P.S. to Editor's Note

Hi all,


An update from the Cheap Chick here. I have been v. busy w/some other things (like the GRE) recently. However I have still been Tweeting pretty regularly via @cheapchicknyc, so please come follow me there.

I do have a couple of longer-form blog entries on the back burner and may create a fall guide for you. So check back in the coming weeks for new content, and look to Twitter for some new cheap and free events in the city.

I’ll also say again that I am very open to any guest bloggers who may want to write for the site.

Cheers,

“Cheap Chick in the City”

Editor's Note

Hi all,


Apologies for the lack of posts lately, but I started a part-time job a few weeks ago and am prepping for the grad school thing and both of those things have been taking a lot of my time lately. I will be posting some longer-form blog entries after a bit, and I might start doing the weekend and other event posts soon, but we’ll see how it goes.

Again if anyone has any ideas for guest blog entries please do let me know!

Thanks,

Cheap Chick in the City

Looking for Guest Bloggers!

Hey all you cheap New Yorkers (OK that didn't come out sounding like I wanted it to...),


The Cheap Chick has not been able to post many long-form entries lately or work on her freelance writing as much as she would like, so she is taking a break from the weekend event listings (for now) and is seeking guest bloggers for original long-form blog listings. Going to a new cheap or free museum exhibit? Checking out a cool cheap or free event? A neat restaurant w/great lunch specials/prix-fixe deal and want to write a review of it? Or have a great Top Ten list relating to all that is cheap and free about NYC? Send all pitches  to me thru the blog!


Unfortunately I can’t pay anything :-(  but you can promote your own blog (or project) on the Cheap Chick in the City site. Looking forward  to seeing all your ideas!
Thanks,


Cheap Chick in the City

Cheap and Free NYC Events, Aug 3-5, 2012

Friday August 3, 2012

Savor the tastes of New York! And no I’m not talking about pizza, I’m talking wine from the state vineyards. Sample flavors from wineries in the Finger Lake Region and North Fork, Long Island today.5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Wine Heaven, 333 3rd Avenue (bet 24th and 25th St), cost: free!

Watch out for those dinosaurs when Jurassic Park screens on the Intrepid tonight as part of their Summer Movie Series! Movie starts at dusk on Intrepid, directions here. cost: free!

Today is also the free Target Passport Fridays: West Indies program at the Queens Museum of Art as a celebration for the 50th anniversary of independence for Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago  the Rural Route Film Festival starts tonight (and continues thru the w/e-see Saturday’s picks for a special MOMI event), and Rooftop Films screens Inocente for free in Brooklyn tonight!

Saturday August 4, 2012

The Museum of the Moving Image takes you on a trip to the farm tonight with their Rural Route Film Festival! Tonight’s screening tells the story of a city couple who buy a dairy farm. Producer Rudd Simon (The The Royal Tenenbaums) will be on-hand for a Q&A after the screening. 5 p.m., Museum of the Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave. (at 36th St.), cost: (inc w/museum admission-$12)!

If you like creepy, crawly things then you’ll want to hit the Birds, Bugs, Bees (how alliterative!) at Brooklyn Bridge Park today! Julie Feinstein, collections manager at the American Museum of Natural History and author of Field Guide to Urban Wildlife, for a guided tour of Pier 1 focusing on these creatures! 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., cost: free! (But you must RSVP to the event here!

Enjoy a down-home Southern brunch and a movie this morning with a screening of that 70’s country classic Smokey and the Bandit! 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., Nitehawk Cinema, 136 Metropolitan Ave, Williamsburg Brooklyn, cost: $16!

Today is also First Free Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum , Bank of America card holders get free admission to a variety of NYC museums inc. the Met, Whitney and New-York Historical Society, the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival kicks off tonight (runs thru Aug 12) with a free screening of the Segal flick Out for Justice to (reserve tkts here), Find a new place to park your butt for the Parked! 2012 Food Truck Festival , watch the movie Patron Saints with Rooftop Films tonight at the Gowanus Can Factory! Plus I hear that there is lots going today on  with  Summer Streets today as well!


Saturday and Sunday August 4 and 5, 2012

Happy Birthday, Mr. President indeed! Join Discovery Walking Tours as they explore Marilyn Monroe’s New York on the 50th Anniversary of her death. “Stops include sites associated with her work at the Actors Studio, her marriage to Arthur Miller; four of her Manhattan homes; the site of her famed subway grate pose; and where she serenaded JFK only three months before her death – her last night in Sat: 2 p.m., Sun.: 2:30 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost: $22!

Get already discounted books, movies, music, and more for 30 percent off at Housing Works Bookstore’s sale today! Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby Street, cost: Pay-for–what-you-buy!

Dragons and boats oh my! Check them both out at the Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival! Flushing Meadows Park, Festivities start at 10:30 a.m. Sat, and 10:00 a.m. Sunday, Directions here!  cost: free!


Sunday August 5, 2012

Fancy yourself the next Stan Lee? Aspiring comics of all ages can give it a go today with artist and educator Michel Levesque at WORD’s Comics Jam! Today all attendees work together to create one massive comic! Supplies will be provided, but you can bring items that you think will add to the day’s activity. 3 p.m., WORD Bookstore, 126 Franklin St., cost: free!

Feast on vegan goodies during a four course meal delivered directly to your door including desserts! Pre-order before 9 a.m. on Sundays by sending a text to 917-628-3926 in order to get a delivery on Sunday evening. 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., cost: $12!

Meet Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones as they discuss their upcoming flick Hope Springs today! Apple Store Soho, 72 Greene Street, 72 Greene Street, 4 p.m., cost: free!

Take a free historical walking tour of the LES today sponsored by the LES Business Improvement District, and learn about the neighborhood from its immigrant roots to today. 11 a.m., meet in front of Katz’s Deli, 205 E. Houston St., cost: free! (no reservations required)

Go on a different sort of walking tour organized by the Museum at Eldridge Street (one that cost and includes noshing)! Sample egg creams, bialys from Kossar’s, pickles and rugelach as well as learning about the neighborhood’s historic sites, meet at the Museum at Eldridge Street, 12 Eldridge Street, cost:$25 (inc food) call 212-219-0302x5 for reservations or RSVP via EventBrite here!

Also Fast Times at Ridgemont High screens for free tonight at Habana Outpost!

Cheap and Free NYC Events, July 27-29, 2012! Olympics Edition!

Friday July 27, 2012

After months of hype the Olympics are finally happening, here are some festivities throughout the city today (scroll down to end of blog for more recs on viewing venues):

Watch the opening ceremonies today @ Granduca Di Sicilia w/happy hour specials!

Dress like your favorite Olympian-and watch the opening ceremonies at One Stop Beer Shop, plus giveaways, music, and food! RSVP here! For more Olympics viewing options in NYC, scroll down to the end of the blog!

Learn about the “Lost Waterfronts of New York” at this illustrated lecture sponsored by the Obscura Society NYC, and presented by photographer and filmmaker Nathan Kensinger! 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Observatory, 543 Union Street @ Nevins), cost: $12! Buy tkts here!

Enter the magical world of Hugo Cabret w/tonight’s screening of Hugo on the Hudson River as part of the RiverFlicks for Kids series! Movies begin at dusk, generally around 8:30 p.m., Hudson River Park’s Pier 46 at Charles Street, cost: free! *Cheap Chick Recommends*


Just in time for the Olympics the London Street Photography Exhibit opens today at the Museum of the City of New York, the Met Opera series hits Brooklyn Bridge Park tonight, the 2012 Muppets movie hits the Intrepid tonight, and it’s Animation Weekend at BAMcinématek (thru July 29)


Saturday July 28, 2012

Sing-a-long (come on you know you always do anyway, might as well enjoy a band backing you up) to the (original) Muppet Movie with Loser’s Lounge at the Celebrate Brooklyn series tonight! 7:30 p.m., Prospect Park bandshell, cost: free/$3 suggested donation!

Miss Dirty Dancing last Wed night? Never fear The Sony Wonder Technology Lab has you covered! Don’t forget to help carry over some watermelons as a thank you! 3 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab,

550 Madison Ave. at 56th St, cost: free! Reservations suggested, call (212) 833-8100 to save your spot! For the exact opposite movie experience see Footnote at 12:15 p.m., same time, same place, same cost!

With the end of the summer rapidly approaching, you need to get in all the BBQ you can before Labor Day! Today Sycamore is hosting free BBQ w/$5 beers all day, and iAdventure.com is hosting their First Ever BBQ Blowout 2012 for just $25 (includes beer, 50% off beers the rest of the day, One BBQ taste (lg. bite-size servings- approx 2oz.) call 212-201-1223 to make reservations!

So you think you are one of the Americans who’s got talent? Prove it @ the Coney Island talent show! Enter into one of the following categories: circus freaks, sideshow geeks, song and dance, drag performance, and celebrity impersonators! Coney Island Boardwalk bet 10th and 12th Streets 3 p.m. to 8 p.m., cost: free!

Drag yourself out of bed before noon in the hopes of snagging free tkts to a Mostly Mozart Festival preview concert, Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall, part of Lincoln Center complex near 66th and Broadway, cost: free!

The Museum of Natural History’s Spiders Alive Exhibit opens today (runs thru Dec. 2, 2012), the Bushwick Block Party is happening, Watch classic digitally remastered Dr. Who eps @ the Paley Center today w/”Resurrection of the Daleks”  *Cheap Chick Recommends*

Need more Dr. Who in NYC look here!

Give Sherlock Holmes a run for his money at the Wall Street Scavenger Hunt sponsored by Discovery Walking Tours! “The second of three scavenger hunt in our series – now in New York’s oldest area. Instead of being led through Wall Street, this time discover its history by teaming up, using a map, and answering questions by deciphering clues on plaques, markers and signs nestled away in the neighborhood’s nooks, crannies and hidden side streets. First to come back with the most correct answers wins!” 4:45 p.m., call 212-465-3331for reservations and meeting place, cost: $20

Saturday and Sunday July 28 and 29, 2012


Cool off? See if you can w/Discovery Walking Tours’ walk thru Grand Central! “Join us as we explore one of New York’s finest landmarks -- from the cooler confines of the indoors! The commuter day is so hectic, that few New Yorkers rushing through Grand Central ever really get to learn about the hidden history and lesser known lore behind this classic landmark. Here's your chance as we celebrate Grand Central with a discussion of the symbolism behind its decor and the structure’s lesser known lore. Stops include Grand Central's "whispering arch"; Vanderbilt Hall; a secret apartment used as a speakeasy during the 1920s; JM Hewlett’s classic ceiling mural with its mysterious constellations painted in reverse; and Jules Coutan’s Roman group god sculpture -- a crowning masterpiece to the structure.” 12:45 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost: $20!


Sunday July 29, 2012

Namaste! Strike a yoga pose at Dekalb Market’s Pop-up Yoga session today! 11 a.m. to 6 a.m., Dekalb Market, cost: free!

Coming to Queens to look for a Queen? Too bad they’re not screening the Eddie Murphy classic Coming to America in the fabled borough…Instead catch it in Brooklyn tonight, 8 p.m., Habana Outpost, 757 Fulton St # A  Brooklyn, cost: free!

Check out a different side of BBQ with a pig roast at the Summer Sunday Pig Roasts with live music! 4 p.m., Crown Victoria Bar, 60 South 2nd St., Brooklyn, cost: ? Couldn’t get a read on the price, but am hoping it is Cheap Chick-friendly…if anyone goes report back!

No cable? No problem! Halyards has you covered with back-to back screenings of True Blood and Breaking Bad on the big screen Sunday nights! True Blood starts @ 9 p.m. and BB starts @ 10 p.m., so I would get there before whatever screening you want to catch, Halyards Bar, 406 3rd Ave. Brooklyn, cost: free! (pay for what you drink etc.)

Harlem Week starts today (the 29th), and runs thru August 25!



Looking Forward…

Need more Olympics in your life? Here is NY Mag’s round-up of where to watch around the city: here!

And TONY’s Olympics list is here!

Cheap and Free NYC Events, July 20-22, 2012

Friday July 20, 2012

Remember bell bottoms, peace signs, and mood rings? Well I’m betting you will after watching AMERICAN CANDY: The Super 70s sketch comedy with a 1970s theme tonight (and come on, we all know Mad Men is slowly inching toward the “Me” decade…)! 8 p.m., South Oxford Space 138 S. Oxford Street, Brooklyn, cost: $20 (inc. open bar)

Rooftop Films celebrates the theme “Coming Home” tonight with “spirited black comedies, fraught animations and intimate documentaries offers hope for reconciliation.” 8 p.m. doors open, 8:30 p.m. live music starts, 9 p.m. the shows start! Metrotech Commons, outdoors, downtown Brooklyn, 5 MetroTech Center, cost: free! (PLEASE CHECK ROOFTOP FILMS' WS HERE IN CASE OF RAIN POSTPONEMENT! SAME GOES FOR SCREENING LISTED BELOW.)

Fireworks and running go together like peanut butter and jelly, right? Well the Free Fireworks Fridays Group Run (FGR), hosted by the Prospect Park Track Club (PPTC) certainly thinks so, with their run tonight! 7:30 p.m. to 1 a.m., meet in Prospect Park (Park Circle under the Horse Tamer Statues) for a six mile run down Ocean Parkway to Coney Island, hang out afterward for some “beer, singing karaoke, the Cyclone, dancing on the beach!” cost: free! (Please note that this event is repeated on Friday nights during the summer until August 31, 2012.) RSVP required here!

And…Travel to France w/o leaving NYC w/the Chelsea Triangle French Market, which opens today (and runs thru November) by featuring a wide variety of Frenchified food items, Superman, The Movie” screens for free at dusk as part of RiverFlicks for Kids at Hudson River Park’s Pier 46 at Charles Street, Star Trek screens for free at sunset on the flight deck of the USS Intrepid as part of the Intrepid Summer Movie Series tying in w/the newly-installed Space Shuttle Enterprise exhibit, where you can meet NASA astronauts (SCREENING MOVED TO SATURDAY DUE TO WEATHER), and Rooftop Films has another free screening tonight of Suite Habana outdoors at the Queens Museum of Art (remember tonight is Target Free Fridays at the museum)!

Saturday July 21, 2012

Explore the spooky side of the city with Discovery Walking Tours’ Gotham Ghost City at Twilight Walking Tour! “A tour of the historic, infamous and macabre of Greenwich Village history, laced with ghost stories along the way. Stops include Edgar Alan Poe’s home; the hanging elm, a legendary public execution site in New York City; the cemetery at St. Mark’s, and the burial ground at Washington Square. And you thought only subways ran beneath the city streets!” 6 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place! Cost: $20!

Oink, oink baby! “Pig” out at Third Ward’s 5th Annual Pig Roast! 4 a.m. to 11:55 p.m., Thurd Ward, 195 Morgan Ave., cost: free! (BUT RSVP req. here!)

See Salmon Fishing in Yemen at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab today for free! 3 p.m., Sony Wonder Technology Lab, 550 Madison Ave. at 56th St, cost: free!

Live out your vicarious Ice Princess/Cutting Edge/Ice Castles fantasies at the free Ice Theatre of New York show! The early attendees will even get a free pass to the open skating session after the show. (around 8ish-skate rental still costs $5 tho!) 7 p.m., World Ice Arena in Queens, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, cost: free!

Even in the Internet Age, zines are flourishing! Celebrate the medium’s survival at Pete’s Mini Zine Fest! Mix and mingle with other zinesters, and cartoonists 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Pete’s Candy Store, 709 Lorimer Street, cost: free!

It’s not The Artist, (which I highly recommend btw!), but an actual silent movie, Hands Up! is screening as part of "The Silent Clowns Film Series" and dedicated to silent era film star, Raymond Griffith today! As a bonus the library will be screening Dog Shy (1926) with Charley Chase. 2:30 p.m., Library of the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza (near 66th St. 1 stop), cost: free!

It’s the most fun you’ll have on two wheels! Today is Bike NY Pedal Stops featuring “bike checks safety instruction, ride suggestions, basic bike repair, informal bike skills, NYPD bike ID, and bike rentals through Bike and Roll.” 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., cost: free!

Relax and unwind after a hard work week with two outdoor concerts this afternoon (Hot Jazz/Cool Garden concert at 2 p.m. at the Louis Armstrong House Museum-$15 inc. house tour) , and tonight (New Juilliard Ensemble at MoMA’s Summergarden free concert in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden at 8 p.m.; galleries closed during the concert.)

Get in touch with the hip-hop side of the Bronx on a special Urban Farm Trolley Tour With Hip Hop Perspective of South Bronx! “Meet farmers as they tend to their plots of land, and see chickens that roam freely producing Bronx farm-fresh eggs. The day includes a garden related workshop, healthful lunch, and a fish fry. RSVP required. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Meet at The New York Visitors and Convention Bureau, 810 Seventh Avenue at 52nd Street, Manhattan, cost: $20-inc lunch/fish fry (email bronxfoodsummit@gmail.com or call (718) 817-8026 to reserve your spot on the tour!


And…The Harlem Book Fair, hits NYC shelves, Sculpt sand castles at Coney Island, The New Museum takes to the streets today with its New Museum Block Party (inc entertainment and free admission to the museum all day, it’s Super Sabado at El Museo del Barrio, Watch rare and never-before-seen footage of the Muppets, Sesame Street, and other childhood favorites at Nitehawk with special Muppet guests, the 411 is that you can see Clueless as part of the Bell House’s Party like it's 1999: Clueless in July Edition, and don’t forget PS1’s Warm-up is tonight (Queens residents get in free!)

Saturday and Sunday July 21 and 22, 2012

Are you a poet and don’t know it? Perhaps you are and you know it! Either way you should go to The 2nd Annual New York City Poetry Festival! Governors Island, Colonel’s Row, 11 am. to 5 p.m., cost: Day-of tickets: $5 per day! (in case you still don’t know where Gov Island is, you take the ferry from the Gov Is ferry station, right next to the SI Ferry Terminal.)

Hop on the PATH train for a visit to the Garden State just in time to celebrate St. Ann’s Feast with Discovery Walking Tours in Hoboken! “St. Ann’s Feast comes but once a year. Visit the feast and explore Hoboken – the Square Mile City and “sixth borough” – rich in history, with stops at the homes of Frank Sinatra, photographer artist Alfred Stieglitz, and composer Stephen Foster (Swanee River, Camptown Races) as well as the birthplace of baseball and locations associated with Edgar Allen Poe, Gen. William T. Sherman, Woodrow Wilson, and the film, On the Waterfront. Along the way, sample foods from the Italian district there and visit the Feast of St. Ann.” Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost: $26 (inc. food).

Plus Stillspotting nyc: Staten Island continues both days (and next w/e as well!)

Sunday July 22, 2012

Learn all about Prison Ships during the Revolutionary War during a walking tour with the Urban Park Rangers! 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Fort Greene Park Visitor Center Myrtle Ave., De Kalb Ave. bet. Washington Park and St. Edward's St., cost: free!

Prepare for the long, cold winter ahead (I know it’s hard to imagine in this heat!) by learning how to can tomato sauce! 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture, 53 Prospect Park West (Between 2nd and 3rd streets, Brooklyn, cost: $20 (inc jar to take home)! Participants should bring recipes, your questions and interests, and knife/ cutting board. BSEC will provide the rest. Space is limited, so register here now!

Can women be as funny as men? Or funnier? Decide for yourself at the "Saw Her Stand-Up There" comedy show! 6:30 p.m., Spike Hill, 186 Bedford Ave., Wiiliamsburg, cost: $5!

Did you know that Jewish people migrated to the UES? This special walking tour is sponsored by the LES Jewish Conservancy. From the conservancy, “Urban historian Barry Feldman will lead us past the Beaux Arts mansions of the Fifth Avenue 'Gold Coast' to the east end at York Avenue. We will discuss the evolution of this significant Jewish community: its prestigious sacred sites - Central and Park East Synagogues & Temple Emanuel; the unique 92nd Street Y, and glamorous architecture. Our conversation will contrast the serenity of life on the tree lined Upper East Side with the tenement and pushcart congested LES.” 10:45 a.m., meet at NW corner of E. 68 St. and Lexington Avenue, cost: $12 in advance, $14 day of tour. Buy tkts here!

Get your reggae and cookout all in one day! The event includes Stoli Sno Cones, tacos, and more! Plus live performances by JUDAH and EL! 12 p.m., The Paper Box, 17 Meadow Street, bet. Waterbury and Bogart, cost: free!


Also tonight…the Williamsburg Salsa Orchestra hits Brooklyn Bowl, dance under the stars with Hudson River Park’s Moondance and the Los Hermaes salsa band!

This w/e marks the last chanc  you’ll have to see "Twelfth Night" with NY Classical Theater at Battery Park, and Honor what would have been Gene Kelly’s 100th b-day this w/e with Lincoln Center’s Invitation to Dance: Gene Kelly @ 100! 

Looking Forward…

Monday July 23, 2012

It’s no longer Spaghetti Westerns anymore! It’s a perfect marriage of spaghetti and movies at Bar Toto on Monday nights! Tonight’s picture (I love the word picture to describe movies, I think it’s a shame it’s gone out of style.) is Matrimonio all’italiana (Marriage Italian-Style), a 1964 comedy starring Sophia Loren. Spaghetti and meatballs are just $11, plus you get to enjoy the picture! 9 p.m., Bar ToTo, 411 11th St at 6th Ave, Park Slope, Brooklyn, cost: buying something off the menu!

Tuesday July 24, 2012

Can you find your match made in wine heaven? You may not find your soulmate, but you may find a wine to keep you busy in the meantime ;-). Intrigued? Fill out this Questionnaire (http://ww3.efs-survey.com/uc/Grapepointwines/) to find your perfect wine match. Then come to Grapepoint Wines for a special mixer featuring wine tasting, cheese sampling, and a raffle for your wine match! 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Grapepoint Wines, 155 Norman Ave (corner of Newel Street), Greenpoint, cost: free!

Cheap and Free NYC Events, July 13-15, 2012, Happy Bastille Day Weekend!

Happy Bastille Day Weekend NYC! Check out all these great cheap and free NYC BastilleDay Weekend Events!


Friday July 13, 2012-Hope you don’t have bad luck today!

Get an early start on the Bastille Day festivities with a Pre-Bastille Day Wine Tasting! Drink small family estate wines poured by Michel Abood from Vinotas Selections! Mr Wright's Wine and Spirits, 1593 3rd Avenue, cost: free!

See a performance of "Twelfth Night" performed by New York Classical Theater. Tonight’s performance is dedicated to the residents of Lower Manhattan, 7 p.m., Castle Clinton, Battery Park, cost: free! (after tonight’s performance attend a special after-party at Battery Gardens Restaurant - Beer Garden (children are welcome.)

“Groovy.” Watch a young Bruce Campbell chase his hand around a cabin in The Evil Dead II at a late night screening tonight, Midnight, Lincoln Center, cost: $8-$13, buy tkts here!

Celebrate the Book Launch and Photography Exhibition: TRUE Hip Hop by Mike Schreiber tonight with a special reception. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., Powerhouse Arena, 37 Main Street, DUMBO, Brooklyn, cost: free!

Learn about the Jewish side of France in honor of Bastille Day with writer Toni L. Kamins, author of The Complete Guide to Jewish France including a Kabbalat Shabbat services followed by a pre-Bastille Day celebration featuring wine, French cuisine, and a talk by Kamins. 7:00 p.m., Greenpoint Shul, 108 Noble St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn, cost: $18-$20!

The Superdupermarket pop up opens at 410 West 16th Street starts today and runs through Sunday, see Spiderman outdoors on the deck of the Intrepid, Persepolis screens tonight at Riverside Park’s Pier I at 70th Street as part of the Films on the Green series, and Christian Marclay’s The Clock goes on view for free at Lincoln Center’s David Rubenstein Atrium (through Aug. 1)!

Saturday July 14, 2012

Remember that awesome Got Milk? commercial where the guy has a ton of Alexander Hamilton/Aaron Burr stuff around his apartment gets a phone call from a radio contest about the duel, but when he answers Aaron Burr, the announcer can’t understand him cuz he’s just taken a big bite of a peanut butter sandwich? Then when he goes to drink some milk only a few drops come out of the carton? I don’t think it will be anything like that, but Hamilton Grange is hosting a remembrance of the 208th anniversary of the Alexander Hamilton-Aaron Burr duel, 11 a.m., Hamilton Grange, Saint Nicholas Park in Manhattan. It is located at 414 West 141st Street, between Convent Avenue and St. Nicholas Avenue, cost: free!

Did you know that poetry and architecture mesh? Find out how at the We’re Floating: An Interactive Poetry Walk With Artist and Poet Jon Cotner . “Each hour he leads dialogues with participants while strolling through Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City. The work of Japanese poet Matsuo Bashō is mapped onto the landscape and put into play, bringing everyone closer to this floating world. Jon Cotner is an artist and poet. Recent projects have been celebrated by Bookforum, Good, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal. He is coauthor of Ten Walks/Two Talks, and teaches at the Pratt Institute.” Walks starting at 4:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., Poets House, 10 River Terrace (directions here!), cost: free!

Meow, meow, Ruff, ruff! Join Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters at Broadway Barks (sponsored by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS) and many other Broadway stars as they strive to find homes for the city’s homeless animals. The event will feature “a sampling of pets from several New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies.” 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., (celebrity presentations of pets from citywide animal shelters beginning at 5 p.m.) Shubert Alley, between 44th and 45th Streets, just west of Broadway, cost: free!

This is your last chance to really immerse yourself in Chinatown with the Museum of the Chinese in the Americas during their "Chinatown: A Walk through History walking tour!" “Uncover the history of one of New York City’s oldest neighborhoods! This walking tour focuses on how everyday buildings and places of historical significance reflect and shape a community from its origins as a Native American village of Werpoes Hill in 1600 to one of the fastest growing immigrant communities of present day New York City. Highlighted sites include the oldest row house in Manhattan, a Catholic church, the oldest general store in Chinatown and a Chinese eatery that catered to the needs of Chinatown’s turn-of-the-century “bachelor society.” 2:30 p.m. meet at museum, 215 Centre Street, (bet Howard & Grand Sts, cost: $15 (does not include museum admission, $7. ) You must buy tkts in advance, buy them here!

See both Clueless (12:15 p.m.) and Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol (3 p.m.) at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab today! Sony Wonder Technology Lab, Sony Plaza at 56th Street and Madison Avenue, cost: free! (but RSVP strongly suggested, call (212) 833-8100 to secure your spot!)

You have your choice of a Rooftop Films Brooklyn double-feature tonight, sorry due to times, you can’t do both! There is THE ARGENTINEAN LESSON  or Bound for Glory, which honors the life of Woody Guthrie at Coney Island (free!)

Still need to cram more books into your small studio apartment? Greenlight has you covered! The indie bookstore is hosting a massive sidewalk sale w/tons of carts and shelves stuffed full of bargain books! 12 p.m. Greenlight Bookstore, 686 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, cost: pay for the books you buy!

Dance the day away with free dance lessons in Hudson River Park! 10 a.m., Pier 46, Charles St. and West St., cost: free!


Also today catch the 4Knots Music Festival at Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport, Water, water everywhere and nary a drop to drink during City of Water Day, stillspotting nyc starts today on Staten Island, Party with the Skint at their Bastille Day party tonight, catch a performance by Oneohtrix Point Never, David Lang and A Far Cry Orchestra at the World Financial Center Winter Garden, the R-rated version of Saturday Night Fever complete with a BeeGees tribute band hits Celebrate Brooklyn tonight, and

attend the Brooklyn Pretzel Factory Grand Opening with a variety of pretzels and other Brooklyn treats such as Nathan’s, Gabila's potato knishes, egg creams made with U-bet syrup and cherry lime rickeys! 

Saturday and Sunday July 14 and 15, 2012

Just in time for the Bronx Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Join Discovery Walking Tours and “stroll through one of the Bronx’s most colorful neighborhoods during its most important time of year – The Bronx Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel -- and discover the history behind its rich ethnic background while sampling some of the community's culinary specialties, from fresh Belmont bread and pizza to cannolli! Stops along the way include Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, the corner where Dion and the Belmonts sang their way to fame; and the Enrico Fermi Cultural Center.” 3:30 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost: $27, includes food!

Sunday July 15, 2012

Observe Bastille Day with two special celebrations today! One is the French Alliance's official Bastille Day Street Fair on 60th Street between Fifth and Lexington Avenues (12 p.m. to 5 p.m.) or the soiree in Brooklyn featuring North America's largest pétanque tournament at the Smith Street Block Party (11 am. to 10 p.m.)!

Get started on some noshing with the Eldridge Street’s Synagogue’s Lower East Side Nosh and Stroll! "Eat your way through history on this delicious neighborhood walking tour. Once home to the largest Jewish population in the world, the Lower East Side still bears traces of Jewish life from the turn of the last century. Visit synagogues, Yiddish newspaper buildings, socialists hot spots and more while sampling treats from local vendors, including the best pickle shop in New York City.” 11 a.m., For more info and to buy tkts here!

Do a different kind of noshing at Prospect Park’s Food Truck Festival! 11 am. to 5 p.m., Prospect Park , Grand Army Plaza, cost: free, but pay for what you buy!

Learn all about Fort Greene from the point of view of the author of “Leaves of Grass” via the Walt Whitman's Fort Greene Tour! “Walk around Fort Greene Park, a greensward that owes its existence in large part to Walt Whitman's editorials written for the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and learn about this poet's intimate connection with Brooklyn's first official park. The afternoon includes discussions about the park, its role in the American Revolution and Civil War, the Wallabout Martyrs and the monument dedicated to their memory. New this year, the tour will end at Museum 92 in the Navy yards.” 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., presume you’ll meet somewhere in Fort Greene Park, ask/find out when you RSVP to info@fortgreenepark.org!

Catch Arlo Guthrie and family performing with family in honor of his dad Woody tonight! 7 p.m., Central Park Summerstage, cost: free! For more info and directions go here!

If you haven’t seen “Tales: The Narrative Image, an art installation that will transform downtown windows into a giant architectural storybook,” you should head down to One New York Plaza Art Space (Concourse, Water St. between Whitehall and Broad Streets.)



All weekend...cheer on Universal as they turn 100 at Film Forum's Universal 100 series (runs thru Aug 9), worship Grace Kelly at BAM's Grace Kelly: A Cool Blonde retrospective (thru July 26), and don't get hit by cars at Shakepeare in the Parking Lot's performance of "The Merry Wives of Windsor Towers!"


Looking Forward…

Monday July 16

The Jazz in July Festival begins today, the GuacRock party is tonight, and play trivia at Last Exit Bar at 9 p.m. tonight!

Tuesday July 16

Attend a charity happy hour and mixer, benefiting East Africa Children's Hope, a charity which funds education for some of Eastern Africa's most vulnerable children. Complimentary appetizers and happy hour specials, including $6 martinis. 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., The Ainsworth, 122 W. 26th Street, cost: $20 in advance through the website or $30 day of the event! Buy tkts here!

Cheap and Free NYC Events, July 6-8, 2012

Friday July 6, 2012

I don’t know if there will be jelly on-hand at the Happy Hour with Peanut Butter and Co. tonight, but I’m guessing there will be milk-based cocktails to wash down all that peanut butter! 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., The Astor Center, 399 Lafayette St, cost: $10!

Another Films on the Green movie (Tell No One) screens tonight! 8:30 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. Pier I, Riverside Park, cost: free!

Hi-yah! Time for Kung Fu Panda 2 as part of the NYC Parks Summer Movie Series! 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., Betsy Head Park (Brooklyn), Betsy Head Memorial Playground, cost: free!

Rooftop Films is honoring the best from the borough that is Brooklyn w/their New York Filmmakers Short Film Program tonight! 8 p.m. doors open, live music at 8:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. the movies start, METROTECH COMMONS, outdoors, downtown Bklyn, 5 MetroTech Center (Please note in the event of inclement weather, the event will be postponed, please check the Rooftop Films website for updates), cost: free!

"Israel Horovitz One-Acts," plays culled from a half-century’s of the playwright’s work, is runnung through July 15, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., The Flea Theater, 41 White Street (bet. Broadway and Church Streets), cost: $20, buy tkts here!

The Paley Center’s Summer TV Mixtape series is underway w/their first installment, Summer “Camp,” running through the month of July, The new Ricky Powell photography exhibit opens today and runs through July 14 at the Klughaus Gallery, The Museum of The Moving Image’s “See it Big” series begins today with 2001: A Space Odyssey (also screening tomorrow) and runs through September 9, 2012 ($12 admission includes museum access reg admission is $10, free on Fridays from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.), and “Xanadu,” a play adaption of the cult classic 1980 film starring Olivia Newton-John is playing tonight at Park Slope’s Old Stone House (and upcoming Thursdays and Fridays in July) at 8 p.m. Directions here!

Dowload the free Nook book Meet the Annas via Barnes and Noble's Free Friday Nook Download! Get the book here!

Friday and Saturday July 6 and 7, 2012

Catch some midnight screenings both nights with Star Trek Two: The Wrath of Khan at Landmark Sunshine, and the classic Taxi Driver (12:15 a.m.) at Nitehawk!

Saturday July 7, 2012

Be a history detective during a Greenwich Village Scavenger Hunt with Discovery Walking Tours! This new event gives you a chance to “learn its history by teaming up, using a map, and answering questions by deciphering clues on plaques, markers and signs nestled away in the neighborhood’s nooks, crannies and hidden side streets. First to come back with the most correct answers wins!” Cost : $20, call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place!

Time to update your wardrobe with a good ol’ fashioned clothing swap! Closetraid is the answer to your clothing prayers with their swap today, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Projective Space, 72 Allen St, cost: $5!

Join the fifth annual Kaleidoscope Renegade Art Parade with a rooftop after-party featuring aerialists, fire-spinning, a big band orchestra, and djs tonight! Meet at 6 p.m., parade starts at 6:30 p.m., 290 Vesey, cost: free!

Try to beat the heat in Central Park (I know it sounds like an oxymoron), but that’s what Discovery Walking Tours is offering today! “In July 1853, the New York State Legislature approved a bill to designate a park in the middle of Manhattan. Now take this tour to discover Calvert Vaux and Frederick Law Olmsted’s emerald gem, noting its hidden places and early history, comparing the original intention of the designers with that of the park today. Stops include Strawberry Fields, The Ramble, Literary Walk, The Arsenal, Wagner Cove and Bethesda Fountain.” 1 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place! Cost: $20!

Watch Grease outside as part of Roosevelt Island's Outdoor Summer Movie series! 8 p.m., Roosevelt Island, Southpoint Park, cost: free!

Today is also free first Saturdays at the Brooklyn Museum, Bank of America cardholders get free admission to a variety of NYC museums inc. the Met, Whitney and New-York Historical Society, MoMA PS 1’s Warm-Up begins tonight, free performances of “The Island of Dr. Moreau” are at the Old Stone House (8 p.m., also on the 14, 21) see directions on Friday's listings, Rooftop Films is hosting The Madness of Production Short Film Program tonight, and "JAWS the Musical" "resurfaces" tonight as well as tomorrow and next weekend at the Broadway Comedy Club!


Saturday and Sunday July 7 and 8, 2012


Housing Works is hosting their regular 30% off books, movies, and music sale today! 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby Street, cost: pay-for-what-you buy!

Cook Out NYC hits Governors Island both days, it is a little costly for the Cheap Cick budget, but does inc food and other activities featuring a kimchi-eating contest!

Sunday July 7, 2012

Learn about Hudson River Park today during the Hudson River Park Wild waterfront walking tour! “Enjoy a meandering waterfront walk while hearing about and viewing the park’s flora and fauna, including some of the 85 different species of birds identified within the park. Peek into the park’s gardens to discover the many different butterflies, dragonflies and other interesting insects. Come to learn about the native plants that continue to grow in unexpected places in and around the river’s edge. Each nature walk is unique and offers a one-of-a-kind treasure hunt-like experience. Nature walks last approximately one hour. Please wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for the weather conditions. Participants can expect to walk about 1 ½ - 2 miles. Loud noises and barking tend to startle wildlife and reduce viewing opportunities - please be considerate and leave your dog at home” 9 a.m., Hudson River Park's Pier 40, 353 West Street, cost: free!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream! Grab a spoon and dig in at the Bell House’s Brooklyn Ice Cream Takedown, 2 p.m., Bell House, 149 7th Street, Brooklyn, cost: $15!

Laugh up a storm w/a comedy show today! 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Central Park at Mineral Springs, cost: free!

Sit back and relax with the New Juilliard Ensemble at MoMA’s Summergarden outdoor concert series! 8 p.m., (please note galleries are closed dur the concert), MoMA, 53rd bet. 5th and 6th, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Sculpture Garden, cost: free!

Joe’s Pub is also hosting a one-night only Broadway benefit tonight titled the “TRL Generation: Broadway Sings the '90s, a benefit for Broadway Impact,” featuring performances by current B’way stars! 7 p.m., Joe's Pub, 425 Lafayette Street, cost: $20, buy tkts here!

Learn about Jewish Harlem w/a special tour led by urban historian Marty Shore! Visit "the sites of Jewish religious life in the remarkable urban settlement of Harlem, once the second largest Jewish community in the United States. In 1917, it was home to more than 175,000 Jews. Delight in the exteriors of grand synagogues that remind us of Harlem's Jewish past. Including the Ethiopian Hebrew Synagogue called "The Commandment Keepers." You will walk by the former homes of Temple Israel of Harlem, Congregation Shaarei Zedek, The Oheb Zedek Synagogue-home to Cantor Yossele Rosenblatt in the 1910-1920's." 10:45 a.m., meet at NE corner of Adam Clayton Powell Blvd and 125th Street, in front of the statue of Adam Clayton Powell Blvd., cost: Adults: $18; seniors and students: $16, ($2 additional day of tour) buy tkts here!

Say bonjour to French Restaurant Week, which starts today and runs through July 15th, watch Wayne's World at Habana Outpost tonight at 8 p.m., and Celebrate Brooklyn welcomes Sweet Honey in the Rock as part of an Ezra Jack Keats family concert at 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.! 

And all weekend long…the CBGB Festival is running through Sunday!

Looking Forward…

Monday July 8

Calling all Bookworms! Tired of watching movies under the Bridge? Check out the new Books Beneath the Bridge series, which kicks off tonight!

Wednesday July 11

Actress Amber Tamblyn (127 Hours, House M.D.) and special guest read from the Archives of The Paris Review at the Strand. Wine will also be served. 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., Strand Bookstore, B’way at 12th, cost: buy a copy of The Paris Review or a $15 Strand gift card!

Thursday July 12

The SummerNights Concert Series at the Jewish Museum begins w/live bands, open bar, and free ice cream courtesy of Chozen!

Cheap and Free NYC Events, June 29-July 1, 2012

Editor's Note: Apologies all for the later than usual posting, was doing some errands in the am to avoid the heat and then this afternoon I was having some Blogger/Internet issues.

Please also enjoymy 4th of July Guide here!

Friday June 29, 2012

Knock back Skinnygirl cocktails for free! 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., West End Wine and Spirits, 33 West End Avenue at 61st St., cost: free!

It’s time for 2G’s Jumpstart Commission plays (for more info about Jumpstart go here.) basically they’re new plays by new writers, 7 p.m., ART/NY, 520 Eighth Ave, Bruce Mitchell Rm., bet 36th and 37th Streets, cost: free! (but reservations required. Make them here!

Viva la France! See French films on the green! Tonight’s offering is Donkey Skin, movie starts at 8:30-get there early to grab seats, Tompkins Square Park, Old Bandshell Lawn, cost: free!

Say Namaste to soundscape yoga during this special session hosted by husband and wife team Camila Celin and Ehren Hanso, who run the Anindo Chatterjee School of Tabla in New York, 6:30-8:30 p.m, Kula Yoga, 28 Warren St bet Church and B’way, 2nd Floor, cost: $18, plus $5 suggested donation to the musician who is performing tonight!

Get in the right frame of mind for the 2012 London Olympics by watching the horror film Lifeforce! Bonus points if you can spot the pre-TNG Patrick Stewart! Midnight, Film Society of Lincoln Center, cost: $13, buy tkts here!

Also today…see Tom Fruin’s “Watertower” at Brooklyn Bridge Park or Manhattan Bridge Bike Park in DUMBO at night for special shows at 7 p.m., the 2012 Undergroundzero Festival of Independent Theater begins today and runs thru July 29, 2012, Check out the Harlem Arts Festival today and tomorrow, the 11th annual New York Asian Film Festival begins today and runs through July 15, tonight is New York Non-Fiction at Rooftop Films, and don’t forget that Midsummer Night Swing is ongoing tonght!

Saturday June 30, 2012

Discover the Williamsburg You Never Knew with Discovery Walking Tours! “Once farmland, later laden with breweries and industry, Williamsburg, or “Billyburg” as the natives call it, has emerged as one of Brooklyn’s most popular residential areas and “hot” trend-setting destinations in the art scene. Take a tour through one of New York’s most colorful neighborhoods focusing on the diversity of the area, from the hipster to the Hasidic. Stops include the Bedford Avenue Theatre, where Fanny Brice performed; the world-famous Peter Lugers steakhouse; the landmark Williamsburg Savings Bank; the New England Congregational Church, an anchor for the abolitionist movement; and the Williamsburg Bridge, once the longest suspension bridge in the world. 4:30 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost: $20!

Hop in your TARDIS and travel through time and space to the Paley Center where digitally remasterd eps of the long-running series from the 70’s and 80’s are screened today! For those of you “who” think they know the Dr. and his companions well there will be opps to win prizes at this event via trivia, 1 p.m., The Paley Center for Media, 25 West 52 Street (bet. Fifth & Sixth Avenues), cost: included in the reg $10 admission)!

Create new looks out of your old T-shirts at A Moment of…LOUD: A Fashion Reinvention w/Beau McCall library workshop. This workshop will be led by designer, Beau McCall, who has been featured in Women’s Wear Daily. 2 p.m., Riverside Library, 127 Amsterdam Avenue bet 65th and 66th Streets, cost: free! (participants should bring their favorite large sized T-shirt, a pair of scissors and a seam ripper.)

Don’t get caught in a web when watching Spidey stunts performed by the stuntman from Spiderman! You can also practice your own Spidey skills w/a special rock climbing wall, learn the truth about those eight-legged creatures, create Spidey-related crafts, and participate in a variety of activities! There will also be giveaways tying in w/the Amazing Spiderman movie! All day (the zoo is open from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.)summer weekends, Bronx Zoo (directions here!) cost: $16 (general admission-I believe this is not included I special event pricing, but check when you get there, it could be more than this.) Cheap Chick Cheap Tip: Kids in Spiderman costumes get special discount on admission.)

Cowabunga Dude! Party like a ninja turtle with a special-themed party at Turtle Bay tonight! Enjoy a $20 open bar, $10 for those who dare to dress up as Turtles! Free pizza and prizes will be given out to those with the most knowledge about Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Rafael! 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., Turtle Bay, 987 2nd Ave at 52nd Street, cost: $10-$20!

Glass blowing begins today on Governors Island today (runs thru July 29), the Crest Fest opens today, get your $1 solid flip-flops today at Old Navy, take a $25-cent ride on the Cyclone in honor of the ride’s 85th anniversary today (first *5 riders on the ride starting at noon get the special anniversary rate) and other festivities, See the second floor of historic homes in Lefferts Gardens, attend Sycamore’s pre-Cyclones party tailgate party ($25 gets you a plate of food, a pint of Brooklyn, and a ticket (in Sycamore's block), and Shilpa Ray performs a free concert at Shea Stadium tonight!

Saturday and Sunday June 30 and July 1, 2012

Now it’s time to learn about Harlem! Join Discovery Walking Tours “on a walk through one of America’s most prominent African American neighborhoods. Some highlights on the tour include the Apollo Theatre, a showcase for some of America’s top talent; old jazz spots like the Lenox Lounge and Dizzy Gillespie’s home; the Mount Morris Park Historic District, with its magnificent examples of the Harlem brownstone; the site of the assassination attempt on Martin Luther King in the 1950s; The Hotel Theresa, home to the nation’s top African American celebrities, including boxer Joe Louis and blues composer WC Handy; the site of Malcolm X's office, and Bill Clinton’s office where the president and candidate Barack Obama had their summit in 2008.” 1:30 p.m., call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place!

Sunday July 1, 2012

Get a workout with the Urban Girl Squad during their coached run in Central Park! This free event includes a mini-workshop following the run, and a reception w/your fellow runners after the workout! All skill levels and experiences are welcome, so come on out and have some fun! 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., meet at the Athleta Upper East Side, 1517 Third Ave, cost: free (but reserve your space now, here)!

If you’re a punk rock fan you should go watch Rock ‘n’ Roll Exposed: The Photography of Bob Gruen, a documentary featuring the famous music photographer! 8 p.m., BAM Rose Cinemas, Peter Jay Sharpe Building, 30 Lafayette Avenue, cost: free!

Dance the night away w/live Flamenco music tonight! 7:00 p.m. - 9:45 p.m., 127 MacDougal Street (bet. W. 3rd St. and W 4th St.) cost: free!

Celebrate Christmas in July with special holiday-themed items at a Housing Works Thrift Store! 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., UES Thrift Shop, Broadway between 96th and 97th streets, cost: pay for what you buy!

Get your Geek on w/ a cabaret featuring Harry Potter and Dr. Who among other fantasy icons, 8 p.m., Way station, 683 Washington Ave bet Prospect and St. Marks, cost: free!

Also catch the Limon Dance Company at Summerstage tonight, and watch Daniel-san take on Cobra Kai at Habana Outpost’s special Movies Under the Stars series tonight!



And all weekend long catch the Bicycle Film Festival, the Del Close Comedy Improv Marathon is happening, in celebration of The Amazing Spiderman the Paley Center is screening special  TV versions of the superhero through July 1, the Astoria Park Festival is ongoing,  the Fourth Annual North River Historic Ship Festival runs through Sunday, catch Dark Crystal (Jim Henson) at Nighthawk, the Museum of the Moving Image's “Paramount in the 1970s” series ends Sunday!, and Funny Face starring Audrey Hepburn runs at the Film Forum thru July 5! (Isaac Mizrahi intros 7/2, 9:20 screening)!


Looking ahead…Special screening of Ghostbusters on Monday July 2nd , on the beach at Coney Island, and if you’re still in need 4th of July plans check out my listing of cheap and free NYC Independence Day activities!

Cheap and Free NYC July 4th Events! Happy Fourth NYC!

Think there's nothing going on in NYC on or around the 4th that doesn't cost $100+? Think again, the Cheap Chick has you covered! Here are cheap and free July 4th NYC Events! Happy Fourth of July!

Look for my regular cheap and free NYC weekend events by Friday afternoon!


June 28, 2012

Get into the spirit of the holiday with wine at the Red, White and Bubbly Independence Day Tasting! “Michel Abood from Vinotas Selections will be pouring 3 deliciously affordable wines: a pink bubbly and a crisp white from the Loire Valley in France and a lovely red from northeastern Spain. Best of all, these wines are all under $20 (heck, the red's under $10!).” 5 p.m. to 8:15 p.m., Millesima, 1355 2nd Avenue, cost: free!

Tuesday July 3, 2012

Support Team USA by watching a 6,000-square- foot flag, created by using real Americans’ stories of what the flag means to them, being unfurled! Sponsored by Tide, SMASH star Katherine McPhee will also lend a hand to the festivities, 8 am. to 8 p.m., (Ms. McPhee will make an appearance around noon), Bryant Park, cost: free!

The exhibit "The Declaration of Independence: The Stone Engraving" opens today at the New York Historical Society (runs through July 15, 2012),


Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Oooh, aaaahh, ohhhhh, watch the Macy’s fireworks over the Hudson River! Fireworks start at 9 p.m., cost: free! Here is a list from CBS featuring the best plaes to watch the event!

Can you ever really eat enough hot dogs? Find out at the 97th annual Nathan’s Famous hotdog eating contest! 3 p.m., Nathan’s Coney Island, corner of Surf and Stillwell, cost: free!

Uh-oh looks like Nathan’s may have some competition this year, Crif Dogs is hosting its own first-ever Crif Dog Classic with Takeru Kobayashi! Watch out Nathan’s, they’ve got “live music and celebrity guests” 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Roberta’s, 261 Moore Street, Bushwick, cost: $10, buy tkts here!

Celebrate America in film with all “the diversity, daring, and charm of our country, in a program of short films that is funny, revelatory, dramatic and All-American,” 7 p.m., Socrates Sculpture Park, Vernon Blvd. bet. Broadway and 30 Dr. Queens, cost: free!

Join Jim Kaplan in the wee hours to learn about New York City’s role in the American Revolution during the 10th Annual Nighttime Walking Tour of Revolutionary War New York sponsored by Fraunces Tavern Museum, 2 a.m. – 6 a.m., assume you meet at the museum, but double-check, 54 Pearl Street, cost: $20, buy tkts here!

Still something you need to know about Satchmo? Observe his birthday and take a tour of his house, which includes artifacts, rare recordings, and interesting factoids! Plus free cupcakes for visitors under 12! 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., the guided 40-minute historic house tours start every hour on the hour (last tour of the day starts at 4 p.m.), Louis Armstrong House Museum, 34-56 107th Street, Corona, Queens, cost: $10 (reg admission price)! (*Cheap Chick Recommends)

Get some exercise in before the big show with Discovery Walking Tour’s Pre-Fireworks Presidential Greenwich and Gramercy Park! “A historical walking tour of both neighborhoods, with special stops at places associated with some early presidents, including Lincoln, Roosevelt, FDR, Wilson and Washington. Stops include the Washington Square Arch and Theodore Roosevelt’s birthplace.” 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., (The 5 p.m. tour ends at the drive at 7:30 p.m. in time to secure a spot for fireworks viewing.) Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost $20!

I hear that both the Brooklyn Cyclones and the Staten Island Yankees are playing at in the city today, get $1 beers+$10 Pitchers, beer pong, flip cup, $5 Jager shots, 50 cent wings, and $2 Sliders at Turtle Bay, Deborah Davis plays the Blue Note, and the Roots & Ruckus show is playing @ the Jalopy Theater for free!

Red Hook Lobster Pound marks National Lobster Day on summertime Wednesdays w/a 1.5 lobster, corn, and cole slaw, 12 p.m. – 8 p.m., Red Hook Lobster Pound, 284 Van Brunt Street, cost: $20 for the food described above!

Learn about America’s humble beginnings as a melting pot with Big Onion’s Immigrant New York walking tour! “This tour explores the experiences of the different immigrant and ethnic populations residing in the Lower East Side from the early 19th century through today. We’ll look at housing, places of worship and street life to see how everyone got along (or didn’t) at different times. Some stops include: the Tweed Courthouse, the African Burial Ground, Five Points, the Bowery, sites associated with Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Jacob Riis, Abraham Cahan, Emma Goldman and many others.” 11 a.m., meet at the SE corner of Broadway and Chambers St., at City Hall Park, cost: $18!

Spend Independence Day jamming to music in Madison Square Park with food and drinks in a special July 4th concert! The line-up includes Spuyten Duyvil, Noam Pikelny and Friends, and The Sweetback Sisters! 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Madison Square Park, cost: free!

Got a hankerin' for some BBQ? The chefs at Five Points are cooking up a storm for the Down and Dirty Low Country Picnic! Menu items include beer, burgers and a low country boil complete with cornbread, spiked watermelon lemonade, South Carolina shrimp and more! No reservations needed, just show up! 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Five Points, 31 Great Jones St. (at Spring St), cost: varies, pay for what you buy!


Learn about the bald eagle as our country's patriotic symbol at the program "Eagle as Icon." at the Prospect Park Audubon Center at the Boathouse, cost: free! (is primarily aimed at kids, but I think adults might find it interesting as well!) 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., Audubon Center, Prospect Park Lincoln Road/Ocean Avenue entrance, cost: free!

City Crab is hosting a special 4th of July happy hour for most of the day! There will be half-price beer, wine, cocktails, and appetizers during the day! 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., City Crab, 235 Park Ave. South at 19th Street, cost: varies based on what you order!

Still want do some BBQ-ing? The Parks Dept. lists all the designated BBQ-ing areas here! If you still haven't caught The Fuuny Face screening at the Film Forum, you can stil catch it today and tomorrow!

The American Museum of Natural History, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, MoMA, and the Strand are all open today! (The hours may be reduced for the holiday, so double-check websites before you go!)

Saturday July 7, 2012

Get in the patriotic spirit with an outdoor concert by the Community Wind Ensemble and Concert Band Stars and Stripes Forever Concert conducted by Ray Wheeler at Kingsborough Community College, 8 p.m., 2001 Oriental Blvd at MacKenzie St, Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, cost: free!

Wednesday July 11, 2012

Enjoy free post Fouth-fireworks and a Philharmonic concert on the same night! Park vendors will also be on-hand selling snacks and other food! 8 p.m., Prospect Park’s Long Meadow Ballfields, cost: free!

Cheap and Free NYC Events, June 22-24, 2012-Happy Gay Pride Weekend!

June 22, 2012

Fall in love with Rooftop Films all over again with the org’s Romance Weekend! Tonight the spotlight is on “Is it Love?” Romance Shorts! Doors open at 8 p.m., film begins @ 9 p.m., after-party to follow, Open Road Rooftop, 350 Grand Street, LES, cost: $12, buy tkts here!

See Richard Pryor live in concert (via film silly!) on a restored 35mm print! @ Lincoln Center tonight! Midnight, Francesca Beale Theater at Lincoln Center, cost: $13! For more info and to buy tkts go here!

Caling all vegans! Mascha Artz reads from her new tome, VEGAN NY, 7 p.m., Blustockings Bookstore,  172 Allen St, cost: $5 suggested donation!

Scour the shelves for book bargains @ the TASCHEN warehouse sale with books marked @ 50%-75% off! Sale lasts all weekend, but starts today! 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., 107 Greene Street, cost: pay for items you buy!

Is a relationship really like a shark? I think it is..Watch Annie Hall on the big screen in a new 35mm print at the Film Forum, varous times, buy tkts here! (through June 28, 2012.

The Invisible War, a doc about rape in the U.S. military, also opens today, The BoCoCa Arts Festival starts today and runs through June 30th, The Photoville photo village in Brooklyn Bridge Park begins today and runs through through July 1, The Seaport Music Festival begins today and runs through July 14, Keb’ Mo’ and Natalia Zukerman play a free show at the Prospect Park Bandshell for Celebrate Brooklyn, and Dances of Vice is throwing a Rockabilly night this evening!

Friday and Saturday June 22 and 23, 2012

Relive those glorious VCR-days w/a screening of Dazed and Confused! Sponsored by BBQ Films and Scout Mob, this event will feature the screening, one Sixpoint Craft Can (pint), popcorn and other munchies, $3 drinks, movie characters roving around, movie-inspired classic cars from Bel-Air Automotive and shenanigans, and giveaways from Golden Age of the Music Video! 8 p.m. doors/drinks, 9 p.m./film, Windmill Studios, 287 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg, cost: $22, buy tkts here!

Saturday June 23, 2012

Spice up your weekend with Adventures NYC today! Presented by Backpacker Magazine and The North Face, featured events include The North Face Passport Program, the UBC Rock Climbing Zone, the Vermont Adventure Center, Cabot Community Tour, health and fitness clinics, the REI® Adventure Zone, kayaking zone, bike helmet giveaway, courtesy of NYC DOT, outdoor gear exhibits, free bike valet parking, mountain bike expo, and live music and entertainment! 12 p.m. to 4 p.m., Central Park, Bandshell Area, cost: free!

Be “shore” to swim your way over to the 30th Annual Coney Island Mermaid Day Parade! 2 p.m. The parade will start at West 21st Street and Surf Avenue and end @ At West 15th Street, in Coney Island, cost: free to attend, $10-$100 to participate!

Where is Mary Poppins when you need her? Maybe you’ll catch a glimpse of her @ the Brooklyn Kite Festival! 10:00am - 2:00pm, Brooklyn Bridge Park, cost: free! (Kites will be available for purchase on site, or bring your own.)

Today is also the grand opening of the Brooklyn Swirl, a new frozen yogurt place! 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.: There will be music, fun, and face painting for the kids. 6 p.m.-10 p.m.: All are welcome to stay and enjoy the yogurt, crepes and coffee, Brooklyn Swirl, 445 Marcus Garvey, cost: free! (except if you buy anything.)

Silent films get live-action musical treatment as the Red Hook Ramblers fuse themselves with pictures including Buster Keaton's One Week, Harold Lloyd's Bliss, and Harry Langdon's Saturday Afternoon. The band will accompany the films and then play a short set after the last movie. 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., Jalopy Theatre and School of Music, 315 Columbia Street bet. Hamilton/Woodhull Street Brooklyn, NY, cost: $10!

Ladies, get ready to drool! Hugh Jackman is hosting the TropFest short film festival! 3 p.m. to 11 p.m., Bryant Park, cost: free! (BUT attendees are encouraged to reserve their free tkts on the film fest’s website, and are encouraged to snag their seats in the park early!)

The Lumen Festival hits Staten Island! Eat Drink Local Week begins (through June 30), a new Farmer’s Market opens @ Socrates Sculpture Park as part of GrowNYC Greenmarket, catch Schwinn and Us Weekly Bike-In Movie Night screening of Puss N’Boots, with special guest appearance by Dancing Star Derek Hough, watch Gayby with Rooftop tonight, and Lo and Astro perform a  free show at the Prospect Park Bandshell for Celebrate Brooklyn!

Saturday and Sunday June 23 and 24, 2012


Learn about Manhattan and Governors Island during the American Revolution, the War of 1812, and the Civil War with Discovery Walking Tours! “First a walk through Lower Manhattan with stops associated with all three wars, ending with a free option to Gov Island, once a secluded military installation. Stops include sites associated with Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, The 1863 Draft Riots, the grave of 1812 hero James Lawrence, a War of 1812 fort and a Confederate prison camp.” Sat., June 23 at 11:45 a.m. Cost: $20!

See tomorrow’s OBIE and TONY-award-winning playwrights today with The Jumpstart Commissions Festival! On Sat., June 23rd at 7 p.m. and Sun., June 24th at 3 p.m., ART/NY, 520 Eighth Ave, Bruce Mitchell Rm, bet. 37th and 36th St, cost: free, but reserve tkts here!
The Boomerang Theatre Company begins free performances of “Hamlet” in Central Park at 77th Street and Central Park West and the Renegade Craft Fair takes place!

Sunday June 24, 2012

Still have that blank piece of paper or blinking cursor staring you in the face? Then break that writer’s block with the NYWC’s the 7th Annual Write-A-Thon! “Attend free inspiring workshops, compete for prizes, and commune with fellow writers. The event will benefit the NY Writers Coalition, which is celebrating 10 years of leading writing workshops in underserved communities throughout the city.” 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mark Morris Dance Center, cost: reg price $150, BUT if you can scramble for sponsors-think friends w/deep pockets :-) you can participate for “free”($150 min.)! Ira Glass of “This American Life” fame will also be making an appearance as part of the day’s festivities!

Something’s fishy here…go saltwater fishing (catch-and-release) in the East River. “Experienced Rangers teach the ethics of fishing and the ecology of our waterways on every fishing program. Whether you chose to grab a simple bamboo pole at a quiet lake, or join more advanced salt water or fly fishing programs, the rangers have a program that fits your skill level. Families and children ages eight years and older are welcome to participate in our fishing programs. Participation in a mandatory safety review lead by a trained ranger is required. All equipment is provided. Most fishing programs are first-come, first-served. 11 a.m., East River Esplanade, E 96th Street and East River Drive, cost: free!

If it’s a little too hot for you outside, spend some time inside with Discovery Walking Tours for their Beat the Heat: the Secrets of Grand Central. “Join us as we explore one of New York’s finest landmarks -- from the cooler confines of the indoors! The commuter day is so hectic, that few New Yorkers rushing through Grand Central ever really get to learn about the hidden history and lesser known lore behind this classic landmark. Here's your chance as we celebrate Grand Central with a discussion of the symbolism behind its decor and the structure’s lesser known lore. Stops include Grand Central's "whispering arch"; Vanderbilt Hall; a secret apartment used as a speakeasy during the 1920s; JM Hewlett’s classic ceiling mural with its mysterious constellations painted in reverse; and Jules Coutan’s Roman group god sculpture -- a crowning masterpiece to the structure.” 1:15 p.m., Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, cost: $20!

And…today the New Amsterdam Market is cheese-themed, and if you didn’t get enough cheese @ the New Amsterdam Market, then head to Stinkfest 2012 in Brooklyn, combine caffeine and cocktails @ the second annual Coffee-Cocktail Mash-Up, and punk music takes over Governors Island!


All weekend long… enjoy Le Grand Continental™ by Sylvain Émard Danse as part of the River to River Festival, Gay Pride Events are ongoing w/the parade on Sunday, and and this is the last w/e to catch “Twelfth Night” for free in Central Park!

Looking Forward...

Mon June 25... Nelson George is sharing from his new novel The Plot Against Hip-Hop and his documentary Brooklyn Boheme in a special benefit for PS 11, a public school in Brooklyn. The evening will also include readings by Brooklyn authors Victoria Brown and Tai Allen, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Moon, 745 Fulton Street (bet Elliot Place and S. Oxford), Fort Greene, cost $20, buy tkts here!

On Wed, June 27...enjoy Get It Out There: Comedy by BAM and IFC!

And on Thurs June 28...regress to those summers spent @ camp with Brokelyn, or jam w/Fishbone for free @  BAM as part of theirR&B Festival at Metrotech!

Cheap and Free NYC Events, June 15-17, 2012! Happy Father's Day!

Editor's Note: Hi all! Happy Father's Day weekend! I hope you find plenty of cheap and free events to share with dad all weekend long! Also please scroll down for info on the Tom Sachs SPACE PROGRAM MARS exhibit that ends on Sunday.

Friday June 15, 2012

You’ll have to grab some Floo powder or get your Apparition license to attend Epic Win’s Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Ass-kaboom, 9:30 p.m., Tada Theater, 15 W. 28th St. bet Broadway & 5th Ave. cost: $15, buy tkts here!

Rooftop Films brings the glitz and glamour of the Sundance Film Festival to the Big Apple when they screen Sundance Film Festival Shorts tonight. Doors open @ 8 p.m., with live music @ 8:30 p.m., and the films start screening@ 9 p.m., Open Road Rooftop, 350 Grand Street, LES, cost: $12, buy tkts here!

War of the Buttons screens tonight as part of the Films on the Green series, sponsored by the French Embassy in NYC. All films begin around 8:30 p.m., Washington Square Park, cost: free!

Learn how to improve your photography skills with this class taught by Brooklyn Creative! 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m., Brooklyn Creative, 33 Washington Street, cost: $5!

Today is the last day to partake in the Bouillabaisse Festival at participating NYC restaurants!
Don’t forget the Coney Island fireworks start up again tonight for the summer, there are a few days left to participate in the Sizzlin' Summer Record + CD Sale 2012, which ends on Sunday, and there is another free Celebrate Brooklyn concert tonight!


Saturday June 16, 2012

All aboard for Oyster Craziness 3.0! 2p.m. to 5 p.m., Brooklyn Oenology, 85 North 3rd Street, Suite 106. cost: $1 an oyster!

Join Municipal Walking Tours as they explore el barrio! “Join Luke Nephew, artist, educator and co-founder of the community-based arts collective The Peace Poets, for a tour of El Barrio Today Arts Cluster, a coalition of East Harlem organizations who have joined forces to raise awareness about the cultural richness of El Barrio. Come explore the neighborhood. Vibrant public art, beautiful community gardens, rich cultural organizations and one of a kind stores make East Harlem an unique place in New York. Highlights include the Graffiti Wall of Fame, Julia de Burgos Boulevard, local murals and much more.” 2 p.m., Meeting place revealed after RSVP, Cost: $20, Please purchase tickets online here or call (212) 935-2075, Monday-Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.!

Celebrate the Sixties on Broadway as the delightful songstress Jenny Lynn Stewart and her accompanist William Lewis perform songs from popular musicals of the decade including: "Hello Dolly," "Mame," "Camelot," "Fiddler on the Roof," and others! 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center, Bruno Walter Auditorium, 1 Lincoln Plaza, 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, free!

Traverse Union Sq. with dad today as part of iAdventure’s first ever Father’s Day Scavenger Hunt and Dunk Your Dad BBQ After Party! After all that running around, rest your feet at the after-party with BBQ food, Dunk Your Dad in our Dunk Tank and "Dad Challenges!" The scavenger hunt winners will also be announced and given a prize! 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Sidebar, 118 East 15th Street @ Irving Place, cost is $25, BUT inc -Scavenger Hunt Participation, one burger OR hot dog with a side of fries, one ice cream bar, unlimited soft drinks, and one beer for Dad! Scavenger hunt teams can consist of up to six people. Buy tkts here!

Red Hook Pride Events will be happening all day today throughout the neighborhood! the streets in Billy-Burg become more bike and pedestrian-friendly with Williamsburg Walks today, and the Atlantic Avenue Extravaganza is happening today!

Saturday and Sunday June 16 and 17, 2012

Get “crafty” w/the American Crafts Festival at Lincoln Center! Saturday: Noon-9 p.m., Sunday: 10 a.m.-9 p.m. cost: free to attend, pay for what you buy!

Charleston it up with the Annual Jazz Age Lawn Party, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Governors Island, cost: $15 online here or @ the door!

Observe Father’s Day with walking tours hosted by Discovery Walking Tours! “Two tours for the price of one for Father’s Day Weekend. First a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge to discuss its creation and history. Then a tour of sites in Brooklyn Heights associated with the Dodgers, including Duke Snider’s home and where Jackie Robinson was signed.” 2 p.m. both days, Call 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place. Cost: $20!

Help Dad feel like a child again with a bowl of sugary cereal and Sat morning cartoons! Nighthawk is hosting "Spoons Toons and Booze" with a special Father’s Day theme incorporating cartoons from the 40’s to the 90’s, so there will be something for all dads! Both days will also feature contests, drink and food specials! 12 p.m., Nighthawk Cinema, 136 Metropolitan Ave., Williamsburg, cost: $11 for adults, $9 for seniors, buy tkts here!

Plus The Seed, “a vegan experience" will be happening, $20/day or $30 for two days (inc an appearance by the Bust Craftacular!)

Sunday June 17, 2012

The Municipal Arts Society takes on pre-Stonewall Greenwich Village! ”From the drag balls at Webster Hall to the lesbian owned haunts of Macdougal Street to the clubs featuring "Pansy Acts" to the slummers who would comb the Village to ogle the "fairies and dykes" cavorting openly in public, Greenwich Village was a major center of LGBT life almost half a century before the Stonewall rebellion. Join urbanist Laurence Frommer for a walk through pre-Stonewall life as embodied in NYC's quintessential enclave for those escaping the restrictions of mainstream society. Everyone is welcome!” 2 p.m., Meeting place revealed after RSVP, cost: $20, buy tkt here!

Bring in some noise to your life with today’s 12-hour Bang on a Can Marathon! 12 p.m., World Financial Center, 220 Vesey Street (between North End Ave. and West St.), cost: free!

Park yourself in Prospect Park for today’s Food Truck Rally! Vendors include Luke's Lobster, Mudtruck, Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, and Wafels & Dinges, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Prospect Park Grand Army Plaza, cost: free to attend, pay-for-what-you buy!

Join Tony-nominated artist Elizabeth Swados for "Jewish Books Cooking," which uses well-known Jewish-themed children’s books to create an original production For more information go here! , 1 p.m., Bryant Park Carousel, 40th Street bet Fifth and Sixth Avenues, cost: free!

Catch up on Breaking Bad before the fifth season starts! Brooklyn Winery is playing episodes from the fourth season starting tonight w/the first four episodes from the fourth season! They will also screen the fifth season premiiere on July 15, 2012, 7 p.m., Brooklyn Winery, 213 North 8th Street, cost: free!

Take Dad on a Nosh Walk with the Big Onion The Annual Fathers Day Multi-Ethnic Eating Tour! "This tour combines the history of the diverse Lower East Side with a series of small food sampling, or “noshing” stops from local shops and markets. The main focus of our tour is the history of the multi-ethnic Lower East Side emphasizing the neighborhoods of the Jewish East Side, Little Italy and Chinatown. During the course of our walk we will sample about 10 different items, representing the Dominican, Jewish, Italian, and Chinese communities of the Lower East Side. Most of these items are vegetarian or dairy. All food sampling will be done outdoors and we do not include restaurants on our tour. Our “noshing” tour uses the markets & shops to highlight the history and this walk should not be considered a meal.” 1 p.m., meet @ SW corner of Delancey and Essex Streets, in front of the American Choice Deli/Chase Bank, cost $23 (inc food), Big Onion requests reservations for this tour, so pls send your name, date you wish to attend, and number of people in your party to info@bigonion.com. They will confirm via email.

Also today…Dads get a free breakfast at IKEA, half-price beers for Dads today at Duke’s, there’s catfish carryout esp for dads @ the Beer Table (reserve your box lunch in advance here,  there is a Father’s Day Concert with Randy Weston presented by MoCADA, and The Red Hook Jazz Festival is happening today ($10 sugg. donation), a giant Lit mag Fair at Housing Works Bookstore sponsored by CLMP, MillionTreesNYC is hosting a free Tree Care and Flower Planting event, and there is a special Father's Day Sing-A-Long at Lefferts Historic House with Rory Dineen as well!

If you still have not bught a Father's Day gift, here are suggestions from the Strand!

Also happening all w/e long is the Smart Plays Festival (thru July 20, 2012) with tkts only $20 at the door! Presented by Piper Theatre Productions, to benefit the Piper Education Program, Old Stone House in Washington Park in Brooklyn. At the performance on July 11, the audience will vote on their favorite one-act and the winner will receive a $500 prize, the Human Rights Watch Film Festival at Lincoln Center (through June 28, 2012), and the Northside Festival is running thru the 21st!


Looking Forward…The Ensemble Studio Theater’s wrap-up of its Youngblood Bloodworks Play Series is this week, starting on Monday, free!

Don’t miss Malaysian Restaurant Week, June 18 – 24. "This means you get to try some delicious Malaysian food at great prices! A three-course prix fixe menu is only $20.12 at nine different restaurants around the city, with some participating restaurants in NJ and CT!"