to Dekalb, C to Lafayette

Multiverse Playground

6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

3rd Ward and Paper Garden Records wants to challenge people's perceptions on music and art. Are you game? This "hypnotic and seductive" event includes a conceptual art performance, stand-up comedy, and of course, music.

Cheap Chick Info: $15 in advance, $20 at the door

Location Info: 3rd Ward, 195 Morgan Ave. bet Meadow and Stagg

Subway: L to Grand

Downtown Scramble Scavenger Hunt

2 p.m.

Those cell phones will finally pay off for you if they help you win the first prize of tickets to the Rock of Ages musical. Described as "mind bending" this hunt will have you running all over the downtown area all the way up to the Flatiron building. Wear some comfortable shoes and a bottle of water. Sounds like a good way to meet some new people!

Cheap Chick Info: $15-$20

Location Info: Meet at the Cube at Astor Place, Astor Place and Lafayette

Subway: 6 to Astor Place, N,R to 8th Street

Saturday Nov. 7 and Sunday Nov. 8, 2009
King Con Brooklyn
Freaks and geeks will gather in Brooklyn for the borough's own comic and animation convention and possibly seek out "new life," "strange new worlds," and perhaps someone in a Princess Leia in a gold bikini. There will be exhibitors, vendors, panelists, and signings. Some featured guests will be Act-I-Vate's Dean Haspiel, Northlanders' Brian Wood, illustrator Molly Crabapple, Matt Manning, Bob Greenberger, and and many others. Official website is here.
Cheap Chick Info: $7 per day or $10 for the weekend.
Location Info: Brooklyn Lyceum, 227 4th Ave., Park Slope
Subway: R to Union St.

Sunday Nov. 8, 2009
Who Does She Think She Is? screening and panel discussion
2:45 p.m.
Follow female artists from around the country as they juggle their artistic passions and roles of being wives and mothers. This film was created by the Academy-Award winning co-executive producer of Born Into Brothels, Pamela Tanner Boll. After the screening, a live interactive panel featuring Boll and the artists will originate at Symphony Space. The panel will be moderated by Courtney E. Martin, the award-winning author of Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters: How the Quest for Perfection is Harming Young Women.
Cheap Chick Info: $11, $7 for members, $9 for seniors
Location Info: Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway at 95th Street
Subway: 1,2,3 to 96th Street,

BRUCE (Brooklyn Underground Chili Extravanganza)
Did not get a time, assume you should show up before 8 p.m.
There is more than one way to warm yourself up on a warm winter's night...that's right, you know what I'm talking about. And it's not the TK. Or anything else you might be thinking of that involves warm bodies, it's chili. Come sample chili from 10 competitiors. If you come before 8 p.m. you can enter to win a judge's slot.
Cheap Chick Info: Hmm, didn't get a price either, assume it's free...
Location Info: Barcade, 388 Union Ave., Williamsburg
Subway: G to Metropolitan/Lorimer

Madison Avenue Holiday Expo
10 a.m.
Don't you just love how retailers skip right over Thanksgiving and straight to Christmas and Hannakuh? My neighborhood in Queens already has tinsel decorations up, and Starbucks is serving in their special holiday cups...anyway if you want to get a jump-start to holiday shopping before you've even bought your turkey, then check out crafts and other goodies on the Ave.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Madison Ave. bet. 42nd and 57th Street

Subway: Varies, but the 6 to Grand Central should give you a good start!

Remember that the Bryant Park ice skating rink opens this weekend with special festivities, it's free on First Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum, and at Housing Works Bookstore save 30% on books, CDs, and DVDs.

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, October 30-November 1, 2009

There is lots going on this weekend, so be sure to check my Halloween Guide for all your bloody, gory, ghost, party, drink, tour, and candy needs! Plus there are additional weekend picks that may get those teeth chattering, goosebumps rising, and hair standing on end. Happy Halloween!

Friday October 30, 2009
Housing Works Spelling Bee
8 p.m.
Be sure to ask them to use your word in a sentence, that will help you to spell it..or will it? Come out to live your own version of Spellbound.
Cheap Chick Info: $10
Location Info: Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby Street
Subway: Downtown 6 to Bleecker St., B,D,F,V to Broadway/Lafayette

Celebrate the new Wicked pop-up book
5 p.m.
The city of New York plays host to residents from the land of Oz at this event, which is likely to be "popular." Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain. Ruby slippers are optional footwear.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Barnes & Noble, Lincoln Triangle, 66th and Broadway
Subway: 1 to 66th Street

Variety Show at the New Museum
7 p.m.
Watch a contemporary variety show inspired by original artwork.
Cheap Chick Info: $10 for members, $12 for the general public
Location Info: New Museum, 235 Bowery
Subway: 6 to Spring, N,R to Prince St.

Mount Vernon Hotel Historic Halloween
6 p.m. (for children) and 7:15 p.m. (for adults only.)
This spooky candlelight tour includes scary ghost stories shared by Gerald Fierst.
Cheap Chick Info: $15 general admission, $10 members
Location: Mount Vernon Hotel, 421 East 61st Street between First and York Avenues
Subway: N,R,W,4,5,6 to 59th/Lex.

Critical Mass Halloween Bike Ride
Ride: 7 p.m., Party at 9 p.m.
See if you can ride your bike and wear a Halloween costume at the same time!
Cheap Chick Info: Ride is Free! $10 sliding scale cost for after-party admission
Location Info: Meet at Union Square, 14th St. for the ride, Party is at Surreal Estate, 15 Thames Street, bet. Bogart and Morgan Aves, Brooklyn
Subway: Ride: N,R,W,4,5,6 to 14th St./Union Square, Party: L train to Morgan Ave.

Saturday October 31, 2009-Happy Halloween!
Fright Night VHS Double Feature
8 p.m. to Midnight
Revisit the 80's at this totally awesome double feature of Chopping Mall and Killer Workout.
Cheap Chick Info: $12
Location Info: 92nd Street Y, 200 Hudson Street
Subway: E or 1 to Canal St.

Upper River Run, Thriller on the River
11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
"Canoe through Bronx River Forest past the Botanical Garden and end at the Bronx Zoo."
Cheap Chick Info: $20, for more info call (718) 430-4677.
Location Info: Bronx Park at 219th Street
Subway: 2 to 219th St.

Saturday October 31st, and Sunday November 1, 2009
Ghosts of the Upper West Side Walking Tour
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Learn about spirits past without a Ouija board! Hopefully this will be more interesting than your high school history class-the tour includes local ghost stories based on historic facts
Cheap Chick Info: $20, reservations required. Call 646-573-9509.
Location Info: Meet at 72nd Street and Central Park West
Subway: C to 72nd Street

Sunday November 1, 2009
New York City Marathon
8:20 a.m. (first wave starts)
When you hear the word Roadrunner, don't you automatically think-meep, meep? Just checking...squeeze through the costumed masses to cheer on the racers.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: The race starts at Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island. This year the race is starting in waves, so the first race will be starting at 8:20 a.m. The race will go through all five boroughs and will be visible along First Ave. and Fifth Ave in Manhattan.
Subway: Varies on viewing location.

Galway Kinnell Reading
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The award-winning (we're talking the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award here people) poet will be making a rare (that's what they're saying on the website, you'll have to take their word for it...) appearance to read from his latest works.
Cheap Chick Info: $10
Location Info: Brooklyn Lyceum
Subway: R to Union St.

Fancy on Fifth From Rockefeller Center to the Plaza Hotel
10 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Maybe you really can have breakfast at Tiffany's? Or at least channel Audrey Hepburn walking along this stretch of skyscrapers and shops. On this tour you'll learn about the changes on this iconic avenue from the 19th to 20th centuries.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Meet in the courtyard of 457 Madison Ave. at 51st Street
Subway: F,D (remember the V and the B don't run on the weekends) to 47-50th Street/Rockefeller Center

Cheap Chick Weekend Picks, October 23-25, 2009 (Scroll Down for Halloween Guide!)

Friday October 23 and Saturday October 24, 2009 Little Shop of Horrors Sing-a-long
11 p.m.
Feed me Seymour, feed me! and other memorable movie moments can be relived at this screening, which may invite the question, whatever happened to Rick Moranis? I guess that's a mystery for the folks over at imdb.
Cheap Chick Info: $13, includes one beer
Location Info: 92nd Street Y, 200 Hudson Street
Subway: E to Canal

SketchProv 2009
Fri./Shows at 10 p.m. and 11 p.m., Sat./Shows at 7 p.m., 8:30 p.m., and 10 p.m.
You might decide you need Drew Carey's buzzer when watching the best-of-the-best improv-ers duke it out to be the last one standing to read the credits, er win a prize of some sort...
Cheap Chick Info: Fri./$10 in advance, $12 at the door, Sat./$12 in advance, $15 at the door
Location Info: People's Improv Theater, 154 W. 29th, Street
Subway: 1,9 to 28th St., N,R,W to 28th Street

Saturday October 24, 2009
Free Comedy Workshop
2 p.m.
Are you the next Bob Saget? Find out at this class! Personalities from the Daily Show, Comedy Central, VH-1's Best Week Ever, and even a former Cheers and Seinfeld writer will be on-hand.
Cheap Chick Info: Free! Register here, space fills up fast: http://www.manhattancomedyschool.com/workshop.html
Location Info: Comix, 353 W. 13th Street
Subway: A,C to 14th Street/8th Ave.

NYC Dumpling Festival
12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Try dumplings from around the world plus there's a dumpling eating contest and a dumpling class. For more info, look here.
Cheap Chick Info: $5 a plate for dumplings
Location Info: Sara D. Roosevelt Park, Houston St. (between Forsyth and Chrystie Sts.)
Subway: D to Grand Street, J,M,Z to Bowery

Central Park Pumpkin Festival
12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Feel disgustingly wholesome with fall fun in Central Park including hay rides, a haunted house, a scarecrow design contest, greenmarket vendors, and live performances from Big Apple Circus, and Kidrockers.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Central Park, near 72nd Street
Subway: C to 72nd Street

Greenlight Bookstore Grand Opening
10 a.m. through 7 p.m. and beyond
Sip champagne (at 7 p.m.) and mingle with local literati, there are also giveaways and prizes.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: 686 Fulton Street at Portland, Brooklyn
Subway: C to Lafayette

Dance New Amsterdam 25th Anniversary
10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
For those of you who have fantasized about being in Center Stage or Save the Last Dance, here's your chance to live the dream with FREE classes in modern dance, ballet, contemporary dance, hip hop, jazz, and oh yeah...Pilates, and yoga
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Dance New Amsterdam, 280 Broadway, 2nd Floor (entrance on Chambers)
Subway: R,W to Whitehall St.

Score of Doom Halloween Costume Swap
2 p.m.
Still need a Halloween costume? You might "score" one at this event. Have I mentioned how great swaps are? Well I am now, they're (to quote Tony the Tiger) "grrreeaaattt." I have gotten tons of great clothes and other items from them, and they are usually either free or have a nominal entrance fee.
Cheap Chick Info: $5, RSVP here
Location Info: Trophy Bar, 351 Broadway, Brooklyn
Subway: J,M,Z to Marcy Ave.

Sunday October 25, 2009
Greenpoint Oktoberfest
12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Food, music, crafts, and of course beer all play a part at this party.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Transmitter Park (1 Greenpoint Ave near West St)
Subway: G to Greenpoint

Financial History in Lower Manhattan Walking Tour
2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Learn about financial juggernauts such as Lehman Brothers, Chase Manhattan, Bank of New York, AIG, Kuhn, Loeb, Bankers Trust, and historic events and people relating to the economy.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Meet at Broadway and Liberty St. in front of the red cube at 140 Broadway
Subway: 4,5 to Wall Street

P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center Fall Opening Celebration
12 p.m. to 6 p.m.
The musuem starts its fall season with these new exhibits: 1969, 100 Years (version #2, ps1, nov 2009), Between Spaces, On-site 2: Chitra Ganesh, and Robert Bergman: Selected Portraits.
Cheap Chick Info: $5 suggested donation
Location Info: P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, 22-25 Jackson Ave at the intersection of 46th Ave
Subway: E,V to 23rd St./Ely

Live Bat Encounter
12 p.m.
Get up-close and personal with bats (be sure to check for fangs ;-) with Rob Mies, TV personality and Director of the Organization for Bat Conservation.
Cheap Chick Info: $4, $3 for members
Location Info: New York Hall of Science, (47-01 111th Street)
Subway: 7 train to 111th Street Station

Cheap Chick Book Swap and Brunch
12:30 p.m.
I obviously have to toot my own horn here, I've organized a book swap so bibliophiles can unite and save $ on books. Bring all the books you couldn't rid of by sticking them on an apartment radiator, or come even if you don't have books to swap, I have plenty to get rid of.
Cheap Chick Info: $5 for the actual swap, on your own for whatever you eat or drink-you can get whatever you want. Please RSVP to cheapchickinthecity@hotmail.com
Location Info: Rodeo Bar, 27th and 3rd, we'll likely be on the cozy 2nd floor area
Subway: 6 to 28th Street

Also the New Amsterdam Market re-opens today!

Don't forget there are plenty of events still left in my fall guide. My Cheap Chick Halloween Guide will be live soon!