Cheap Chick New York City Weekend Picks, April 30-May 2, 2010

Friday April 30, 2010
Chelsea and the High Line
2 p.m.
Join Big Onion Walking Tours to learn more about this area of the city. Stops may include the High Line (depends on the weather), The Chelsea Hotel, Death Alley, The General Theological Society, and “sites associated with Dylan Thomas, Clement Clarke Moore, Janis Joplin, John Sloan, and the birthplace of the Oreo cookie.” (Hint: the Oreo cookie was “born” at the Chelsea Market.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Meet in front of the Chelsea Hotel, 222 West 23rd St. bet. 7th and 8th Aves. Subway: A,C,E,F,1 to 23rd St.

Made in the 80’s
11:30 p.m.
Costume and dance party recalling those good ‘ol days of crimped hair, leg warmers, and cuffed jeans. Prize for the best costume!
Cheap Chick Info: $5
Location Info: Union Hall, 702 Union St. at Fifth Ave.
Subway: M,R to Union Street

Wildflower Week also starts today!

Saturday May 1, 2010
Birds of Prey
1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Join Bobby Horvath, a NYC firefighter and the US Fish and Wildlife Services, for a lecture and demonstration featuring hawks, falcons, and owls as part of the park’s On a Wing Series.
Cheap Chick Info: Free! Call 212-772-0210
Location Info: Belvedere Castle, Central Park (mid-park near 79th Street)
Subway: C to 81st St./Museum of Natural History

1910 Costume Ball
7 p.m.
Party like it’s, well, 1910 to celebrate the beer garden’s 100th anniversary with a live band playing music from the era, ballroom dancers, and a best costume prize.
Cheap Chick Info: $19.10
Location Info: Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden, 29-19 24th Ave., Astoria
Subway: N to Astoria Blvd.

Patti Smith and Jonathan Lethem in Conversation
1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
The music icon now memoirist and Brooklyn’s own Jonathan Lethem author of books like Motherless Brooklyn and Fortress of Solitude.
Cheap Chick Info: $10/$8 PEN members
Location Info: Great Hall, 7 E. 7th St.
Subway: 6 to Astor Place

Blended Families: Tracing African-Native American Genealogy
1 p.m.
Check out this workshop related to the exhibit "IndiVisible: African-Native Lives in the Americas" now on display in DC. Angela Walton-Raji will lead this workshop for people of dual and Native American ancestry.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: National Museum of the American Indian, 1 Bowling Green
Subway: 4,5 to Bowling Green

Boardwalk Barrel of Fun
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wear your play clothes to decorate the beach’s garbage cans (no trashy designs here, lol!) Seascapes, carnival scenes, and landscapes are the suggested themes, and the judges will award prizes to four categories: family (for the younger set and their parents), high school artists, college artists, and open (that’s the adults.) Judges will award prizes based on originality, following theme, creativity, use of color, and pizzazz. Supplies will be provided.
Cheap Chick Info: Free! Participants are encouraged to pre-register (call 718-965-8993), but the day-of participants will also be accommodated. Registered participants will get a free painter’s cap.
Location Info: Riegellman Boardwalk at Coney Island
Subway: D,Q,N,F to Stillwell Ave.

The Brooklyn Museum is hosting an Enviro-friendly fair as part of its Free First Saturday program , check out Kentucky Derby Parties at Union Hall (http://www.unionhallny.com/home.php), Flloyd (http://floydny.com/), Dry Dock Wine and Spirits (http://www.drydockny.com/, and the Bell House (http://www.thebellhouseny.com)/, and you can check out the Mayor’s Cricket Cup!

There is also another free Bargemusic concert today http://www.bargemusic.org/calendar.html and Toni Morrison is at Cooper Union http://cooper.edu/home/news-events/events/toni-morrison-and-marlene-van-niekerk-in-conversation-with-anthony-appiah/, it's Swing-a-Ring Day http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2010/05/01/7th-annual-swingaring-day, and every Saturday through 6/19 there are free tours of Fresh Kills!

Saturday and Sunday April 29th and 30th
Mott Haven Open Artist Studio Tour
11 am to 5 p.m.
Visit galleries, studios, galleries, and alternative art spaces in the Bronx.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: A map of the studios is available here. http://bronxarts.org/documents/4MHmap.pdf
Subway: 2, 4, 5 trains to 149 St-Grand Concourse (recommended for Sat.) and the 6 train to 3 Avenue / 138 Street (recommended for Sunday.) The trolley will run on Saturday from the Longwood Art Gallery (450 Grand Concourse) to stops on the map.

Sunday May 2, 2010
Raspberry Brothers, Twilight 2: New Moon
7 p.m.
There’s just something mockable about these movies isn’t there?
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Knitting Factory, 361 Metropolitan Avenue
Subway: L,G to Lorimer/Metropolitan

Momma Said: Lies Our Mother Told Us (And some We Wish They Had)
6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
From the website, "Join us for a hilarious pre-Mother's Day evening of readings, memories, and family secrets with some of Brooklyn's funniest writers and comedians." For more info go here. http://wordbrooklyn.com/event/moms-are-funny
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Word, 126 Franklin St.
Subway: G to Greenpoint

Fort Greene Association House Tour
12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Explore the historic homes of this Brooklyn neighborhood. More info here: http://historicfortgreene.org/
Cheap Chick Info: $20 in advance, non cheap-chick price: $25
Location Info: Tour starts at the BAM Triangle Park at Fulton Street and Lafayette Avenue, but participants are given maps to tour the homes at any time they wish.
Subway: For directions check here: http://historicfortgreene.org/house-tour-2010/

On Sunday there is also the Irish Arts Center New York City Dance Festival http://www.irishartscenter.org/dance.htm, The Miss Fag Hag Pageant http://www.mintyfreshcomedy.com/missfaghag/show.html, and the Stoop, Synagogue, and Soapbox Walking tour via the Museum at Eldridge Street!

All weekend there’s the Spring Food and Craft Market at the Brooklyn Lyceum http://www.bkcraftcentral.com/ the Marble Cemetery at 41 and ½ Second Ave. is open from Noon to 4 p.m. and the Cherry Blossom Festival is happening at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden http://www.bbg.org/discover/cherries/!

Cheap Chick New York City, Weekend Picks April 23-25, 2010

All events are up now! Also be sure to follow me on Twitter for other great deals, events, and links to articles!

Friday April 23, 2010
Inhabitat Fifth Birthday Party
7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
The green-friendly weblog celebrates in a green space with food, conversation, and cocktails. Who says it’s not easy being green?
Cheap Chick Info: Free
Location Info: Green Spaces NYC, 394 Broadway, 5th Fl.
Subway: N,R,Q,W,J,M,Z,6 to Canal St.

Project Runaway
8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
This 2D/3D “mash-up” features inflatable sculptures, and performances featuring pizza and soccer balls, Batman, and live music. Not to be confused with the Heidi Klum show, though I think it’s included all of the above elements.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: 3rd Ward, 195 Morgan Ave.
Subway: L to Grand St. or Morgan Ave.

Literary Lunchtime with Anchee Min
12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
This is the first in a new series at the Asia Society with the first program highlighting a reading and discussion of Anchee Min’s new novel Pearl of China, a novel inspired by the author Pearl Buck. Min will be joined by Emily Parker, a fellow for the Arthur Ross Center on US-China relations.
Cheap Chick Info: Free for Asia Society and AAWW (Asian-American Writer’s Workshop), $8 for students/seniors, and $10 for non-members. Buy tkts by calling 212-517-ASIA, or possibly at the door.
Location Info: Asia Society and Museum, 725 Park Ave.
Subway: 6 to 68th St.

Don’t Touch Me There Comedy
7:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
A “comedy spectacular” that features Matt McCarthy (from the Verizon Fios commercial), live sketches, short film, and an after-party
Cheap Chick Info: free!
Location Info: Karma Downstairs Theater, 51 First Ave. bet 3rd and 4th Streets
Subway: F,V to Second Ave.

Friday April 23, 2010, and Saturday April 24, 2010
EarthFair at Grand Central Station
Friday 12 to 7 p.m. and Saturday 11 to 5p.m.
This green-friendly fair has live music, organic food, and large exhibit areas.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Vanderbilt Ave., Grand Central
Subway: 4,5,6,7,S to 42nd St. to Grand Central Station

Saturday April 24, 2010
Gemini and Scorpio Swing House Second Anniversary
9 p.m.
It isn’t Brenden Fraser in Blast From the Past, but these guys know how to throw a party. Channel the spirit of the Great Gatsby and revisit the Jazz Age, so no flannel shirts here folks!
Cheap Chick Info: $20/$15 with RSVP and theme dress, $10 after midnight
Location Info: The Green Building, 450 Union St. at Bond St., Gowanus, Brooklyn
Subway: F,G to Carroll St.

The Author in the Age of the Internet
7 p.m.
Authors John Lanchester, Andrew O’Hagan, Colm Tobin, Mary-Kay Wilmers, and James Wood weigh in on the future of writing and publishing with that new-fangled Internet thing, and that darn Kindle contraption.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: NYU, Tishman Auditorium, 66 W. 12th St. at 6th Ave.
Subway: L,F to 14th St./6th Ave.

NYC Chili Cookout
11 a.m. through 4 p.m.
This family-style event will include chili sampling, judging, cash prizes, amusements, and live entertainment.
Cheap Chick Info: $8
Location Info: Historic Richmond Town, 441 Clarke Avenue, Staten Island
Subway: Take the Staten Island Ferry and then the S74 bus to Richmond Road or St. Patrick's Place

Portals to the Past: Archaeology at New York City’s Historic Homes
1 p.m.
The Professional Archeologists of New York City presents information about the places people have called home in this urban metropolis. The home sweet homes range from mansions to tenement apartments.
Cheap Chick Info: Free with museum admission
Location Info: Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave.
Subway: 6 to 103rd St.

Off the Grid 2010: Sustainable Music Festival
3:30 to 8 p.m.
Free outdoor music festival on a recycled stage with educational exhibitions and giveaways.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Solar One, 23rd St. and the East River
Subway: 6 to 23rd St., then take the M23 Bus east to Ave. C

There is a free Bargemusic concert today http://www.bargemusic.org/calendar.html, a free open house at the Taoist Tai Chi Society, http://www.taichinyc.org/, and see the Sikh Day Parade, http://www.sikhnet.com/events/2010/annual-nyc-sikh-day-parade-please-note-changed-route.

Sunday April 25, 2010
Zoe Heller and Robin Black
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Heller, the author of Notes on a Scandal, and Black, whose work had appeared in anthologies such as The Best Nonrequired Reading share from their new works.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: KGB Bar, 85 E. 4th St.
Subway: 6 to Astor Place

Antique Auto Show
11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
See cars on display from the New York Antique Auto Club, and check out historic house tours, hayrides, and food.
Cheap Chick Info: $5 for adults, $2 for children under two.
Location Info: Queens County Farm Museum
Subway: E or F Train to Kew Gardens/Union Turnpike Station, Q46 Bus (eastbound on Union Tpk.) to Little Neck Parkway Stop. Cross Union Tpk and walk North on Little Neck Pky 3 blocks to Museum Entrance

Moravian Cemetery Tour: A Who’s Who in Staten Island History
2 p.m.
Join Richard L. Simpson, the “cemetery guy” for a 90-minute tour of this local cemetery. Today the focus will be on the Atlantic Avenue section with looks at resting places of Alice Austen, George Wm. Curtis (Curtis High School), Judge Erastus Brooks (the first person to make use of the telegraph for newspaper reports), historian and philanthropist Dorothy Valentine Smith, Elmer Dundy (owner of Coney Island’s Luna Park), cigar manufacturer Alvaro Garcia (Garcia & Vega), pencil manufacturer Eberhard Faber, Dr. Nathaniel Lord Britton (founder-New York Botanical Gardens), and historian/author Charles W. Leng.
Cheap Chick Info: $10, Reservations are recommended since tours are limited to 20 people, RSVP to cemeteryguy@earthlink.net
Location Info: Meet at the Moravian Cemetery, 2205 Richmond Road
Subway: Sorry guys, best I can do is take the ferry and then take the bus to the Grant City stop

Swap away at Swap-a-Palooza at NYU, http://fashionswapandmeet.wordpress.com/2009/04/24/nyu-swap-a-palooza-sunday-april-26/, attend NYC Grows http://www.nyrp.org/Calendar_Programs/Calendar/vw/3/ItemID/75/d/20100425, do some shopping at the Hester Street Fair http://www.hesterstreetfair.com/, which opens this weekend, and find out all the buzz on beekeeping http://rooftopfarms.org/

May Media Events, Cheap Chick New York City Bargain Bulletin, April 20, 2010

Calling all Journalists and Writers! The Deadline Club (The NYC Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists) is having two awesome media-related events in May!

Become a Multimedia Guru, Sunday May 9, 2010
Join the Deadline Club Sunday May 9, 2010 for a special day of multimedia programming that will bring together a variety of multimedia experts to share their knowledge with fellow journalists and media professionals!This day-long event will include four 1-hour long sessions at University Settlement House at 273 Bowery.

Here’s a rundown of the day (Come for just one session or come for all four!):

12:30-1 p.m.
Registration/Check-in (will also be available prior to each session start.)

1-2 p.m.
“How to Build Your Brand Online — Building Your web Portfolio, not Just the Website, but What’s in it, Too” presented by Wasim Ahmad, faculty member at SUNY Stony Brook. Wasim has a MS in photography from Syracuse’s Newhouse school and has worked as a copy editor, columnist, multimedia journalist, and web editor at Gannet and Scripps newspapers in Minnesota, Florida, and at the Press & Sun-Bulletin in Binghamton, New York.

2-3 p.m.
“How to be a Full-Service Freelancer” presented by Nicholas Charles, a former reporter at the New York Daily News, Newsday, a foreign correspondent covering Africa and Haiti for the Cleveland Plain Dealer, staff writer at People, editor-in-chief at Black Voices, and VP for digital content at BET. He will share knowledge on bringing together the elements of web journalism: text, photo, video, and audio.

3-3:30 p.m. Break

3:30-4:30 p.m.
“Use SEO in Your Writing to Drive Traffic to Your Articles and Blogs” presented by Gracey Newman, SEO/Content Manager for Spafinder.com and the author of (http://graceynewman.wordpress.com/) about personal branding, SEO, and social media. Gracey has worked as a Marketing Consultant at Indeed.com, the Marketing Manager at PPR Healthcare Staffing, and the Senior Creative Designer at PPR Healthcare Staffing.

4:30-5:30 p.m.
“Making Good Pictures Great in a Multimedia Environment” presented by Todd Maisel, who has worked as a photographer for 27 years and is currently an 11-year staff photographer for the New York Daily News, an adjunct professor of photography at City Tech (CUNY), Region 2 Chairman of the National Press Photographers Association (http://www.nppa.org/) and a member of the police and credentials committee for the New York Press Photographers Association.

5:30-6 p.m.
End/Check-out

Price: Free to Deadline Club members, For non-members: $10 per individual session, Two sessions for $15, Three sessions for $25, and Four sessions for $35!

Seating is limited! Please RSVP to rsvp@deadlineclub.org with the sessions you want to attend. Cash-only will be taken at the door.

Education Event: "Doing FOI When Stretched Thin," May 26, 2010
Are you bombarded with daily stories, web postings and extra responsibilities? Feel like you can’t do the kind of depth reporting you want? Or maybe you just want to improve your reporting skills and bolster your already stellar stories?

David Cuillier, the chairman of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Freedom of Information Committee, will share great ideas for document-based community stories, strategies for overcoming public records denials, psychological skills for getting officials to give you what you need, tips for making records part of your daily routine and rousing inspiration for doing great journalism.

Cuillier, a FOI newsroom trainer for SPJ for five years, is a former reporter and editor and now teaches journalism at the University of Arizona. He is co-author of The Art of Access: Strategies for Acquiring Public Records, teaches courses on access, and conducts research on access strategies. His national FOI tour is sponsored by the Sigma Delta Chi Foundation, a non-profit organization that aids SPJ and journalism initiatives, with assistance by the University of Arizona School of Journalism.

What: FOI Presentation With Dave Cuillier, chairman of the Society of Professional Journalists’ Freedom of Information Committee
When: May 26, 2010, Check-in at 6:30 p.m. with program starting at 7 p.m.
Where: NY Associated Press Headquarters, 430 W. 33rd St.
Cost: Free to members, $10 for non-members
RSVP: Space is limited, so reserve a seat now at rsvp@deadlineclub.org.

Cheap Chick NYC Weekend Picks, April 16-18, 2010

Friday April 16, 2010
The Lost Library: Gay Fiction Rediscovered Book Launch Party
Release party with Christopher Bram, Paul Russell, and editor Tom Cardamone who will share their essays on favorite out-of-print queer fiction
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby St.
Subway: B,D,F,V, Downtown 6 to Broadway-Lafayette

Adam Geeks Out April All-Star Edition
8 p.m.
This 2-hour long extravaganza features screenwriter Will Rokos (Monster’s Ball), the essay “Don Knotts Reluctant Sex Object, the lecture Jesus vs. Magneto, stories from Masterpiece Comics, the secret history of New York Floppers, and GEEK Bingo!
Cheap Chick Info: $10
Location Info: 92ndY Tribeca, 200 Hudson
Subway: 1,E to Canal St.

Rooftop Films Screening
Doors open at 7:30 p.m., live music at 8 p.m., a music video at 8:30 p.m., and the movie at 8:45 p.m.
To fill that time in-between Glee episodes you can view the documentary Cool & Crazy, which is about Norway’s Berlevag Men’s Choir. Side note: I love the Will & Grace ep where Jack auditions for the Gay Men’s Chorus. You know the one, Matt Damon guest stars.
Cheap Chick Info: $10 online or at the door
Location Info: Open Road Rooftop above New Design High, 350 Grand Street (at Essex)
Subway: J,M,Z,F to Essex/Delancey St.

Let’s Talk About Sex: Gender Issues in a Post-Feminist World
6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Panel discussion with artists Ghada Amer, Judith Bernstein, and Julia Randall (artists included in The 185 Annual) who will discuss gender issues in a post-feminist world, the implications of using sexual imagery in their work, and how cultural and generational issues have influenced their art.
Cheap Chick Info: $10 (includes museum admission)
Location Info: National Academy Museum, 1083 Fifth Ave.
Subway: 6 to 86th St.

Saturday April 17, 2010
Hair Sing-a-Long
10:30 p.m.
Exercise your vocal chords during the Age of Aquarius during this classic flick.
Cheap Chick Info: $13
Location Info: 92ndY Tribeca, 200 Hudson St.
Subway: 1,E to Canal

Arts for Transit: Atlantic Terminal
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
During this walking tour you will discover art in the subway, specifically an installation by George Trakas, and learn about the architecture of the station from John Di Domenico and artists Allan and Ellen Wexler.
Cheap Chick Info: $15, Reservations required, and you must buy tkts online
Location Info: Meet inside the LIRR-Atlantic Ave station, use entrance at Flatbush and Hanson Place in Brooklyn
Subway: D,M,N,Q,R,2,3,4,5 to Atlantic Ave.

Saturday April 17th and Sunday April 18th, 2010
Tour the Servant’s Quarters at The Merchant’s House Museum
See an area of the museum normally off-limits to visitors. Trek up to the fourth floor where the family’s Irish servants lived and work.
Cheap Chick Info: Included with regular admission, reservations not required
Location Info: Merchant’s House Museum, 29 E. 4th St.
Subway: N,R to 8th St., 6 to Astor Place, F to Broadway-Lafayette

Christoph Niemann: I Lego® New York
3 to 4 p.m.
Lego® my New York! (not my Eggo waffle)! This is the official launch of Niemann’s book, which features iconic NYC scenes using the classic toy bricks. Bring your own Lego® scenes to win a free copy of the book.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: powerhouse Arena, 37 Main St., DUMBO
Subway: F to York St., A,C to High Street

Traditional Dance Social With The Thunderbird Indian Dancers and Singers
7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Enjoy this dance social with a special drum song by Heyna Second Sons.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: National Museum of the American Indian, 1 Bowling Green
Subway: 4,5 to Bowling Green

Snuggie Pub Crawl
12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Wearing blankets and drinking, hmm, sounds like a winning combination.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Village Pourhouse, 64 Third Ave.
Subway: L to 3rd Ave., 4,5,6,N,R,Q,W to Union Square

There's also a Rococo party tonight! As my fave speaking clock said in Beauty and the Beast, "If it isn't Baroque, don't fix it." Love that...hopefully the party is as much fun! Also channel your inner child at Street Games!

Sunday April 18, 2010
Lamb Cook-Off
I hope there aren’t any pieces of white puppet in the lamb dishes showcased today. Was that too mean? Hmm. This one is definitely not for the vegetarians.
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: The Bell House, 149 7th St.
Subway: M,R to 4th Ave./9th St.

ASSCAT3000
7:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Improv show with special guests from Saturday Night Live, Late Night With Conan O’Brien, and The Daily Show.
Cheap Chick Info: 7:30 show is $10, online reservations are sold out, but there will be standby tkts available. The 9:30 show is free, but there are no reservations, tkts will be given out at 8:15 p.m. outside the theater tonight.
Location Info: Upright Citizens Brigade
Subway: C,E to 23rd St.

Cartooning 101: The Vocabulary and Process Comics
10 a.m.
Learn the basics of cartoons and the use of comics as a visual learning tool as part of the Charles Addams’ exhibit at the museum.
Cheap Chick Info: $10 fee by cash or check only, email: ezipris@mcny.org
Location Info: Museum of the City of New York, 1220 Fifth Ave. at 103rd St.
Subway: 6 to 103 St.

Raspberry Brothers: Twilight/New Moon
7 p.m.
Somehow the Twilight series seems like an easy target for this comedy show…
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Knitting Factory, 361 Metropolitan Ave.
Subway: L/G to Lorimer/Metropolitan Ave.

Also there is bird watching in Battery Park on Sunday as part of large calendar of earth-friendly events, and this weekend there is a book sale at the International Center of Photography and one for arts and design books at Housing Works. And if you’re down by the World Financial Center you can check out the “Forest” made of used clothing and by the 23rd a “koi pond” a life-like floor painting.

The Eleventh Hour Dr. Who Review, April 15, 2010

(Warning slight spoilers ahead...)
The Doctor is back. This may seem rather obvious to fans of the long-running Dr. Who series, but those were the words pounding through my brain after I watched the sneak preview of the first ep in the new series, crammed in a theater full to the brim of fans who chanted and thrust two fingers in the air to symbolize the 11th Doctor prior to the screening.

There is a new Doctor, the charming and affable Matt Smith, and while I did have doubts about his ability to fill David Tennant’s sneakers, he makes a bloody, fun start in the first episode of the series. I don’t know that I’d say that the Doctor is better than ever, and it was still a bit jarring to see Smith in the eponymous role, but it is still the Doctor’s world to save and I for one am glad he is back. Smith said of his plans for his turn as the Doctor, “Everything is experimental.”

The first ep centers on young Amy Pond, who hears mysterious voices coming from a crack in her bedroom wall. The older version of Pond is played with feisty brilliance by Karen Gillan who said of her new role as companion, “She’s almost as mad as the Doctor.” While I did enjoy the return of the TARDIS, and the new Doctor and companion, I thought the first ep had a slightly obvious plot (a good way to introduce the new characters?), and was a little slow-moving at first. It also treaded familiar territory (alien life forms wanting to destroy the earth), but by the end I couldn’t wait to see where the TARDIS would go next (though I doubt Gillan took up one fan’s invite to sushi after the Q&A.)

During the first ep, the Doctor describes himself as “A mad man with a box,” which seems to me like an apt description of Stephen Moffat, lead writer and executive producer of the series, who advises fans eager for spoilers, “Oh watch the soddy thing.”

The first ep of the new series airs Saturday April 17th, on BBC America at 9 p.m.

Cheap Chick NYC Bargain Bulletin, Dr. Who Screening

Wednesday, April 14, 2010
7 p.m.
This is a special once-in-a-lifetime premiere screening event of the new Doctor Who series (one of the Cheap Chick's favorite shows), immediately followed by a Q&A with actors Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, and lead writer and executive producer Steven Moffat at the Village East Cinema. The Q&A session will be moderated by USA Today’s Pop Culture Columnist Whitney Matheson, author of the Pop Candy blog (popcandy.usatoday.com). The event is open to the public and seating is on a first-come, first served basis on the day of the event. Facebook Event Page.

From the BBC:
Early Reviews...
“Smith brings just the right spark, and glimmer of boyish wide-eyed wonder” - Matt Roush - TV Guide

“the 7-year-old Who fan that lives inside me says there were at least three moments when he wanted to find a couch to hide behind.” - Clark Collis - EW.com

“Reports from the television future that the Moffat/Smith Doctor Who reboot is splendid in every way” – LA Times critic Robert Lloyd on twitter.

Cheap Chick NYC Weekend Picks, April 9-11, 2010

Friday April 9, 2010
First Fridays: Cubanisimo!
6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Enjoy a free night of film, art, performance, music, and special programs featuring a collaboration with the Havana Film Festival of New York including a short film festival, live bands, and DJs.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse at 165th St.
Subway: B,D to 167th St.

Roger Ma: Zombie Combat Manual: A Guide to Fighting the Living Dead
7:30 p.m.
The author discusses his new book and demonstrates proper zombie-fighting techniques.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Park Slope Barnes & Noble, 267 7th Ave.
Subway: F to Seventh Ave.

U.S. Air Guitar Championships
9 p.m.
If someone air claps at an air guitar championship, does it make a sound? If you follow air guitar championships, does that make you an "air head?" Ponder this and other questions as these air musicians jam.
Cheap Chick Info: $10
Location Info: Brooklyn Bowl, 61 Wythe Avenue bet. 11th and 12th Sts. in W-burg
Subway: L to Bedford

Don’t forget Nerd Night tonight at Galapagos!

Friday and Saturday April 9 and 10, 2010
Manhattan Vintage Book and Ephemera Fair
Friday: 5-10 p.m., Saturday: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Exhibitors will display their wares, which include rare books, maps, postcards, autographs, prints, posters, and other collectibles.
Cheap Chick Info: $12
Location Info: Altman Building, 135 W. 18th St. bet. 6th and 7th Aves.
Subway: 1 to 18th St.

NeverEnding Story
Midnight
Revisit Fantasia and relive every bookworm's secret fantatsy...don't deny it. You know it's true!
Cheap Chick Info: $9.99
Location Info: Landmark Sunshine, 143 E. Houston St.
Subway: F,V to Second Ave.

Saturday April 10, 2010
J-cation with the Japan Society
1 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Travel to Japan without the jet lag! This 12-hour party/staycation features Japanese snacks and drinks, cooking demonstrations, workshops, msuic, film, and even Japanese game shows!
Cheap Chick Info: $5 suggested donation
Location Info: Japan Society, 333 E. 47th Street
Subway: 4,5,6,7,S to Grand Central Terminal

April Bird Walk
9 a.m.
Find out more about our fine feathered friends (I like that alliteration!) in Central Park through this program hosted by the New York Historical Society.
Cheap Chick Info: $10 for members, $20 for non-members, there is only room for 35 guests on the tour, so make reservations in advance! Get tickets and more info here.
Location Info: New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West
Subway: C to 81st St.

Prospect Park Midnight Ride
9 p.m.
Cycle to the park sites with fellow bike enthusiasts!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Prospect Park, near Grand Army Plaza
Subway: 2,3 to Grand Army Plaza

There’s also the Tartan Week parade (http://www.tartanweek.com/), and if you like the Prospect Park Midnight Ride, you’ll also like the Blessing of the Bikes at St. John the Divine Church-hey bikes have feelings too-I bet some even have names! Plus the Greenpoint Food Market and Brooklyn Flea both reopen today!

Saturday and Sunay April 10 and 11, 2010
Old and New Money: Victorian and Central Park West
2 p.m.
From Discovery Walking Tours: "A tour of the two great boulevards of wealth – CPW and 5th Avenue – and how their architecture reflects the social aspects of the Victorian communities that lived there. Stops include the Dakota, the Prasada, and the Payne Whitney and Henry Clay Frick mansions."
Cheap Chick Info: $18
Location Info: Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and location/meeting place.
Subway: See above.

Sunday April 11, 2010
Raspberry Brothers Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Screening
See the Brooklyn comedy duo “razz” on the movie!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Knitting Factory, 361 Metropolitan Avenue
Subway: L/G to Lorimer

Earth Day Celebration
3 p.m.
Environmental fun for the whole family! Learn about recycling, environmental issues, and recycling garbage at home.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts, 2900 Campus Road
Subway: 2 to Flatbush Ave.

Bowery Books Poets Book Party
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Hear poets Fay Chiang, Cynthia Kramen, and Janet Hamill recite in the Tribes Reading Room.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: A Gathering of Tribes, 285 E. Third St., 2nd Floor, bet. B and C
Subway: F to Second Ave.

Studio Museum Artists-in-Residence Open Studios
1 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Meet Studio Museum artists Mequita Ahuja, Lauren Kelley, and Valerie Piraino.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Studio Museum in Harlem, 144 W. 125 Street (bet. Lenox Ave. and Adam Clayton Powell)
Subway: 2,3 to 125th

Bread-Off
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Make sure you have enough "dough" if you "knead" to attend this bread bake-off for charity. Chefs from venues like Blue Hill will battle it out to see whose "rises" to the top! OK, I know, lame bread buns, er puns, but it's late, cut me some slack!
Cheap Chick Info: $20, email heidi@tastebudsnyc.com for a reservation
Location Info: Jimmy's No. 43, 43 E. 7th St.
Subway: 6 to Astor Place

Also this weekend there is a Newspaper Film Festival at the Film Forum, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival, and The Economics of Climate Change Conference at the New School.

Cheap Chick New York City Weekend Picks, April 2-4, 2010

Friday April 2, 2010
Julliard Period Instrumental Ensemble
8 p.m.
Enjoy this free concert conducted by William Christie where the musicians perform musical instruments.
Cheap Chick Info: Free! Call 212-875-5050
Location Info: Alice Tully Hall, 1941 Broadway at 65th St.
Subway: 1 to 66th St.

Opening Reception for Beautiful Bushwick exhibit
6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Paintings by Deborah Brown immortalize the neighborhood.
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Storefront, 16 Wilson Ave.
Subway: L to Morgan Avenue

Naked Girls Reading Tween Lit
8 p.m.
Before there was Sex and the City, and you could decide if you were a Carrie, Samantha, Miranda, or Charlotte, there was the Babysitters’ Club, and the choices were Kristy, Mary Anne, Claudia, Dawn, and Stacey (original recipe.) Which one are you? I think I may have been a Sweet Valley Twin, despite the lack of blonde hair, blue eyes, and perfect figure. Tonight relive the nostalgia of your childhood books with this reading.
Cheap Chick Info: $20-$25
Location Info: Madame X, 94 W. Houston St. bet LaGuardia and Thompson St.
Subway: B,D,F,V to Broadway/Lafayette

Don’t forget that the Earth From Above Exhibit is starting today at Bryant Park (http://blog.bryantpark.org/post/434874489/coming-soon-to-bryant-park-earth-from-above), and the New York Auto show is at the Javits Center (http://www.autoshowny.com/tickets).

Saturday April 3, 2010
Christopher Moore at Borders
6 p.m.
Moore is promoting his new book Bite Me: A Love Story
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Borders Columbus Circle, 10 Columbus Circle
Subway: A,C,D,1 to 59th St./Columbus Circle

Today is National Pillow Fight Day (http://www.pillowfightday.com/2010/new-york), come join the fun around Union Square at 3 p.m.

WWOW Radio Play
6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Can you be one of those pesky kids and solve the mystery first? Enjoy retro radio mystery plays in a secret space at this bookstore.
Cheap Chick Info: $7, Call 212-462-3027 for reservations
Location Info: Partners and Crime Bookstore, 44 Greenwich, corner of Charles
Subway: 1 to Christopher St.

Jewmongus’ Passover Celebration
8 p.m.
Celebrate the holiday with Sean Altman, musician and founding member of Rockapella, your favorite group from “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?” I always wanted to be on that show.
Cheap Chick Info: $20, buy tkts here: http://www.92y.org/shop/92Tri_event_detail.asp?productid=T%2DMM5PA01
Location Info: 92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St.
Subway: A,C,E,1 to Canal St.

Manhattan Streetscapes: The Good, The Bad, and The Awful Walking Tour
11 a.m.
From the website, “Come along on a tour of some of the best and worst streetscapes that Manhattan has to offer, from the charm of Stone Street to avenues lined with tacky newsracks; from the integrated design of the Grand Central Partnership to streets that sport sorry furniture and illegal signage."
Cheap Chick Info: $15, reservations required, call 212-935-2075. Be sure to bring a Metrocard
Location Info: Meeting place supplied after RSVP
Subway: See above.

Celebrate Easter With Ayala Champagne
4 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Sample a bit of the bubbly to celebrate the holiday!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: 67 Wine, 179 Columbus Ave.
Subway: 1 to 66th St.

Black Nature: A Panel & Poetry Reading with Camille T. Dungy, Sean Hill, Yusef Komunyakaa, and Evie Shockley
Panel: 2:30 p.m.; Reading: 4 p.m.
From Poets House "Contributors to the landmark anthology Black Nature: Four Centuries of African American Nature Poetry gather for conversation and readings. Cosponsored by Cave Canem."
Cheap Chick Info: $10, $7 for students and seniors, free to Poets House members
Location Info: Poets House, 10 River Terrace
Subway: 1,2,3,A,C to Chambers

Let’s Go to the Movies: Central Park Walking Tour
1 p.m.
Movie buffs can scout out film sites in Central Park. Hopefully the tour gets two thumbs up!
Cheap Chick Info: Free!
Location Info: Doris Freedman Plaza, Central Park, 60th St. and Fifth Ave.
Subway: N,R,W to Fifth Ave.

Saturday April 3, and Sunday April 4, 2010
Discovery Walking Tour: Easter Weekend Greenwich Village History and Dessert Tour
2 p.m.
Visit sites associated with the history and personalities of the Village, from Washington to Bob Dylan with dessert stops in between. Stops include St. Luke in the Fields Church, the Washington Sq Arch, Minetta Lane, and Patchin Place. Satisfy the sweet tooth with yummy treats like Lilac chocolate, chocolate-covered strawberries, and saviodi cookies.
Cheap Chick Info: $22 (includes sweets), Call 212-465-3331 for reservation and location information
Location Info: See above.
Subway: See above.

You can also head to the Brooklyn Museum for the Target Free First Saturdays program today (http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/visit/first_saturdays.php)

Sunday April 4, 2010
Annual Easter Sunday Jewish Lower East Side Walking Tour
1 p.m.
Discover religious and historic sites relating to Jewish history with sites that may include the place where B’nai B’rith was founded, the Jewish Daily Forward building, the Eldridge street synagogue, and places associated with Rabbi Jacob Joseph, Abraham Cahan, and Lillian Wald. May also include a visit to the historic colonial cemetery of Congregation Shearith Israel ($3 per person donation required.)
Cheap Chick Info: $15
Location Info: Meet at the southeast corner of Delancey and Essex St.
Subway: F to Delancey St., J,M,Z to Essex St.

This is Easter Sunday, so be sure to wear your bonnet to the Easter parade along Fifth Ave. It starts at 10 a.m. and runs from 49th to 57th St.
Housing Works is also having a sale this weekend (http://www.housingworks.org/events/detail/monthly-30-off-sale-all-day-april-3rd-and-4th/), the Brooklyn Indie Market opens for the season this weekend (http://brooklynindiemarket.com/), and it's cherry blossom time at the Brooklyn Botanic garden (http://www.bbg.org/)