Extra, Extra?! A Cautionary Tale...

As a cheap chick I’m always looking for ways to earn a little extra money, so when I saw an ad on Craigslist looking for Law and Order: SVU extras I decided to see what it was all about; a few friends and co-workers of mine had done it before, and it seemed like a fun way to make some extra cash, though I was fully aware before I had even finished reading the ad that it might be a scam to make money by charging me for necessary headshots/classes.

I was quite pleased and surprised when I got a quick response from my initial email that included only the fact that I was female and 31, and took it as a good sign that an appointment was scheduled within the next few days. I arrived at the office early, and barely had the chance to give the receptionist (who was sitting behind a plastic window) my name and appointment time before he buzzed me through the next door. What I found there astounded me-in a space not much bigger than my bathroom were two sets of chairs against the walls with people sitting in each one, and the chairs so close together that in most cases people’s knees were touching quite cozily.

As a disembodied voice from behind a door called “Next” no attention was paid to our given appointment times. We were simply left to keep track of our appointments on our own by using the honor system of who had arrived first and in what order, and sliding over one seat closer to the door. As I waited I noticed out-of-date movie posters (think White Oleander and Goodfellas) lining the black walls (perhaps for inspiration?) and a strange video (yes, a video, not a DVD player that stopped in the middle and had to be re-set by one of the aspiring actresses) showing odd footage of what seemed to be a mix of 900-number commercials and rock videos-again inspiration?

Soon a guy sat next to me and began chatting to the woman he was brushing knees with, and mistook my disbelieving glance at him for admiration that he looked like he could be 21 (no way!), but he had worked as an extra before in such gems as Weekend at Bernie’s and Empire Records, as well as Dawson’s Creek, which he informed us featured most of his former high school classmates. He continued to regale us with stories of his celebrity encounters (MC Hammer once mistook him for another actor) and giving us tips (when you’ve been an extra once, it’s easier to do it again.) Others in the waiting room/closet were just as congenial, one girl telling us she was often told she looked like Oprah (wasn’t sure I saw that…) and another shared a tip with the room-at-large on another audition happening two floors up.

Finally it was my turn inside and... (sorry to ruin the suspense), but it took about five minutes tops for the agent to offer to get me work if I paid for headshots (!) and for me to decline, at which point he escorted me out a different door than the waiting room (we had been speculating that this was done so we couldn’t ask people how their auditions had gone-looks like we were right!) Ah well, back to Craigslist, perhaps I can check out that sperm testing thing!

Cheap Chick NYC Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, Oct. 8-10, 2010

Friday October 8, 2010

“Take a stab at the modern sport of fencing with masters from Manhattan Fencing Center. No prior experience needed and equipment is provided. Call (212) 382-2255 to pre-register or take a chance and drop by,” Bryant Park, Fifth Ave. Terrace, 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., free!

Walk the line, The High Line that is, with Big Onion Walking tours! The tour will cover the park as well as Chelsea landmarks like the “Chelsea Hotel, “Death Alley,” General Theological Seminary, sites associated with Dylan Thomas, Clement Clark Moore, Janis Joplin, John Sloan, and the birthplace of the Oreo cookie.” Meet in front of the Chelsea Hotel, 222 West 23rd Street (between 7th & 8th Avenues), 1 p.m., $15.

Embrace your inner Geek at Nerd Nite! Tonight’s lectures focus on all those games you used to play before you started playing guitar, shooting bunnies, cooking, and exercising on the Wii (you know like Scrabble and Tetris!) Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main St., DUMBO, 7 p.m., $10. For more info go here: http://nyc.nerdnite.com/

Saturday October 9, 2010

Explore the non-island Jamaica, in Queens mon with historian Jack Eichenbaum. Stops include Loew’s Valencia Theater and Prospect Cemetery, meet in front of King Manor Museum, Rufus King Park, Jamaica Ave. bet 150^th and 153^rd St, 1 p.m. to 3 p.m., free!

The super Stan Lee will be at the Animazing Gallery today signing superhero art by Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, and Alex Ross, 54 Greene St. at Broome St., RSVP (req.) to rsvp@animazing.com for reservations.

Hopefully you won’t be coerced into painting any fences during the Mark Twain’s New York Walking tour, which will take you to the author’s NYC-hangouts, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., call 917-620-5371 for reservation and meeting place, $20.

Don’t scratch the vinyl you find at the Shakey’s Record Fair, hosted by the Bell House, 149 7^th St., bet. Second and Third Aves., Brooklyn, free!

Gather in Central Park to wish John Lennon a happy 70^th birthday with a free screening of LENNONYC, a look at the musician’s years in NYC, Rumsey Field, Central Park, Fifth Ave. and 72^nd St., 7 p.m., free!

Feeling like a snack when you’re in Prospect Park? Skip the hot dog, pretzel, or ice cream, and instead feast on the natural treats the park offers! Locavore and botanist Leda Meredith will be leading a foraging walk to learn about the park’s edible delights, Meet at entrance on 9th Street and Prospect Park West, 9:45 a.m. to noon, $20 includes tasting of snacks made with wild ingredients.

It’s Beatlemania in NYC with a walking tour of city sites associated with the Beatles in the 60’s and 70’s like the Ed Sullivan Theatre, The Dakota, Carnegie Hall, and Strawberry Fields, 11 a.m., Call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and reservations, $18.

Dance your heart out with a day of free classes (plus a performance and free champagne!) at Dance New Amsterdam! 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., for more details go here: http://www.dnadance.org/site/page-02permanent-classespermanent-classes/free-class-day, free!

It’s harvest time in Harlem with this Saturday’s Harlem Harvest Festival and Fresh Food Summit! There will be a “grand” farmer’s market, a Taste of Harlem food samplings from area chefs, Battle of the Chefs onstage competition, a children’s pavilion, and a fresh food summit focusing on Harlem’s fresh food movement, A. Phillip Randolph Square, 200 W. 116^th St., 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., free!

Don’t get your wiener in a schnitzel at the Governors Island Oktoberfest! Treat your stomach to German beer and food, and let your eyes feast on all the lederhosen! Plus root beer and activities for the kids! Governors Island, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., free! For info on getting to Governors Island click here: http://www.govisland.com/html/visit/directions.shtml

Saturday and Sunday October 9 and 10, 2010

The doors to the city open wide this weekend for one of my favorite events, Open House New York. I hate to say this, but I hope the weekend goes more smoothly than their reservations operations did, after attending and supporting the event for at least five years and promoting it on my blog for the last two years, I expected better than the disaster that was their opening day reservations system. Visit sites across all five boroughs for free, plus enjoy other special programs, http://www.ohny.org/weekend.

Sunday October 10, 2010

Celebrate the city’s Hispanic population at the Hispanic Day Parade as it marches down Fifth Avenue bet. 44^th and 69^th Streets, 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., free!

Sustainable living and film converge at the Switch Film Festival, with offerings like No Impact Man and Crude, a film about the “Amazon Chernobyl” case, screenings will be at both Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick St., and Indie Screen, 285 Kent Ave., Bklyn, Festival starts at 1 p.m., Fore more info and screenings check http://www.theswitch101010.com, $20 (all proceeds will be going to community organizations like Grow NYC.)

The Conflux Festival is happening all weekend (http://www.confluxfestival.org), and check out an indoor carnival (http://www.resnicowschroeder.com/media.asp?id=1447)!

Cheap Chick NYC, Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, Oct. 1-3, 2010

Friday October 1, 2010

Galapagos is hosting GUMBO, DUMBO’s first gay party complete with DJ music and free haircuts! Email list@gumbonyc.com for the free vodka open bar from 10 p.m. to 11 p.m., http://s80131.gridserver.com/public/, $5 before midnight, $10 after midnight.

Make your Friday night sizzle with Fall Fantasy Networking & Cocktails with Next Iron Chef Maneet Chauhan at Vermillion (480 Lexington Ave.)! 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., for more info and RSVP (preferred) here: http://silverplatternyc.webs.com/apps/webstore/products/show/1760988, $5.

The Neue Galerie is free tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. as part of its First Fridays program. http://www.neuegalerie.org/

Friday and Saturday October 1 and 2, 2010

Enter into Hunter S. Thompson’s world with midnight screenings of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Landmark Sunshine, https://tickets.landmarktheatres.com/Ticketing.aspx?TheatreID=256, $9.99

Saturday October 2, 2010

Explore Chinatown with Big Onion, and learn about the history of the neighborhood with stops at sites like the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association, the Church of the Transfiguration, the Lee Family Association, outdoor markets, and the Lin Zeju and Confucius statues. 1 p.m., meet at the southeast corner of Grand and Chrystie Street, at Roosevelt Park, $15.

See Boris Karloff’s Before I Hang and the Boogie Man will Get You at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab! 2 p.m., make reservations here (required) http://wondertechlab.sony.com/pe-feature_screenings.html), free!

Find out how easy it is to be green at GreenHomeNYC’s DIY Green Block Party, where you can embrace your inner environmentalist with activities like free tours of the Gowanus Canal, and sustainable living spaces at Brooklyn Ecopolis and Third+Bond, and a visit to the Jerko, the Gowanus Canal Water Vacuum, where sustainable experiments are performed. Be sure to check out booths manned by the Gowanus Canal Conservancy, Recycle-A-Bicycle, and Brooklyn greenroof. The fair is being held on 3rd Street between Bond and Hoyt in the Gowanus/Carroll Gardens area of Brooklyn and is free to all.

The Brooklyn Museum is hosting its free First Saturday programs tonight including curator talks, art, music, and film with the theme of Shout Out Brooklyn, 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. http://wondertechlab.sony.com/pe-feature_screenings.html, free!

Find out what lurks in the hearts (and studios) of Brooklyn’s artists with the Gowanus Artists Studio Tour, where more almost 30 studios will be open to the public! 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., http://www.agastbrooklyn.com/index.html, free!

Think on your feet (literally!) with Improv Everywhere’s MP3 experiment, where you’ll join other New Yorkers in a wacky, offbeat prank. Info is available Friday, also check http://www.improveverywhere.com for info too! 6 p.m., free!

Nick Flynn, Marie Howe, and Kevin Young will be reading from The Art of Losing: Poems of Grief & Healing, edited by Kevin Young at Poets House, 1 p.m., http://poetshouse.org/programs.htm, $10, $7 for students and seniors.

No old spices here (or scary, posh, or ginger)! The Brooklyn Botanic Garden is hosting a Chile Pepper Fiesta where you can spice up your Saturday with cooking demonstrations, a chile/chocolate takedown, and music from chili-loving countries, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. , http://www.bbg.org/visit/event/chile_pepper_fiesta_2010/ , $15 (inc. admission to the grounds.)

Saturday and Sunday October 2 and 3, 2010

Visit the worlds of New York’s old money and noveau riche with Discovery Walking Tour’s “Old and New Money: Victorian Fifth Avenue and Central Park West,” which features “a tour of the two great boulevards of wealth—CPW and 5th Ave--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.” 2 p.m., $18, call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and reservations.

Check out the Czech Street Festival with food, music, dancing, and games, 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., 83^rd Street bet. Park and Madison, free!

Sunday October 3, 2010

Take a sneak peek at the new Freshkills Park with all-day activities including guided walking tours, kite making, canoe, tram, and bird watching tours, and workshops on subjects such as puppet making led by Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater and green-friendly activities such as solar power and composting! 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., free!

Travel back in time (without visiting a restaurant!) with Fort Tryon Park’s Medieval Festival! This all-day event will include medieval music, dance, magic, performances, and knights jousting on horseback! Ladies keep an eye open for knights-in-shining armor, but I don’t know if there will be any damsels in distress on-hand! 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/forttryonpark, free!

Think you’ve got what it takes? Audition for the Apollo’s (Brooklyn) Amateur Night today at 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, More info here: Bedford-Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation, free-just bring your talent!

The Municipal Art Society is hosting the Jane Jacobs Tour: Battery Park City Evolving where you can “see architecture by Cooper, Robertson & Partners, Demetri Porphyrios, and Charles W. Moore, landscapes by Michael Van Valkenburgh, and Susan Child, and art by Tom Otterness and Martin Puryear, among others. Please note: Unlike previous tours of BPC, this one will focus on the northern section.” The tour will be led by architectural historian Francis Morrone. 2 p.m., $15.

If you have a favorite teacher, you may want to trek to Queens for the Queens County Farm Apple Festival where you can sample the fruit, sip cider, and partake in the world’s biggest apple cobbler! Queens County Farm Museum , http://www.queensfarm.org/events.html, free!

Housing Works Bookstore is having a 30% off sale Saturday and Sunday (http://www.housingworks.org/events/detail/monthly-30-off-sale-all-day-october-2nd-and-3rd/), and celebrate Oktoberfest with additional menu items and beer at the Shake Shack (http://www.shakeshacknyc.com/), and Greenpoint opens its studios to the masses (http://www.greenpointopenstudios.com/).

Also this weekend and through the 10th, enjoy Art in Odd Places (http://www.artinoddplaces.org/) and the New York Film Festival (http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff/2010/)

Cheap Chick NYC, Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks, Sept. 24-26, 2010

Friday September 24, 2010

Take some in Southern comfort with Housing Works Bookstore’s “New Stories From The South” program with Amy Hempel, Kathy Pories, and Wells Tower, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Housing Works Bookstore, 126 Crosby St., free.

Hear about a Pakistani girl’s experiences at the program Fatima Bhutto-Songs of Blood and Sword: A Daughter's Memoir, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Asia Society, 725 Park Avenue, $10 for members, $12 for students and seniors, and $15 for non-members.

Travel around the world in beers starting today, with NY Craft Beer Week, a $10 passport gets you $3 beers all week, http://www.nycbeerweek.com/passports.

Saturday September 25, 2010

I don’t know if you’ll find a pearl, but there will be plenty of oysters to check at a number of events at Grand Central’s Oyster Bar (12 p.m. to 6 p.m., http://www.oysterbarny.com, some samples and other items will be free), and Stone Street, (http://www.ulyssesfolkhouse.com/events/festivals/oysterfest.html, 12 p.m., with live band.)

The Sony Wonder Technology Lab is hosting a screening of Extraordinary Measures today at 2 p.m. Click here to make reservations, http://wondertechlab.sony.com/pe-feature_screenings.htm.

Many of the city’s museums will be open for free today as part of Smithsonian Museum Day, check here (search for New York) to find participating museums in the area. http://microsite.smithsonianmag.com/museumday/

Think you’re the next great artist? Prove it by trying out for Bravo’s Work of Art at the Brooklyn Museum! 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., http://www.brokelyn.com/bravos-work-of-art-casting-at-bk-museum/

Deep-fried or steamed, dumplings are a cheap chick’s best friend! Sample a variety of this tasty treat at the NYC Dumpling Festival where area restaurants will be peddling their wares, and if you have the stomach for it, the Chef One Dumpling Eating Contest! 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., Sara D. Roosevelt Park (Chrystie at E. Houston), $20 for tasting ticket.

It’s fiesta time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as the institution celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with events drawing sessions, tango lessons, a mariachi band, film screenings, tours, and evening concerts by Musica de Camara String Orchestra and the urban bachata duo Loisaidas. Most programs are free with museum admission, which is pay-what-you-wish.

Show ‘em you got some balls at the citywide bocce tournament! http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2010/09/25/16th-annual-citywide-bocce-tournament-2010

Checkmate at the citywide chess tournament! http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2010/09/25/10th-annual-chessintheparks-rapid-open

Discovery Walking Tours is hosting their Annual Oktoberfest Historic Taverns of Greenwich Village walking tour. "On this tour you'll see some of the area's most classic pubs and speakeasies -- all with historic associations. Stops include the haunts of Ernest Hemingway and Edna St Vincent Millay, a speakeasy from the 1920s once associated with founding father Thomas Paine, and the bar where Norman Mailer and RFK contemplated their political futures. Cost of refreshments is extra, so come armed with some extra cash and a thirst for history and spirits, and enjoy the camaraderie of a historic pub crawl!" 5:45 p.m., $18 plus extra $ for drinks, call 212-465-3331 for reservation and meeting place.

Sunday September 26, 2010

The street fair that ate Brooklyn, The Atlantic Antic, takes over Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn (that one tree that grows in the borough better watch out!), and you can visit the Brooklyn Historic Society for free as part of the festivities.

Keep the doctor away with an apple festival on the LES! 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Orchard St. bet Broome and Grand, free.

Jews love baseball, at least according to the film “Jews and Baseball: An American Love Story,” screening at the Jewish Museum today, 2 p.m., http://www.mjhnyc.org, $7-$10.

Become at one with the raptor at Wave Hill’s day-long event, http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2010/09/26/raptor-day-at-wave-hill, free with admission to the grounds, $4, a box lunch is available to adults for $10 (adults) and $7 (kids.)

Pow-wow with Native Americans at this festival in the Bronx with crafts, foods, stories, and other programs, http://www.nycgovparks.org/events/2010/09/26/native-american-festival, free.

These spots were once home sweet home to many an historic figure and family, visit many of them for free and participate in old-timey activities like baseball games, cider pressing, and a Victorian tea during the Historic House Festival (https://www.nycgovparks.org/events/historic_house_festival), The Williamsburg International Film Festival continues all weekend (http://www.willifest.com/), the New York Short Film Festival is happening Friday and Saturday (http://www.nycshorts.com/), and get artsy in the Bklyn area that shares a name with a Disney elephant at Dumbo’s Arts Festival all weekend (http://dumboartsfestival.com/)

Cheap Chick NYC Cheap and Free Weekend Event Picks: Sept. 17-19, 2010ap C

Friday September 17, 2010
Time once again to crown Miss Coney Island (I wonder, does she get free hot dogs from Nathan’s?) This burlesque beauty pageant is hosted by the Great Fredini and will provide plenty of entertainment from the bathing beauties and live music. 10 p.m., $15. http://www.coneyisland.com/

Say “happy birthday” to the ghost-ess with the mostest as the Merchant’s House Museum celebrates Gertrude Treadwell’s 170^th birthday with a special cake baked from a 19^th century “receipt” and a special tour. 3 to 5 p.m., included in admission, $10, http://www.merchantshouse.com/calendar/

Chug free milkshakes from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Wall Street’s Burger Shoppe (despite link, giveaway is apparently today!) http://us2.campaign-archive.com/?u=5845101ad2eac66f0f742e1d8&id=c5b53b09bb

Saturday September 18, 2010

Take a “haunting” 90-minute tour of the East Village with “Peter Stuyvesant and His Ghostly Friends,” (which may be led by a ghostly character!), and make stops at sites associated with “Peter Stuyvesant, Edgar Allan Poe, Washington Irving, and Harry Houdini ass well as the first jogging ghost, Theodore Roosevelt, in the East Village. 7:30 p.m., $20 by credit card, $25 cash, http://www.ghostsofny.com/cgi-bin/calendar/long_calendar.cgi?y=&m=9, Please RSVP even if you plan to pay cash!

Eat edible installations like there’s no tomorrow at Third Ward’s Last Supper Festival, with film, music, and writing rounding out the salon! All proceeds benefit The Food Bank of NYC, 6 p.m., $10 with three or more cans for donation to the food bank or $15 without, http://thought-processor.com/lastsupper/

The Brooklyn Philharmonic will be playing at Bryant Park for free tonight as part of the park’s fall festival, 6 p.m.

Smell good for fellow subway riders after this free aromatherapy workshop hosted by Anne McClain, RSVP quickly, (anne@mcmcfragrances.com) I’m sure spots are filling up fast! 3 p.m., McGolrick Park, Russell St., bet. Driggs and Nassau Aves., Greenpoint,

I guess I thought Oktoberfest was supposed to be in, ahem, October, but the folks on the Hudson River are hosting one today, complete with German beer, all the diff types of bratwurst you can imagine, and German music. Plus giant pretzels, it wouldn’t be Oktoberfest w/o giant pretzels, right? Right? 12 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., Pier 81, W. 41 St. (at 12th Ave.), Advance tkts are $10, $15 with yacht sail (tho I have to wonder if that’s a great idea with all the beer drinking, and bratwurst-eating going on, not to mention the giant pretzels…) buy tkts here: http://worldyachtoktoberfest.eventbrite.com/

Ar you ready to live out your pirate fantasies all day today with PirateCon, http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134290387305&ref=nf

Saturday and Sunday September 18 and 19, 2010

Brooklyn Bridge and the LES - Marking the San Gennaro Feast and the Close of Rosh Hashanah, two walking tours for the price of one! “First, a walk across the bridge to learn about its history and creation, and how it served as an inspiration for Jewish immigrants to come to Brooklyn. Next, a tour of the Lower East Side, addressing its immigrant heritage with stops at the Eldridge Street Synagogue; Orchard Street; the southern edge of the Italian district, and the site of the infamous Five Points slum made famous in Gangs of New York. Tour ends at the San Gennaro Festival on Mulberry Street so you can take in the feast.” 1:45 p.m., $18, call 212-465-3331 for meeting place and RSVP.

Sunday September 19, 2010

Don’t you go forgetting about the John Hughes festival at Lincoln Center today with special Brat Pack appearances! Starts at 12:45 p.m. and runs all day, ind. Seats run $12, see five films for $35, http://www.filmlinc.com/wrt/onsale/johnhughes.html.

Get that hi-fi ready after a trip to Brooklyn Flea’s Superstar DJ Record Fair with plenty of vinyl and DJ’d music for all! http://www.brooklynflea.com/2010/09/superstar_dj_record_fairsunday_1.html

Jazz it up in Red Hook, with their annual festival, at Urban Meadow, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m., $5, http://urbanmeadowbrooklyn.blogspot.com/p/red-hook-jazz-festival-2010.html

This ain’t your grandpa’s general store! The Kings County General Store sets itself up in Southpaw this Sunday with “Brooklyn-based artists, designers, foodies, local shops, and businesses” showcasing their wares. 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., free admission, http://www.kingscountygeneralstore.com.

Find your next roommate, er wait, diff event, at Coney Island’s Tattoo and Motorcycle Show! Perhaps you’ll still find someone to bond with over that Tweetybird tattoo you got in college! 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., $7.50, http://www.coneyisland.com/tattoo.shtml.

Watch an advanced screening of NBC’s new show The Event for free at Father Duffy Square (47^th and B’way), 7 p.m. (I advise getting there v. early!)

All weekend long Brooklyn is in the fashion spotlight as all those future Project Runway designers display their wares at Williamsburg Fashion Weekend (http://www.williamsburgfashionweekend.com), and yuk it up at the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, (http://www.eugenemirmancomedyfestival.com/.

Plus plenty of other diversions in my Fall Guide!

Cheap Chick NYC, Weekend Picks, Sept. 10-12, 2010

Sorry for the delays, be sure to check out my fall events guide for plenty of events going on this weekend!

Friday September 10, 2010

The Holy Grail of Geekiness, the Nerd Nite Nerdactacular is tonight! You can ruminate on Godzilla and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Ride tonight at Galapagos Art Space, 16 Main St., DUMBO, $15. RSVP and tkts here: http://www.nyc.nerdnite.com

It’s not your grandma’s church bingo anymore, but it might be too much for your bingo card! Rebel Bingo tonight, $15, check here for tkts and the top secret location, http://meanredproductions.com/1761

Friday September 10 and Saturday September 11, 2010

Do you really want what she’s having? See if you do at Landmark Sunshine’s screening of When Harry Met Sally, Midnight. $9.99, http://www.landmarktheaters.com

Saturday September 11, 2010

Here is a list of list of events to commemorate 9/11: http://manhattan.about.com/od/september11th2001/a/911memorial.htm

Literature and drinks come together at Lit Crawl tonight, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and beyond, http://litcrawl.org, Seems to be free aside from drinks and other extras!

Revolutionize your weekend with the 1776 Peace Conference Celebration! The Staten Island Conference House will be hosting a re-creation of peace talks held between the British and the Americans during the American Revolution with music and dancing, crafts booths, outdoor cooking demonstrations, and children’s games and crafts. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 298 Satterlee Street, Staten Island, $3.

Unwind at the steps of the main NYPL branch (Fifth Ave. and 42nd St.) with a free One World Symphony concert today from 5:45 to 6:30 p.m.

Sunday September 12, 2010

Say Goodbye to summer with the Roosevelt Island “So Long Summer BBQ,”a free event from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. RSVP required, http://www.rooseveltlive.com

Hola to Mexico at the 116^th St. Mexican Independence Festival, 116^th St. bet. Second and Lex featuring food and performances! This free event starts at 10 a.m.

It’s all Brooklyn all-day at the Farm City Fair free event, with local eats and drinks, as well as cooking workshops and a competitive cooking competition. 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Invisible Dog Art Center, 51 Bergen St. Free!

Now it’s the West Side’s chance for a county fair. Head to Riverside Park to indulge in games, music, square dancing, a greenmarket, a petting zoo, and Bindlestiff's Family Cirkus. The event is free and will be taking place from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Pier in Riverside Park South at West 70^th St.

I’d be on Conan the Librarian’s hit list if I did not mention one of my all-time favorite events, The Brooklyn Book Festival (also on my Fall Guide). This free all-day event features panel discussions, author readings, and almost every vendor related to books you could possibly imagine. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Brooklyn Borough Hall, http://www.brooklynbookfestival.org/BrooklynBookFestival/festival.html Plus free admission to the Brooklyn Historical Society as part of the festival! http://www.brooklynhistory.org

Learn about Williamsburg’s pre-Hipster history during “Williamsburg: From the Cool to the Conservative,” a Municipal Art Society walking tour led by Marty Shore, an urban historian. Tour starts at 11 a.m. and begins at the NW corner of North 7th St. and Bedford Ave. $15.

Zoom out to Queens for an antique motorcycle festival, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Queens County Farm Museum, http://www.queensfarm.org/

It’s “nac-cho” mama’s salsa at the Bell House today with amateur competitors mixing it up at Salsa Slam where you can sample the spicy goodness and rock out with mariachi music. 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. $12, http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3037105

Plus yee-haw all weekend at the Brooklyn Country Music Festival, http://www.adhesivetheater.com/, and kick up your heels at the Dance Now Festival (tkts start at $20) http://www.dancenownyc.org/the-festival.php.

Cheap Chick NYC Fall Guide, 2010

Grab a cup of ice-cold cider from the Union Square Farmer’s Market for energy and set off on some NYC fall adventures!

August/September

August 31-September 29, 2010, New York Public Library George Bruce Branch Portrait of Harlem Photography Exhibit,
http://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/portrait-harlem-photography-exhibit-george-bruce-branch

September 3-November 28, 2010, “Lee Friedlander: America by Car," is the Whitney’s exhibit of the photographer’s works, http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/LeeFriedlander

September 8, 2010, Jonathan Franzen will be at the Union Square Barnes & Noble at 7 p.m. discussing Freedom.

September 10, 2010, Fashion’s Night Out, Shopping, parties, cocktails, food, and did I mention shopping? http://www.fashionsnightout.com

September 10-13, 2010, The Howl Festival, Tompkins Square Park will be the site of poetry, music, and dance! http://www.howlfestival.com/

September 12, Bookworms unite at the annual Brooklyn Book Festival, http://www.brooklynbookfestival.org/BrooklynBookFestival/festival.html

September 12, 2010, Broadway on Broadway, free concert event starring Broadway’s best and hosted by Kelsey Grammer. http://www.timessquarenyc.org/about_us/events_broadway.html

September 12-January 30, “Shifting the Gaze: Painting and Feminism” hosted by The Jewish Museum with more than 30 pieces from the museum as well as works of art from other institutions, http://www.thejewishmuseum.org/exhibitions/feministpainting

September 14–Jan 3, 2010, “Notorious & Notable: 20th-Century Women of Style,” Museum of the City of New York exhibit featuring 80 New York women and their clothing and jewelry, http://www.mcny.org

September 14, 2010, James Ellroy will be at the Strand (Broadway and 12th) discussing his latest: The Hilliker Curse, 7 p.m.

September 15-March 14, 2011, Counter Space: Design and the Modern Kitchen, The modern kitchen, in particular how it changed in the 20th century, is the subject of this MOMA exhibit, which includes two actual kitchens. http://moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1062

September 16, 2010, Back to Journalism School Trivia Night! The Deadline Club (the NYC chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists) is hosting this no-holds-barred competition to see who knows the most about media! Think you’re the best copyeditor in town? Know the history of Hearst? Then test your skills at this competition hosted by Noah Tarnow of the Big Quiz Thing (http://www.bigquizthing.com)! For more info and to RSVP visit http://www.deadlineclub.org

September 16-26, 2010, Ciao Italia at Little Italy’s massive street fair, the Feast of San Gennaro, http://www.sangennaro.org/

Sept 17–Jan 8, 2010, “Japan Fashion Now,” a free exhibit covering 30 years of Japanese street style fashion at the Museum at FIT, http://www.fitnyc.edu/museum

September 17-January 2, 2011, “Mark Twain: A Skeptic's Progress," relates to Mark Twain’s (aka Samuel Clemens to some of you!) life. This Morgan Library exhibit features 120 manuscripts, rare books, letters, diaries, photographs and more, http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/exhibition.asp?id=33

September 17-January 9, 2011, “Nuevo York,” NYC’s relationship with Spain and Latin America is examined in this exhibit at El Museo del Barrio. Organized in conjunction with the New York Historical Society while that museum is undergoing renovations, the exhibit is complete with interactive displays, video footage, maps, letters, paintings, and other items. https://www.nyhistory.org/web/default.php?section=exhibits_collections&page=exhibit_detail&id=4833639

September 19, 2010, African-American Day Parade, Harlem hosts this event, which travels down 111th Street and Adam Clayton Powell Blvd. to 142nd Street. The parade starts at 1 p.m. and is a celebration of black culture and achievement. http://www.africanamericandayparade.org/1.html

September 20, 2010, Nicholas Sparks is discussing Safe Haven at the Barnes & Noble, Fifth Ave at 46th St. 12:30 p.m.

September 21, 2010, Award-winning journalist Michele Norris will be on-hand with her memoir, The Grace of Silence at the Strand bookstore, http://www.strandbooks.com/app/www/p/calendar/?startweek=2#1521

September 21 and 22, 2010, New York Shop Walk, two days of shopping discounts and deals, and even spa treatments, http://nymag.com/shopwalk/

September 21, 2010, Sophie Kinsella discusses the latest installment in the Shopaholic series, UWS Barnes & Noble, 82nd and Broadway, 7 p.m.

September 21, and 22, 2010, Gotham Writers’ Workshop fall open house! Take free writing classes both days! http://www.free.writingclasses.com

September 21, 2010, The divine Tim Gunn will be at the Tribeca Barnes & Noble to share his secrets for “making it work” (at least I hope so!) 7p.m.

September 22, 2010, Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants will discuss her new work Ape House at the Union Square Barnes & Noble.

September 24-January 2, 2011, Roy Lichtenstein: The Black-and-White Drawings 1961-1968,” with drawings from private and public collections throughout the U.S. and Europe are on display at the Morgan Library. http://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/exhibition.asp?id=34

September 24-October 10, New York International Film Festival, This year’s offerings include The Social Network, and selections from Cannes and the Palme d’Or, http://www.filmlinc.com

September 25, 2010, 1 p.m., Gysin's Ghost: Poetry Marathon, basically a day-long poetry reading at the New Museum, http://www.newmuseum.org/events/460

September 25-26, 2010, 28th Annual Queens County Fair (Queen’s County Farm Museum), relish the country air in Queens with the corn maze, hayrides, a pie eating contest, and a petting zoo, http://www.queensfarm.org/events.html

September 27, 2010, Former President Jimmy Carter will be at Barnes & Noble at Fifth Ave. and 46th St. discussing White House Diary.

September 28-October 9, 2010, Fall For Dance Festival, 10 performances, 20 companies, one stage, all seats $10, http://www.nycitycenter.org

October

October 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, New Yorker Festival, writer, celebs, and films converge at one event, http://www.newyorker.com/festival (this is a little beyond the Cheap Chick's means, but if you have some extra laundry quarters, you should check out this event!)

Oct 1–10, 2010, At Art in Odd Places you may want to watch where you’re going, because you might stumble upon art at this outdoor arts festival where pieces are all over 14th St. (14th St between Hudson and East Rivers), http://www.artinoddplaces.org

Oct 3–June 2, 2011, “Abstract Expressionist New York,” See more than 300 works from MOMA’s collection, http://www.moma.org

October 6-January 9, 2011, "The Last Newspaper," on view at the New Museum with a constant flow of information and feature artists reacting in real-time, http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/428/the_last_newspaper

October 9 and 10, 2010, Open House New York, the weekend-long event gives New Yorkers a key to the city’s hidden places, http://www.ohny.org/weekend/

October 11, 2010, Columbus Day Parade, Runs from 5th Avenue from 47th-79th streets, the parade starts at 11:30 a.m. and ends at 3:30 p.m. Before watching the parade you can attend a special Columbus Day mass at 9:30 a.m. held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

October 3, 2010, Tibetan Festival, at the Jacques Marchais Museum of Tibetan Art on Staten Island. "An afternoon of Tibetan food, crafts, and demonstrations of Tibetan calligraphy." http://www.tibetanmuseum.org/calendar.htm

October 13, 2010-January 21, 2011, “On Stage in Fashion,” at the NYPL for the Performing Arts, which looks at the collaboration between performers and fashion designers using costumes, designs, photographs, and other media throughout the 20th century and the present, http://www.nypl.org/events/exhibitions/stage-fashion

October 14, 2010, Journalist Jere Dyk talks about his experiences being held captive by the Taliban! The Deadline Club is hosting this event at the Salmagundi Arts Club (467 Fifth Ave.) at 7 p.m. http://www.deadlineclub.org, for more info and to RSVP.

October 16-May 30, 2011, "The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter," is a great way to escape the cold weather with more than 500 butterflies fluttering around their controlled (and warm!) environment, http://www.amnh.org/

October 15-January 9, 2011, “Seductive Subversion: Women Pop Artists, 1958-1968," focuses on 50 works from females of the time period at the Brooklyn Museum, http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/seductive_subversion/

Oct 17, 2010, Brooklyn Bacon Takedown, It's not just for eggs and waffles anymore! Sample some new bacon tastes at the Takedown! The Bell House, 149 7th St between 2nd and 3rd Aves., Gowanus, Brooklyn, http://chilitakedown.com, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.

October 20, 2010 - January 23, 2011, "Free," at the New Museum shows the impact of the Internet on the news and information we access regularly, http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/429/free

October 28 2010-April 2011, "Modern Life: Edward Hopper and His Time," on tap at the Whitney with more than 80 of the artists’ works, http://whitney.org/Exhibitions/ModernLife

Oct 29–Mar 27, 2010, “Houdini: Art and Magic” at the Jewish Museum. See the magician’s diaries, and photographs before they disappear! http://www.thejewishmuseum.org

October 30-August 14, 2011, "Sam Taylor-Wood: Ghosts," at the Brooklyn Museum evokes the atmosphere of Emily Dickinson’s Wuthering Heights, which inspired the artists’ photos. http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/sam_taylor_wood/

October, 31, 2010, Village Halloween Parade, you too can dress up as a zombie in the Thriller routine! http://www.halloween-nyc.com/

November

November 4, 2010, Dude! It’s Lebowski Fest! Hopefully this event will make you grateful for all rugs you have that tie your rooms together! Don’t forget the White Russians! Live music and bowling also abound at the festivities, http://www.lebowskifest.com

November 7, 2010, New York City Marathon, cheer on your favorite runners at this annual event! http://www.nycmarathon.org

November 11-22, 2010, Canstruction, I’ve seen polar bears, Beatles, and cars (oh my!) all made of those circular containers at at the World Financial Center Winter Garden. How can they do it? The exhibit is free, but visitors are encouraged to bring canned goods for donations. Exhibit hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Nov 20, 2010–Aug 14, 2011, Use your noggin and go to “Brain: The Inside Story at the American Museum of Natural History,” http://www.amnh.org