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.