Big Apple Small Wallet

2011 Free Summer Movie Guide

2011-06-03T22:03:00.009-04:00

Hello internets! It's been awhile! I've decided to live an opulent lifestyle and have subsequently abandoned this blog. Fortunately, I'm a generous robber baron (think Carnagie) and have decided to once again compile a list of free outdoor summer movies. Remember all films start at dusk and you should try to get there as early as possible to ensure you'll get a good spot (Pack a picnic and enjoy the sunset beforehand! The ladies love it.) If my giant philanthropist hands and heart feel up to it, I may update this as film schedules are released. Enjoy the films! Maybe I'll see you there (from one of my many roof top terraces, of course)!

5/15- Warriors- Habana Outpost
5/22- Crooklyn- Habana Outpost
5/25- Ocean's Eleven- Stuy Town
5/27- Top Gun- Intrepid
5/29- Moving- Habana Outpost

6/1- Some Like it Hot- Stuy Town
6/3- The Swimming Pool- Cedar Hill
6/5- Quicksilver- Habana Outpost
6/7- Teddy Bear- Bohemian National Hall
6/8- Legally Blonde- Stuy Town
6/8- Entre Nos- Tavern on the Green
6/10- Those Happy Days- Washington Square Park
6/12- Selena- Habana Outpost
6/14- Melancholic Chicken- Bohemian National Hall
6/15- True Grit- Hoboken Pier A
6/15- Ocean's Twelve- Stuy Town
6/17- A Summer's Tale- Washington Square Park
6/17- Singing in the Rain- Snug Harbor
6/19- Krush Groove- Habana Outpost
6/20- One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest- Bryant Park
6/20- Desperately Seeking Susan- Elevated Acre
6/21- How to Drown Dr. Mracek, the Lawyer- Bohemian National Hall
6/22- The Fighter- Hoboken Pier A
6/24- Spiderman- Intrepid
6/24- Contempt- Tompkins Square Park
6/24- Moonstruck- Snug Harbor
6/25- Iron Man 2- Roosevelt Island
6/26- Above the law- Habana Outpost
6/27- The 39 Steps- Bryant Park
6/27- The Godfather Part II- Elevated Acre
6/27- March of the Penguins- Astoria Park
6/28- Thanks for a Good Morning- Bohemian National Hall
6/29- Breakfast at Tiffany's- Hoboken Pier A
6/29- Between the Folds- Tavern on the Green
6/30- Raging Bull- Tompkins Square Park

7/1- Mr. Hulot's Holiday- Tompkins Square Park
7/3- Grease- Habana Outpost
7/4- Easy Rider- Bryant Park
7/5- Whisper- Bohemian National Hall
7/6- Friday- McCarren Park
7/6- Clermont Ferrand Short Films- Socrates
7/6- The Social Network- Pier 63
7/7- Coming to America- Tompkins Square Park
7/7- Manhattan- Brooklyn Bridge
7/8- The Goonies- Intrepid
7/8- The Karate Kid (2010)- Pier 46
7/8- Towards Zero- Pier I
7/8- Mars Attacks!- Snug Harbor
7/8- Prometeo Deportado (Ecuador)- Unisphere
7/8- Momma Mia- Narrows Botanical Gardens
7/9- The Goonies- Roosevelt Island
7/10- Roller Boogie- Habana Outpost
7/11- Saturday Night Fever- Coney Island
7/11- Gentlemen Prefer Blondes- Bryant Park
7/11- The Brother from Another Planet- Elevated Acre
7/12- The Bitch's Diary- Bohemian National Hall
7/12- Men in Black- Valentino Pier
7/13- Wayne's World- McCarren Park
7/13- Who Wants to Kill Jessie- Socrates
7/13- The Invisible Man- Pier I
7/13- Easy A- Pier 63
7/13- The King's Speech- Hoboken Pier A
7/13- Mad Hot Ballroom- Tavern on the Green
7/14- The Warriors- Tompkins Square Park
7/14- Ghostbusters- Brooklyn Bridge
7/15- Despicable Me- Pier 46
7/15- My Father's Glory- Pier I
7/15- Antz- Snug Harbor
7/15- Africa United (Africa)- Unisphere
7/17- Saturday Night Fever- Habana Outpost
7/18- Rango- Coney Island
7/18- In the Heat of the Night- Bryant Park
7/19- Twosome- Bohemian National Hall
7/19- Bring it On- Valentino Pier
7/20- Ghost World- McCarren Park
7/20- Caramel- Socrates
7/20- Invasion of the Body Snatchers- Pier I
7/20- The Kids Are All Right- Pier 63
7/20- The Social Network- Hoboken Pier A
7/21- Star Trek- Tompkins Square Park
7/21- Sweet Smell of Success- Brooklyn Bridge
7/21- West Side Story Dance and Sing a Long- Prospect Park Bandshell
7/22- Back to the Future- Intrepid
7/22- The Princess Bride- Pier 46
7/22- Children of Haiti (Haiti)- Unisphere
7/22- Wally- Narrows Botanical Gardens
7/23- Star Trek- Roosevelt Island
7/24- Breaking- Habana Outpost
7/25- Top Gun- Coney Island
7/25- The Lady Eve- Bryant Park
7/26- Dissolved and Effused- Bohemian National Hall
7/26- Lords of Dogtown- Valentino Pier
7/27- Ferris Bueller's Day Off- McCarren Park
7/27- The Good, The Bad, The Weird- Socrates
7/27- The Birds- Pier I
7/27- The Other Guys- Pier 63
7/27- Waiting for Superman- Hoboken Pier A
7/27- Food Curated- Tavern on the Green
7/28- Arthur- Tompkins Square Park
7/28- Basquiat- Brooklyn Bridge
7/29- Toy Story 3- Pier 46
7/29- Kung Fu Dunk (Taiwan)- Unisphere
7/31- Dirty Dancing- Habana Outpost

8/1- Iron Man 2- Coney Island
8/1- Iron Man- Waterside Plaza
8/1- Cool Hand Luke- Bryant Park
8/1- Karate Kid- Cunningham Park
8/2- Wall-E- Valentino Pier
8/3- Clueless- McCarren Park
8/3- The Straight Story- Socrates
8/3- Attack of the Killer Tomatoes!- Pier I
8/3- The Fighter- Pier 63
8/3- Wizard of Oz- Hoboken Pier A
8/4- Pope of Greenwich Village- Tompkins Square Park
8/4- An American Tale- Brooklyn Bridge
8/4- Metropolis with Alloy Orchestra- Prospect Park Bandshell
8/5- E.T.- Intrepid
8/5-Sugar (Dominican Republic)- Unisphere
8/5- How to Train Your Dragon- Pier 46
8/5- Young Frankenstein- Narrows Botanical Gardens
8/6- Up- Roosevelt Island
8/7- Heathers- Habana Outpost
8/8- Annie Hall- Coney Island
8/8- Spiderman 2- Waterside Plaza
8/8- Airplane!- Bryant Park
8/8- Toy Story- Astoria Park
8/8- Breakfast with Scot- Cunningham Park
8/9- Karate Kid (1984)- Valentino Pier
8/10- Jurassic Park- McCarren Park
8/10- At the Edge of Russia- Socrates
8/10- Return of the Swamp Thing- Pier I
8/10- Scott Pilgrim vs. the World- Pier 63
8/10- Despicable Me- Hoboken Pier A
8/10- Appetite City- Tavern on the Green
8/11- Kick-Ass- Tompkins Square Park
8/11- Breakfast at Tiffany's- Brooklyn Bridge
8/11- Rent- Cunningham Park
8/12- Shrek Forever After- Pier 46
8/12- Heliopolis (Egypt)- Unisphere
8/14- Risky Business- Habana Outpost
8/14- Tron: Legacy- Roosevelt Island
8/15- Moonstruck- Coney Island
8/15- Spy Kids- Waterside Plaza
8/15- High Sierra- Bryant Park
8/15- Shrek- Astoria Park
8/15- Despicable Me- Cunningham Park
8/16- The Fast and the Furious- Valentino Pier
8/17- Biutiful- Socrates
8/17- Mars Attacks- Pier I
8/17- The Town- Pier 63
8/17- Tangled- Hoboken Pier A
8/17- Carol Channing: Larger Than Life- Tavern on the Green
8/18- Rosemary's Baby- Tompkins Square Park
8/18- Grown Ups- Cunningham Park
8/18- Crooklyn- Brooklyn Bridge
8/19- Jurassic Park- Intrepid
8/19- Tangled- Pier 46
8/19- The Accordion Kings (Columbia)- Unisphere
8/19- Over the Hedge- Narrows Botanical Gardens
8/21- St. Elmo Fire- Habana Outpost
8/22- Justin Bieber: Never Say Never- Coney Island
8/22- The Incedibles- Waterside Plaza
8/22- Dirty Harry- Bryant Park
8/22- Saturday Night Fever- Astoria Park
8/23- The Iron Giant- Valentino Pier
8/24- Silent Film Festival- Socrates
8/24- Toy Story 3- Hoboken Pier A
8/25- The Godfather- Tompkins Square Park
8/25- Rosemary's Baby- Brooklyn Bridge
8/26- Libertador Morales, el justiero (Venezuela)- Unisphere
8/28- Purple Rain- Habana Outpost
8/29- How She Move- Coney Island
8/30- Pump Up the Volume- Valentino Pier

9/1- Stake Land- Tompkins Square Park
9/1- Audience Choice- Brooklyn Bridge
9/3- The Incredibles- Roosevelt Island
9/4- Teen Wolf- Habana Outpost
9/6- Highlander- Valentino Pier
9/7- Cabaret- Stuy Town
9/8- Two Days in Paris- Columbia University low library steps
9/11- Blues Brothers- Habana Outpost
9/13- Pee Wee's Big Adventure- Valentino Pier
9/14- Austin Powers- Stuy Town
9/18- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly- Habana Outpost
7/21- The Devil Wears Prada- Stuy Town
9/25- The Harder They Come- Habana Outpost

10/2- 5 Easy Pieces- Habana Outpost
10/9- Edward Scissor Hands- Habana Outpost
10/16- Gremlins- Habana Outpost
10/23- The Empire Strikes Back- Habana Outpost
10/31- Rocky Horror Picture Show- Habana Outpost

Things noticed: What the heck is Crooklyn and why is it showing twice? Someone should coordinate when they show originals and sequels (Godfather, Toy Story). I think this is the first time I've heard of a concert film at an outdoor screening (Beiber). You can pick who you want to accompany the good and the bad, either the ugly or the weird. Saturday Night Fever 3 times? Really? How does that happen? Welcome Coney Island to the outdoor screening game. About time, amIright?

In addition to the outdoor screenings:
Huckleberry Bar continues their indoor screenings every Monday. More info here.

Like German Cinema? Who doesn't. This summer, the Neue Gallery presents Vienna 1900 every Monday at 4pm. More info here.

The Queens Museum has a spring movie series exploring surveillance. Mondays at 2pm. More info here

Kate's Joint in the east village was playing films in the bar on Mondays, That may still be happening.

Motorcyclesploitation? Cine Meccanica at Otto's Shrunken Head plays the best worst motor cycle films every Tuesday. More info here.

Regal Cinemas jacked up the price of their summer kids series. Tuesday and Wednesday matinees are now a whopping $1. More info here.

Wally's Square Root Cafe has a summer movie night with food specials and free popcorn. More info here.

The Rubin Museum of Art presents Cabaret Cinema every Friday (Screenings are free w/$7 bar minimum). More info here.

The Sony Wonderlab has free screenings every Saturday. More info here.

The Church Lounge at the Tribeca Grand Hotel has free screenings every Sunday. More info here

Ace Hotel had weekly Sunday screenings during the winter, looks like they're a bit more sporadic this summer. Or maybe they just update their website more sporadically. More info here

The Museum of the American Indian has free screenings (often for the kiddies on the weekend) more info here

Also, keep an eye on your public libraries! Free screenings abound! More info here

For more info on the outdoor venues visit the links below:
Intrepid Summer Movie Series- "Celebrating some of our favorite heroes"
Movies with a View at Brooklyn Bridge Park- Come out early for DJs and a short film before the feature. (Moved this year to the new Pier 1)
HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival- Get there early, the lawn opens at 5!
Outdoor Cinema at Socrates Sculpture Park- Each week film, food and performances focused on a different culture
Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre- Classic New York features paired with independent shorts. This fills ups fast, so get there early (Opens at 6)!
Movies Under the Stars (Pier I at 70th St)- Best theme so far this year: Terror through the decades.
RiverFlicks for Grownups (Pier 63)- Watch all of your favorite blockbusters from 2009
RiverFlicks for Kids (Pier 46)- New and classic films for the whole family
Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park Band Shell- A series of films played with live music scores. $3 suggested donation.
Summer Screen- McCarren Park Ballfields (Bedford and North 12th)- Movies with "a nod to our adolescent idols and crushes"
Films on the Green- Tompkins Square Park, Central Park, Washington Square Park- French musicals
Movie Night in Astoria Park- Astoria Park Lawn- Family friendly movies on the Astoria waterfront
Movies Under the Stars at Habana Outpost- Make yourself a margarita on a bike blender while you watch films allllll summer
Movies Under the Stars- Snug Harbor Staten Island- Come out to the Neptune Fountain Stage early for music from local bands.
Movies Under the Stars- Pier A Park, Hoboken, NJ- Yes it's in Jersey, but it's just as easy to get to Hoboken as a lot of the outer boroughs. So hop on the PATH to check out a series of just released films with the Manhattan skyline as your backdrop.
Films in Tompkins Square Park- Catchy name, great films!
Coney Island Flicks on the Beach- Bloomberg begs you! Come for the free movie, stay for a hotdog!
RCN Movie Nights at Waterside Plaza- Because cable has all the best movies! Promises to be family friendly, so maybe more Beiber?
Movies Under the Stars- Cunningham Park Queens- Free popcorn!
Passport Fridays at the Unisphere- Celebrate a different culture every Friday with dance/music and a film
Movie on the Oval- Peter Cooper Village/Stuyvesent Town- Includes prefilm entertainment and food from your favorite food trucks
The Scene at Tavern on the Green- Food Trucks and films in Central Park
Friday Movie Night- Narrows Botanical Gardens- Come to Bay Ridge for some family friendly movies in the garden
Summer on the Roof- Bohemian National Hall- Czech films and Manhattan views
Roosevelt Island Outdoor Movie Series- Saturday Night is Family Night
Red Hook Summer Films- Valentino Pier- Enjoy the view of Lady Liberty

The links below were film fests in 2010 so we'll wait and see what 2011 brings...

Tony Dapolito Recreation Center Rooftop Film Series- July: Film Noir, August: The Vault of Horror Flicks
Summer Starz- East River State Park (N 8th St and Kent Ave)- Family friendly films
Reel Harlem- Morningside, Marcus Garvey, Jackie Robinson, and St. Nicholas Parks in Harlem- Films mostly feature black music, arts and activism. Events also include short films and music
Brooklyn Film Works- The Old Stone House, Washington Park Brooklyn- Classic films culminating in films by students age 12-16
Ortine Cafe- 622 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY, 11238- July is Roald Dahl month! Can't wait to see what August will bring
One Front Street- The Kings County Cinema Society has started a film series every Sunday on the wall of Grimaldi's in Dumbo. I'm excited to see what they'll bring us!
Imagenation Film Festival- St. Nicholas Park, Harlem- Show up early for performances before the films.
Parks Summer 2010 Movie Series- In a park near you- If there weren't already enough film festivals in city parks this summer, the Parks Dep't is taking the show on the road and bringing family friendly films to a park near you. And while most film fests pick a day of the week this is typically every Wednesday-Saturday. Yes some of the films and locations repeat but can you really blame them? And besides maybe it'll be easier to find a showing that works with your schedule.
Central Park Film Festival- This year's theme "Iconic New York." The film's are at the Mineral Springs, which is just north of Sheep Meadow at 69th St on the western side of the park.
Family Movies in the Park- Jamaica gives you a lot of options with multiple screenings in multiple parks AND classic film Fridays. Maybe you wanted to fall asleep on the A train after all.

Alright! Not a bad place to start if I do say so myself. If I missed anything let me know and I'll get it on the list! Go see free movies! Justify to your parents back home why you pay so much to live here!

Jet Setters

2010-09-10T20:26:00.003-04:00

We're off to Austin this weekend with our JetBlue All You Can Jet Pass! WOO!

Onto Orlando!

Burgers & Cupcakes

2010-09-02T00:49:00.000-04:00

I'm pretty sure we've mentioned these folks before... (right?!) but Burgers & Cupcakes is amazing and deserves another shout out.

Brian and I ate there tonight... after not having done so in a while. "But, why?" you ask. IIII DON'T KNOWWW! I asked Brian that very same question about 10 times throughout our meal. I think they have the most delicious fries ever (the thin and crispy kind-- raaahhh) and I think their cupcakes kick all those other NYC bakeries to the curb (no names mentioned here :X). And their burgers are great too! My fave is their Lemon Grilled Chicken Burger with goat cheese. Mmmm.

And what really makes this place great are the friendly workers. They gave us free cupcakes tonight after our meal! And theeen as we were walking out the door they gave us NINE MORE FREE CUPCAKES. I meeeaaaan, come oooonnn. They also have a frequent eaters card so you can get 1 free meal every 5 meals or something like that ;)

And they have a new Banana flavored cupcake that our buddy John claimed was the best cupcake he has ever had. (He was one of the recipients of our free cupcake gifts) Others in our box included strawberry, blueberry, mint chocolate chip, chocolate ganauche and red velvet... all with either their AMAZING butter cream frosting or cream cheese frosting or...other amazing frostings. Photo below. Drool away!!

(Okay, so the picture quality isn't that great. Had to iphone this one.)

Last Minute Frights

2010-08-18T20:47:00.007-04:00

When our Tuesday evening plans fell through, we stumbled across some exciting last minute plans...

A free prescreening of The Last Exorcism! Thanks to www.filmmetro.com and www.gofobo.com!

We thought we were going to be too late to get in but lucky for us there was a premovie Q & A with Eli Roth! I guess we missed some of the Q & A but the parts we did catch were great. Eli had to change his Facebook to a pseudonym because the all the people he used to go to school with try to get him to pass screenplays to Quintin Tarantino. And in even better news, Roth's next project is producing a film he cowrote with RZA that is going to be a spaghetti western style kung fu movie with proper Chinese actors dubbed in English by rappers. Yeah, simmer on that for a minute.

And then we watched The Last Exoricsm! Which was a pretty cool film and definitely worth a viewing. As I said on my "twitcrit" review: It kept the guy sitting next to me guessing (loudly) the whole time! Ah crowded movie theaters...

July in Review

2010-08-10T20:40:00.006-04:00

Wow, is it August already? All the hot, sticky days have seemed to run together into a big gooey mess.

So how was your July?

I know the blog hasn't been so active, but don't worry, that doesn't mean we've given up the cheap lifestyle. Quite the contrary.

In July, summer concerts were in full effect.

We hit up the Siren Festival at Coney Island. Ted Leo was great and Night Marchers were my band discovery of the show. Like every day this summer it was stupid hot out so we saw a few sets and then hit the beach to relax to the sights and sounds of drunk teenagers getting in fights.

Next it was another Brooklyn summer institution, the Jelly Pool Parties! Windnie went shopping while I met up with some Brooklyners to see Murder City Devils. Good times were had and a lot of free Amp was drank. Again, hot as balls, shade at a premium, dehydration: inevitable. But man, was that a great show!

Then Weasel came to visit! He wanted to check out Cap'n Jazz and Lightening Bolt at the Pool Parties but since they don't really like water they moved the show indoors at the first sight of rain and promptly sold out. Weasel was a good sport however and that night we went to that Sunday institution: Asssscat 3000 at UCB! I think he had a good time, or at least pretended to.

Let's see, then there was a grill out and Sonic Youth at Prospect Park Bandshell to Celebrate Brooklyn! Grilling out is awesome! And it was a good time, laying on a blanket outside the fence and pretending we were from the 90s.

Last but not least, Lincoln Center's Out of Doors concert series. We went to check out Balkan Beat Box but weren't that impressed. Maybe because they had to follow Mucca Pazza who were incredible!

[Added by Windnie]: We also went to the Dragon Boat Festival---where I fell asleep. But pre-nap it was nice!

Sprinkle in a couple outdoor movies, a trip to the Met, some half priced Pinkberry and a big dose of Windnie moving into her new apt just up the street and you've pretty much summed up our July.

Hope yours has been just as great! A lot of these fests still have plenty of shows left in them so be sure to check them out in August!

Lucero's Gone to Governor's

2010-07-18T00:31:00.000-04:00

We've already been to Governor's Island to check out some free art. This time we went for the free music.

With our friend Jo Anne in toe, we headed to Water Taxi Beach on Governor's Island (which is really more of a sand box) to check out Lucero, J-Roddy Walston and The Business, and Johnny Corndawg.

We arrived early expecting it to be crowded but the threat of rain seemed to keep people away. Fortunately, the only rain we had were the sprinkles when we arrived! The small crowd made for a relaxed atmosphere, maybe even like a day at the real beach. The food prices at the beach aren't terrible for a concert venue but they aren't cheap either. I'd recommend bringing your own. We found a picnic table in the sand and soaked in the atmosphere. We stayed at our table for Johnny Corndawg and enjoyed his cutesy country music but then moved a bit closer for the next 2 acts.

J-Roddy Walston was incredible. Sounding like a southern rock mix of Billy Joel and Meatloaf they completely blew away the crowd. Everyone needs to check them out right now.

The headliner of the show was Lucero, whose hollow-bodied guitar meets singer-songwriter style was on full display. Songs about love and drinking seemed to fit the mood on a cool night on the river and the show often turned into a big sing a long. After a lovely, long set we headed back to reality. After a nice day on the Island.

A day at the Meadow

2010-07-12T20:00:00.005-04:00

Over the long July 4th weekend the Mets were playing my hometown Reds so we thought we'd head up to Flushing Meadows and explore before checking out the game that night.

Flushing Meadows has a long history and a ton of activities inside!

First up, the Queens Zoo. This zoo is a lot like Central Park and Prospect Park Zoo, with several exhibits set up in a ring around a sea lion pit. The zoo was small but fun. The focus is on animals from the Americas. There is also an aviary inside a Buckminster Fuller geodesic dome. The structure was originally part of the 64 World's Fair (more on that later).

Flushing Meadows has been home to 2 World's Fairs in 1939 and 1964 and there are still remnants of both events. The Queens Museum of Art is housed in a building from the 1939 World's Fair. Though the building was closed when we were there, it is worth checking out. It fits our budget ($5 suggested donation) and houses temporary and permanent exhibits including the New York City Panorama. The Panorama is a model of the city, originally built for the 1964 world's fair and it includes EVERY building in the city built before 1992, at 9,335 sq ft and with 895,000 individual structures (and airplanes!) it is absolutely worth the trip.

The 1964 World's Fair introduced us to Tomorrowland (presented by GM) helping pave the way (heh heh) for the automobile domination of much of the country. But transportation planning philosophies aside, the 64 world's fair also gave us the Unisphere!

The fountain has been out of use for awhile but that should change soon with the restoration project currently underway.

Unfortunatly, another relic from the 64 World's Fair has not aged as well...

It seems like every world's fair has a signature overlook tower. Seattle has the Space Needle, San Antonio has the Tower of the America's, and Knoxville has the Sunsphere. New York has 3 towers, all built as part of the New York State Pavilion. While I believe the other towers mentioned are all currently servicing tourists, the New York State Pavilion looks like this:

Which I mean looks kinda cool, but in the worst sort of way. I think the city is supposed to be fixing it up but I don't think there is a time table.

After wandering around the park, we thought we might try the Queens Botanical Garden, which was started for the 1939 World's Fair and moved for the 1964 World's Fair. After a long walk under some highways and across a pedestrian bridge we found this:

Looks pretty closed huh? We thought so too. Upon further review of the garden map, it turns out that this is the "Meadow" section of the park and the entrance is on the opposite side. Someone needs to work on signage around this place. If you want to try your luck the admission price shouldn't break your small wallet ($4, $2 for students). If you've been there in the past you should note the new admission price since this is the first season they've charged. During less "green" seasons you can still get in free.

So after a long day exploring Flushing Meadows we headed over to Citi Field. On a holiday weekend, with the first place Reds in town, there weren't a lot of available tickets on resale sites (Stubhub, etc) and the scalpers weren't really in the mood to do business with me and my cheapness. We resigned to buy the cheapest seats in the house:

And then move down to here:

And then we watched the Reds win with help from a controversial call that pissed off all the Mets fans! Fun times in Queens!

How to Properly Celebrate America's Birthday

2010-07-11T23:54:00.000-04:00

There are a lot of good ways to celebrate the 4th of July but there are really only 2 essentials: Cook outs and fireworks. So our day started with a trip to Prospect Park to celebrate with our Brooklyn friends.

Here's Kevin working the grill.

Here's Robert enjoying the picnic.

Here's Brian soaking up the sun.

Here's a Petanque game in action!

After about 8 hours of food, naps, and Pentanque it was back to the island to check out some fireworks. It turns out there was a pretty great view from my roof.

Happy Birthday Uhmerika!

Movie Night!

2010-07-01T18:00:00.002-04:00

We keep updating the Summer Movie Guide, filling in the holes in your summer evening schedule. Unfortunately, try as we might, we just can't find a free outdoor movie every day this summer.

Fortunately, KGB deal and AMC theaters (which we usually only visit during their morning matinee) are offering the next best thing:

A $4 movie ticket!

Finally, we can have a proper movie date night like all the big spenders!

Hurry though, there's a limited supply of discount tickets!

Red Hooked

2010-06-30T00:33:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we headed out to Ikea Brooklyn to peruse some Swedish home goods. Perhaps you've heard of Ikea. Ikea is filled with cheap furniture. Not only is the cost cheap, but so is the quality! I mean the stuff is pretty sleek so it's better than your Walmart furniture, but it'll still probably fall apart if you have to move it. Ikea also has some cheap food. The food is kinda cafeteria style Swedish meatballs and chicken fingers and things so it's not exactly worth going out of your way for. Ikea Brooklyn is pretty unique one way. You can get there by a free ferry boat at Pier 11!

Ferries in the summer are a good time. Open air, breezes on the water, and great views of Manhattan, Jersey, Brooklyn and even the Statue of Liberty. Your ride culminates in a slow trip through some pretty creepy looking derelict docks when you arrive at Ikea. But since you're probably over Ikea just as much as I am, I've got a suggestion for you.

Next time, skip the Swedes and head for the Red Hook Vendors. Hop on the Ikea ferry which is completely free on the weekends. Enjoy the ride, soak in the views, and even marvel at the bright new Ikea built in the very industrial neighborhood of Red Hook. But then just walk on by. When everyone turns to right to enter the front door of the big blue box, turn right with them and just keep going. Eventually, you'll run into a park and soon you'll find ball fields. Futbol fields. Futbol fields surrounded by food trucks. Food trucks representing all sorts of Latin American specialties. Cheap Latin American Specialties.

So practice your Spanish (or your pointing skills) grab a cup of horchata and enjoy. Find a spot under a nice big tree, watch some futbol, and soak in the sun, and be happy that you're not in a big blue box soaking in florescent light. Be sure to thank Ikea on your way back home for such a lovely day on their dime.

And let me know if there's anything else I should check out next time we're in Red Hook (besides of course their summer movie series)

Aircraft Carrier of Dreams

2010-06-20T23:47:00.003-04:00

So I'm like a 10 times more happy person in the summer time in New York City and today I remembered why. Outdoor movies!!! (and things.)

Brian and I packed ourselves a nice little picnic last night and headed over to The Intrepid to watch "Field of Dreams" under the stars (okay, so I couldn't see them... but I'm pretty sure they were there). The night was beeaauuutiful and the company was alright ;)

First of all, I can't believe we've never been to the Intrepid Museum. EDIT: because it's expensive! So you're welcome for finding a way to get a glimpse of this pricey attraction for free! :)

Here are some photos:

Shyeah. How can you not feel oh so good eating chips and salsa and finding yourself surrounded by these beauties on a perfect night by the river. I mean, really. Even if the movie isn't good (or a complete CHEESEBALL fest like this movie is :) you can just look around and be happy).

So go here and pick a movie and experience it for yourself! And of course, all of these are included in our massive summer movie list that's already been posted and bookmarked on your own personal computer I'M SURE :)

'Til next time!

Billy's BBQ

2010-06-19T23:58:00.001-04:00

While you were fighting the long lines and paying for your BBQ last Saturday, we were hangin out with the best new menswear designer in America. Our good friend/salesboy/part-time-model B. Capps invited us over for the Annual Billy Reid BBQ. And because Billy knows real BBQ comes from the south, he got Jim N Nicks to truck a whole hog up from Alabama for the event!

Free pulled pork tacos! Homemade tortilla chips and queso/guacamole/salsa! Free beer and champagne! And hanging out with some good friends that, like most of us New Yorkers, work far too much! Who could ask for anything more!

Thanks Brandon! Hopefully we'll be seeing you around a lot more and hopefully it will again involve whole animals roasted over flame for free.

Movies, movies, movies, movies

2010-06-16T17:07:00.000-04:00

The list continues to grow!

A few new series to add to the summer movie list:

Movies Under the Bridge at Little Bay Park in Queens featuring free family films overlooking Long Island Sound. So far the only info we've got is they're showing something August 17th. But using my excellent deductive reasoning, the usage of the plural "movies" means that this is in fact a series with additional movies forthcoming. As more info becomes available you can find it here. EDIT: There are at least 3 movies being played Under the Bridge. Reasoning: Deduced. Calendar: Updated.

Lawn Chair Theater at Salt Marsh Nature Center wayyyyy out in Brooklyn. Another series with only one announced date. Finding Nemo is scheduled for July 30th. I was pretty certain this was a series due to it's snazzy name (who would take the time to name a one time thing?) but for you lovely people, I called and confirmed. There will officially be more movies announced later.

Movies on the Waterfront in Astoria Park is a short run of family films every Monday in August. You've now got 1 more chance to catch the Lion King in a park down by the river (not sure if vans are allowed, har har har).

In addition to these series, there are some other films that have been added as part of more diverse series happening in the city this summer. Salt at Salt Marsh Nature Center is apparently not part of Lawn Chair Theater but is instead part of the Arts, Culture and Fun Series and 2 TBA family films will be playing in August for the Clearing in the Forest events in Central Park.

Updated Super list here!

Governor's Island + Art

2010-06-15T00:15:00.000-04:00

Hello friends!

Today (Okay, now it is "yesterday"), Brian and I took the lovely ferry over to Governor's Island for the Figment Art Show--an exhibit that is run entirely by volunteers and is completely free to the public. If you've never been out to Governor's Island, I highly recommend it. It is always free to get there via ferry boat at these times on the weekend and it is a nice and easy retreat from the city. Bring a picnic!!

There usually aren't quite as many people as shown in the photo above. This was just due to the art show. It's typically quieter-- with a handful of people just laying around in the grass or riding their bikes around on the trails. How lovely! :)

Our good friend Ryan Nussbaum gave us the heads up on this event! The company he works for (MSLK) was showing this piece on the island:

So most of the art was not really my style--a bit pretentious :( but if anything it was just nice to walk around outside. Here is a little bit of what we saw before it started to rain on us:

Interpretive dance I guess.

People on stilts.

Giving away gnomes (but only after making people take an oath)

A family tree with lots of drawings of families

A greenhouse

pirate ship bikes

And my favorite-- a Childhood Dream Tree :)

K, nuff photos. BYEEEE.

We got Stiles

2010-06-14T03:45:00.000-04:00

Eating in NYC is expensive. You think you'll save some money by going to the grocery store and even most of those are stuffed with gourmet options at inflated prices. Luckily, NYC has Stiles Farmer's Market (2 locations: 9th Ave and 41st St and 52nd St between 8th and 9th). No frills, fresh produce at aweeesome prices. They close a bit early (6:30pm) but it's worth shuffling your schedule to make it there. But don't just take my word for it:

2 ears of corn
1 avocado
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 cucumber
1 lb of strawberries
6 oz blueberries
6 oz raspberries
18 oz blackberries
3 bananas
2 pears
2 golden delicious apples

For a grand total of $14.03. Not a bad trip to the store. I'm gonna make some wicked smoothies.

More Outdoor Summer Movies!

2010-06-11T19:27:00.000-04:00

It turns out there are at least 18 more opportunities to enjoy a movie outside this summer! Including 1 tonight!

The epic Free Summer Movie Guide has been updated with 2 more series in Brooklyn and one spread out over Manhattan!

Summer Screen is a series at McCarren Park Ballfields (Bedford and North 12th) and features a selection of films with "a nod to our adolescent idols and crushes." Should I feel like a hipster if I'm excited for several of these??? Also note that you now have to decide between Labyrinth and Pan's Labyrinth on the same night. My choice is easy, Bowie's bulge scares the crap out of me in that movie.

Also happening in Williamsburg this summer is Summer Starz- East River State Park (N 8th St and Kent Ave). It features a bunch of family friendly films (a lot of Disney). Show up early for live music and a "kids hour" before the show.

Finally, we've added Films on the Green. These films are spread out through 3 parks in Manhattan (Tompkins Square Park, Central Park, Washington Square Park) and are all French musicals compliments of the French Embassy. We may have to invite our French friend along for proper translating/explaining.

If you know of anything we've missed, please let us know! Help us create the most complete summer movie guide IN THE WORLD (in New York City).

Art for the rich (and cheap)

2010-06-01T22:23:00.000-04:00

Did you know this painting recently sold for $106.5 million, making it the most expensive work of art ever sold? The public's only been able to see the thing once since 1951. How much do you think someone would have to pay to see THE MOST VALUABLE WORK OF ART IN THE WORLD?

How bout free.99?

Here's the deal: The buyers of fancy pants things need to see them up close and personal before they wave their paddles around, sooooo auction houses have free previews before the big event-- AND they're open to the public. You probably won't be able to see Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur anytime soon, but you'll be able to see plenty of other priceless works of art (actually they are price-full). In addition to art, auction houses sell antiques, jewelry, watches and other things rich folks want to buy. Probably the 2 most famous NYC auction houses are Christie's and Sotheby's but knowing New York there are probably plenty more.

As we are prone to doing here at Big Apple Small Wallet we used ourselves as guinea pigs and went to check out the collection of Michael Crichton, who, in addition to teaching us all how to create dinosaurs using old mosquitoes, hung out with some pretty happenin dudes. We dressed in our finest tshirts and perused works from Jasper Johns, Lichtenstein, Murakami, Warhol, etc etc etc. It was basically like seeing a once in a lifetime exhibit for free!

Auction houses do add one interesting element to a traditional trip to the art museum: Anticipated selling prices. You'll be shocked to find that even though you can paint like Rothko, you aren't likely to pull down 8 figures as listed next to his painting. But wander around! Act like you might be waving your paddle around for some oil on canvas! Here's what's coming up soon:

Sotheby's

Christie's

Ooooooo a wine auction, now that's fancy pants.

Your Free Summer Movie Guide

2010-05-26T11:11:00.020-04:00

I'm home sick today and while there's plenty to catch up on, I'd rather talk about the fact that Memorial Day is this weekend which officially allows summer to start. One of the best parts about New York in the summer (besides the smell of garbage) is all the free outdoor movies. From parks, to the river, to roof tops to an aircraft carrier, there are a ton of unique places to watch your favorite films! It's pretty safe to assume that the screenings start at dusk (8ish) but check the sites below for full details. Without further adieu, here is your FREE summer movie calendar:

May 16th- Car Wash- Habana Outpost
May 23rd- Beverly Hills Cop- Habana Outpost
May 28th- Top Gun- Intrepid
May 30th- Do the Right Thing- Habana Outpost
June 6th- Breaking Away- Habana Outpost
June 9th- Up in the Air- Pier A Park Hoboken
June 11th- The Young Girls of Rochefort- Central Park – Cedar Hill
June 13th- Dance With Me- Habana Outpost
June 16th- TBA- Pier A Park Hoboken
June 18th- 8 Women- Washington Square Park
June 19th- Field of Dreams- Intrepid
June 20th- Fame- Habana Outpost
June 21st- Goldfinger- Bryant Park
June 23rd- Edward Scissor Hands- Pier A Park Hoboken
June 24th- Buena Vista Social Club- Prospect Park Band Shell
June 25th- Same Old Songs- Washington Square Park
June 25th- Mama Mia- Snug Harbor
June 26th- Spiderman- Roosevelt Island
June 27th- Footloose- Habana Outpost
June 28th- Carousel- Bryant Park
June 30th- Grease: Sing-along- Pier I
June 30th- Blow Up- Shangri La Studios
June 30th- Grease (Sing a long)- Pier A Park Hoboken
July 1st- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory- Ortine
July 2nd- A Woman is a Woman- Tompkins Square Park
July 4th- Rambo- Habana Outpost
July 5th- The French Connection- Bryant Park
July 7th- Flood Tide- Socrates
July 7th- NeverEnding Story- Pier I
July 7th- The Hangover- Pier 54
July 7th- Say Anything- McCarren Park
July 7th- Say Amen, Somebody- Morningside Park
July 7th- Kiss Me Kate- The Old Stone House
July 8th- Laura- Tony Dapolito Rec Center Rooftop
July 8th- Annie Hall- Brooklyn Bridge
July 8th- Azur and Asmar- East River State Park
July 8th- I Bring What I Love- Morningside Park
July 8th- The Witches- Ortine
July 9th- The Wizard of Oz- Hudson River Park’s Pier 46
July 9th- Love Songs (Les Chansons d'Amour)- Tompkins Square Park
July 9th- Ghostbusters- Intrepid
July 9th- Streetball- Unisphere
July 9th- Jaws- Snug Harbor
July 11th- Victory- Habana Outpost
July 11th- Oceans 11- One Front Street
July 12th- My Man Godfrey- Bryant Park
July 12th- Good Hair- St. Nicholas Park
July 13th- Goonies- Valentino Pier
July 13th- Shrek 3- Crotona Park
July 14th- The Secret of Kells- Socrates
July 14th- I Love You, Man- Pier 54
July 14th- Pan's Labyrinth- Pier I
July 14th- Labyrinth- McCarren Park
July 14th- Girl Shy- The Old Stone House
July 14th- Nina Simone Great Performances- Marcus Garvey Park
July 14th- Avatar- Pier A Park Hoboken
July 14th- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs- Al Oerter Recreation Center
July 15th- Double Indemnity- Tony Dapolito Rec Center Rooftop
July 15th- Monsters vs. Aliens 3D- Brooklyn Bridge
July 15th- Bolt- East River State Park
July 15th- Still Bill- Marcus Garvey Park
July 15th- James and the Giant Peach- Ortine
July 15th- Hairspray- Betsy Head Memorial Playground
July 16th- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs- Pier 46
July 16th- Tosca: The Movie- Central Park – Cedar Hill
July 16th- We Paint Houses with Paint!- Unisphere
July 16th- Close Encounter of the Third Kind- Snug Harbor
July 16th- Transformers- Bellevue South Park
July 17th- Zoolander- Roosevelt Island (Rain date)
July 17th- Brooklyn Transformations Short films- Fort Greene Park
July 17th- Bee Movie- Michaelis-bayswater Park
July 18th- A Bronx Tale- Habana Outpost
July 18th- TBA- One Front Street
July 19th- The China Syndrome- Bryant Park
July 19th- Freedom Riders- St. Nicholas Park
July 20th- Deep Blue Sea- Valentino Pier
July 21st- Inkheart- Pier I
July 21st- The Proposal- Pier 54
July 21st- Swedish Short Films- Socrates
July 21st- Romeo + Juliet- McCarren Park
July 21st- Asbury Shorts New York- The Old Stone House
July 21st- Casablanca- Van Cortlandt Park Indian Field
July 21st- Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun- Jackie Robinson Park
July 21st- Amelia- Pier A Park Hoboken
July 22nd- 3 Chaplain films- Prospect Park Band Shell
July 22nd- Sunset Boulevard- Tony Dapolito Rec Center Rooftop
July 22nd- The Big Lebowski- Brooklyn Bridge
July 22nd- Night at the Museum- East River State Park
July 22nd- Salt- Salt Marsh Nature Center
July 22nd- Slap The Donkey- Jackie Robinson Park
July 22nd- The Fantastic Mr. Fox- Ortine
July 22nd- Shark Tale- Bloomingdale Park
July 23rd- The Great Muppet Caper- Pier 46
July 23rd- The Goonies- Intrepid
July 23rd- Castaway on the Moon- Unisphere
July 23rd- Madagascar- Snug Harbor
July 23rd- Antz- Maria Hernandez Park
July 24th- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- Roosevelt Island
July 24th- Wizard of Oz- Cpl Thompson Park
July 25th- Flash Dance- Habana Outpost
July 25th- TBA- One Front Street
July 26th- Monty Python and the Holy Grail- Bryant Park
July 26th- The Spirit of Salsa- St. Nicholas Park
July 27th- Big Wednesday- Valentino Pier
July 28th- The Fall- Pier I
July 28th- District 9- Pier 54
July 28th- Daisies- Socrates
July 28th- Dead Man- McCarren Park
July 28th- Bee Movie- Soundview Park
July 28th- The Other Side of the Water- St. Nicholas Park
July 28th- Piper Film Workshop- The Old Stone House
July 28th- Date Night- Pier A Park Hoboken
July 29th- Broadway Danny Rose- Elevated Acre
July 29th- Mother India (21st Century Remix)- Prospect Park Bandshell
July 29th- All About Eve- Tony Dapolito Rec Center Rooftop
July 29th- Rear Window- Brooklyn Bridge
July 29th- Finding Nemo- East River State Park
July 29th- The Princess and the Frog- St. Nicholas Park
July 29th- Evan Almighty- J Hood Wright Park
July 30th- Monsters vs. Aliens- Pier 46
July 30th- Finding Nemo- Salt Marsh Nature Center
July 30th- OrzBoyz!- Unisphere
July 30th- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs- Faber Park
August 1st- Little Shop of Horrors- Habana Outpost
August 1st- TBA- One Front Street
August 2nd- Rosemary's Baby- Bryant Park
August 2nd- West Side Story- Astoria Park Lawn
August 2nd- Those Who Remain- St. Nicholas Park
August 3rd- Jaws- Valentino Pier
August 4th- Big Fish- Pier I
August 4th- Julie and Julia- Pier 54
August 4th- Starship Troopers- McCarren Park
August 4th- TBA- Socrates
August 4th- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs- Pier A Park Hoboken
August 4th- The Wizard of Oz- Barretto Point Park
August 5th- Auntie Mame- Elevated Acre
August 5th- Brokeback Mountain- Brooklyn Bridge
August 5th- Aladdin- East River State Park
August 5th- Evan Almighty- St. Mary's Recreation Center
August 6th- House of Usher- Prospect Park Bandshell
August 6th- Freaks- Tony Dapolito Rec Center Rooftop
August 6th- Big- Pier 46
August 6th- Raiders of the Lost Ark- Intrepid
August 6th- Amreeka- Unisphere
August 6th- Hairspray- Highland Park
August 7th- Conspiracy Theory- Roosevelt Island
August 7th- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs- St. James Park
August 8th- To Wong Foo- Habana Outpost
August 8th- TBA- One Front Street
August 9th- The Goodbye Girl- Bryant Park
August 9th- Fame- Astoria Park Lawn
August 9th- Reel Sisters of the Diaspora- St. Nicholas Park
August 10th- Secret of Roan Inish- Valentino Pier
August 11th- Stranger than Fiction- Pier I
August 11th- Public Enemies- Pier 54
August 11th- Point Break- McCarren Park
August 11th- TBA- Socrates
August 11th- The Fantastic Mr. Fox- Pier A Park Hoboken
August 11th- Shark Tale- Mill Pond Park
August 12th- The Country Girl- Elevated Acre
August 12th- Dream Girls- Brooklyn Bridge
August 12th- Lion King- East River State Park
August 12th- Antz- Betsy Head Memorial Playground
August 13th- Invasion of the Body Snatchers- Tony Dapolito Rec Center Rooftop
August 13th- Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs- Pier 46
August 13th- The Man Who Bottled the Clouds- Unisphere
August 13th- Ghostbusters- Bellevue South Park
August 14th- TBA- Great Hill Central Park
August 14th- The Rise and Fall of Miss Thang- St. Nicholas Park
August 14th- Transformers- Bloomingdale Park
August 15th- Krush Groove- Habana Outpost
August 15th- Soundtrack For A Revolution- St. Nicholas Park
August 16th- 12 Angry Men- Bryant Park
August 16th- Lion King- Astoria Park Lawn
August 16th- Up- Cunningham Park
August 16th- Rise Up- St. Nicholas Park
August 17th- TBA- Little Bay Park
August 17th- Splash- Valentino Pier
August 18th- Star Trek- Pier 54
August 18th- TBA- Socrates
August 18th- Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs- Pier A Park Hoboken
August 18th- Kung Fu Panda- Joyce Kilmer Park
August 19th- The Muppets Take Manhattan- Elevated Acre
August 19th- Blues Brothers- Brooklyn Bridge
August 19th- Toy Story- Maria Hernandez Park
August 20th- Night of the Living Dead- Tony Dapolito Rec Center Rooftop
August 20th- Annie- Pier 46
August 20th- Rocky- Intrepid
August 20th- Bombay Summer- Unisphere
August 20th- Ghostbusters- Cpl Thompson Park
August 21st- TBA- Great Hill Central Park
August 21st- Nighthawks- Roosevelt Island
August 21st- Lilo and Stitch- Cpl Thompson Park
August 22nd- Cocktail- Habana Outpost
August 23rd- Bonnie and Clyde- Bryant Park
August 23rd- March of the Penguins- Astoria Park Lawn
August 23rd- The Blind Side- Cunningham Park
August 24th- TBA- Little Bay Park
August 24th- Cabin Boy- Valentino Pier
August 24th- Fame- Mineral Springs, Central Park
August 25th- TBA- Socrates
August 25th- Taking of Pelham 1,2,3- Mineral Springs, Central Park
August 26th- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade- Brooklyn Bridge
August 26th- Saturday Night Fever- Mineral Springs, Central Park
August 27th- Rosemary's Baby- Tony Dapolito Rec Center Rooftop
August 27th- Those Who Remain- Unisphere
August 27th- King Kong- Mineral Springs, Central Park
August 28th- Toy Story- Van Cortlandt Park Indian Field
August 28th- *Viewer's Choice*- Mineral Springs, Central Park
August 29th- Michael Jackson Tribute- Habana Outpost
August 30th- Casablanca- Cunningham Park
August 31st- TBA- Little Bay Park
August 31st- Princess and the Frog- Valentino Pier
August 31st- Toy Story- Cpl Thompson Park
September 2nd- *Public vote*- Brooklyn Bridge
September 5th- Indiana Jones- Habana Outpost
September 7th- Life Aquatic- Valentino Pier
September 12th- Saturday Night Fever- Habana Outpost
September 14th- Pirates of the Caribbean- Valentino Pier
September 19th- The Last Dragon- Habana Outpost
September 26th- Urban Cowboy- Habana Outpost
October 3rd- The Mighty Ducks- Habana Outpost
October 10th- Shaft- Habana Outpost
October 17th- Batman- Habana Outpost
October 24th- Elvira- Habana Outpost

Things noticed: You can catch Monsters vs. Aliens twice (7/15 & 7/30) but only Brooklyn Bridge Park has it in 3D (will they be passing out glasses???). Rosemary's baby is also on the schedule twice (8/2 & 8/27), apparently the August heat brings out the freaks (which is being shown on 8/6). There are 2 muppet films (7/23 & 8/19), one for kids and one for Manhattanites. You can also catch 1/2 of the Indiana Jones series with Raiders of the Lost Ark at the Intrepid and the Last Crusade at Brooklyn Bridge Park. That should nicely compliment my viewing of the The Holy Grail last month at the Huckleberry Bar. If you missed Huckleberry's screening you could substitute Monty Python's quest on July 26th in Bryant Park. And finally, be a little more creative than Movies Under the Stars when you're naming your fest.

In addition to the outdoor screenings:
Huckleberry Bar continues their indoor screenings every Monday. Currently, they're on a films about music series (note: this is different than a musical series). More info here.

The Rubin Museum of Art presents Cabaret Cinema every Friday (I guess they got their liquor license back so the screenings are free w/$7 bar minimum). More info here.

Kate's Joint in the east village was playing films in the bar on Mondays, That may still be happening

Regal Cinemas is having a free summer family film festival at theaters in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island, but you'll have to be free early in the day to catch them. More info here.

Like German Cinema? Who doesn't. This summer, the Neue Gallery presents Weimar on Screen every Monday at 4pm. More info here.

The Church Lounge at the Tribeca Grand Hotel has free screenings twice every Sunday. More info here

The Sony Wonderlab has free screenings every Saturday. More info here.

Arlo and Esme has free screenings (along with free popcorn) every Tuesday. More info here.

The Raspberry Brothers have a residency at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn. MST3k style movie mocking every Tuesday. More info here.

Also, keep an eye on your public libraries! Free screenings abound! More info here and narrow your search type to film

For more info on the outdoor venues visit the links below:
Intrepid Summer Movie Series- "Celebrating some of our favorite heroes"
Movies with a View at Brooklyn Bridge Park- Come out early for DJs and a short film before the feature. (Moved this year to the new Pier 1)
HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival- Get there early, the lawn opens at 5!
Outdoor Cinema at Socrates Sculpture Park- Each week film, food and performances focused on a different culture
Roosevelt Island Outdoor Movie Series- The tram is down, but the movies are on! Featuring Films the were filmed on the island!
Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre- Classic New York features paired with independent shorts. This fills ups fast, so get there early (Opens at 6)!
Movies Under the Stars (Pier I at 70th St)- Movies for those who believe in escaping into a good book. Appropriate for tweens and teens as well as adults. This year's theme: Tall Tales.
RiverFlicks for Grownups (Pier 54)- Watch all of your favorite blockbusters from 2009
RiverFlicks for Kids (Pier 46)- New and classic films for the whole family
Tony Dapolito Recreation Center Rooftop Film Series- July: Film Noir, August: The Vault of Horror Flicks
Celebrate Brooklyn at Prospect Park Band Shell- A series of films played with live music scores. $3 suggested donation.
Summer Screen- McCarren Park Ballfields (Bedford and North 12th)- Movies with "a nod to our adolescent idols and crushes"
Summer Starz- East River State Park (N 8th St and Kent Ave)- Family friendly films
Films on the Green- Tompkins Square Park, Central Park, Washington Square Park- French musicals
Movies on the Waterfront- Astoria Park Lawn- Family friendly movies on the Astoria waterfront
Passport Fridays at the Unisphere- Celebrate a different culture every Friday with dance/music and a film
Red Hook Summer Films- Valentino Pier- Films about water with a view of Lady Liberty
Movies Under the Stars at Habana Outpost- Make yourself a margarita on a bike blender while you watch films allllll summer
Reel Harlem- Morningside, Marcus Garvey, Jackie Robinson, and St. Nicholas Parks in Harlem- Films mostly feature black music, arts and activism. Events also include short films and music
Movies Under the Stars- Cunningham Park Queens- Free popcorn and some award winning films
Brooklyn Film Works- The Old Stone House, Washington Park Brooklyn- Classic films culminating in films by students age 12-16
Movies Under the Stars- Snug Harbor Staten Island- Come out to the Neptune Fountain Stage early for music from local bands.
Movies Under the Stars- Pier A Park, Hoboken, NJ- Yes it's in Jersey, but it's just as easy to get to Hoboken as a lot of the outer boroughs. So hop on the PATH to check out a series of just released films with the Manhattan skyline as your backdrop.
Ortine Cafe- 622 Washington Avenue Brooklyn, NY, 11238- July is Roald Dahl month! Can't wait to see what August will bring
One Front Street- The Kings County Cinema Society has started a film series every Sunday on the wall of Grimaldi's in Dumbo. I'm excited to see what they'll bring us!
Imagenation Film Festival- St. Nicholas Park, Harlem- Show up early for performances before the films.
Parks Summer 2010 Movie Series- In a park near you- If there weren't already enough film festivals in city parks this summer, the Parks Dep't is taking the show on the road and bringing family friendly films to a park near you. And while most film fests pick a day of the week this is typically every Wednesday-Saturday. Yes some of the films and locations repeat but can you really blame them? And besides maybe it'll be easier to find a showing that works with your schedule.
Central Park Film Festival- This year's theme "Iconic New York." The film's are at the Mineral Springs, which is just north of Sheep Meadow at 69th St on the western side of the park.

Whew! I hope you're happy.

Lights, camera, EAT!

2010-05-09T00:17:00.000-04:00

Free food?! You know we're there. 4 Courses?! Hot dang, we're classy! ON TV!? Sign me up! This may be my big break! Next up Real World and then a career on Real World/Road Rules challenges followed up by a couple seasons of The Surreal Life. Ahhhhh, you all want to see me living and pay me to do it!

Our entry and drink tickets

So apparently there's some new reality show coming up on the Food Network called The Restaurant. I'm not really sure what the details are but it appears that there are 2 competing restaurants or some such a thing. Anyways, as audience members/food eaters our job was to go have a 4 course dinner at 3pm! All the while a camera man and a boom mike hovered around to catch our witty and insightful conversation. We discussed politics, the effects of the Greek economic reforms on the stability of the Euro, the delayed responses to the oil rig sinking in the gulf coast, oh and our endless barrage of beige food.

But let me take a step back. While we waited for our meal, we were told we would be able to pick between 2 restaurants based on their menus. But when we got into the studio we were told we had to go to the yellow restaurant because the other one was too full (note: that's probably a bad sign). The menu actually looked pretty good, seasonal Italian vegetarian dishes. But it turned out to not be so great.

As mentioned above, everything was beige, which doesn't effect the taste but certainly doesn't help. Other items were cold, or occasionally piping hot, and the eggplant Parmesan was lasagna. I don't know if telling you all that violates the confidentiality agreement I think I signed. Hopefully I get told to take down this post because it would mean that people actually read this. I mean honestly the food wasn't terrible, because I was starving and like eating food, but it was definitely underwhelming. Also it was the sweetest dessert I've ever had in the worst way. It was the only part of the meal I really couldn't stomach. It will be fun to watch the show to see what happened in the kitchen and what the judges think. Oh and also it will be fun to see myself on TV.

OH! And the best part of the whole thing was when the girl at the table next to us spit out her drink while she was on camera! (Oh yeah, we also got free booze). SPIT OUT HER DRINK ON CAMERA! Freaking incredible! And then the girl that she was eating with tried to cover for her by saying "It must be all the carbs" HOLY CRAP IT WAS AWESOME. I hope it gets on TV and edited to be about the food being gross or something. Aw man, it totally made the day worth it. That and being on TV.

They WANT You to Be Judgemental!

2010-05-08T23:45:00.000-04:00

Brian and I finally experienced the ever-so-hoppin' Hammerstein Ballroom--just steps away from his apartment! After visiting the On Camera Audiences website, we got free tickets to the taping of "America's Got Talent".

Sadly... America does not have talent. The opening act was a woman bouncing up and down while strapped to a harness hanging from the stage ceiling...

Yeah.

The acts to follow, while less disturbing, were equally unimpressive. Mostly people singing out of tune :(

I'll be honest though. The whole thing kind of made me sad. People get all excited about making their big break on this show and are met with loud mean buzzers and people yelling "Boo" with their arms crossed in the air. Sad.

We saw maybe 2 good acts and like 6 bad ones and were out of there pretty quick. It was an enjoyable experience and well worth the money we paid (bazinga) but we could only bear so much.

On the bright side, Sharon Osborne was a judge and she is just wonderful. The host Nick Cannon, the other judge Howie Mendel and that one British judge were also there... but pish posh. Go Sharon!

And that's the story.

But what do you sell?

2010-05-01T00:09:00.000-04:00

This one's been a long time comin... Burgers and Cupcakes.

As their name indicates, Burgers and Cupcakes deals primarily in burgers and cupcakes. They also sell salads, pizza, shakes and fries. It's a pretty straight forward sorta place. You build your burger (Beef, turkey, salmon, chicken, etc.) however you want and just pay for any toppings beyond the standard mixed greens, onions and tomatoes (It's worth noting that there are enough mixed greens to go on your burger that you can build a nice side salad.) I'm more of a burger connoisseur but the cupcakes are delicious as well (Windnie confirms).

The place is a pretty good value, has very tasty burgers (of all various types) and is probably the closest restaurant to my apartment, all of which means we visit regularly. But here on Big Apple Small Wallet we're not content to just give you pretty good value on great food, we're here to get you great value. So here's our little secret for you...

Burgers and Cupcakes makes their cupcakes fresh each day! Wow! That's a great secret for you!

But wait! There's more!

Fresh cupcakes means getting rid of the old cupcakes! So if you happen to casually stroll in near closing time, Burgers and Cupcakes may just GIVE you a cupcake! This has been verified and double verified and for the good of you fine people we will triple or even quadruple verify free cupcakes. We care about you that much! Even better, join us for our triple verification!

The Lights Will Inspire Youuuu

2010-04-25T20:49:00.000-04:00

Another bookstore event for your favorite Brian and Windnie!

Last week Brian lured me away from a potential long night at the office with the names "Parker Posey" and "Kara Walker". Greenlight Bookstore in Fort Greene, Brooklyn was having a book reading and Q&A with these two lovely ladies plus David Haskell, Matt Weiland and David Rakoff--contributors to the book

The book is called "My First New York: Early Adventures in the Big City". It is a compilation of stories written by various New Yorkers who recount their first days in the City.

The bookstore was packed when we got there but we managed to squeeze ourselves between a lot of smelly people to get a tiny glimpse of the readers. They each read their respective sections of the book, which were all very funny! Then they answered questions from the audience about their experiences... some good and some just silly--one of which was "Why is it that New Yorkers are always so positive and happy and friendly all of the time? People in France are not like that at all!" HA! Do other countries really view us in that way? How lovely! But yeah... we weren't surprised to find out that this Frenchman had only been in The City for a few days:)

But anyway, the whole thing made me feel kind of sad that I don't have better stories of things that happened to me when I first moved here. I guess there is still time... D:

It was all around an enjoyable time and I even got signatures from Kara, Parker and David Rakoff in my lovely book :) Here they all are, lined up to give is their John Hancocks. The book should be an entertaining read!

Here's the Greenlight Bookstore Blog for some upcoming events! Enjoy.

Mo' MoMA

2010-04-17T10:33:00.000-04:00

Hopefully you know that the MoMA is free every Friday between 4-8pm thanks to the lovely people at Target. But maybe you want to go on some other day, or perhaps you're not in New York and you still want to see the collection, or maybe you're deciding if you want to fight the crowds on Friday OR maybe you just want to preview the collection to decide if it's a place you want to be. Well, you've came to the right place friend. Thanks to the beauty of youtube, I give you every painting in the MoMA in 2:05.

Attend the NFL Draft!

2010-04-13T18:57:00.000-04:00

Ever wanted to cheer on your team at the big game?? Well this is like that but more like listening to your team call someone's name once every couple hours! Woo!

The NFL draft takes place at Thursday 4/22-4/24 at Radio City Music Hall and tickets are free, you just need to wait in line! Woo!

But are"very limited" Boo.

But if you don't want to wait in line you can sign up for tickets here! Woo!

But they're only for the 2-3 or 4-7 rounds. Boo.

Or if you want to attend rounds 4-7 you can just show up at 9am on Saturday! Woo!

But it's at 9am on Saturday. Boo.

If you don't want to wait in line and still get into Round 1 you can purchase a package that includes all 3 days, including lunch! Woo!

The package costs $449. Boo.

Tax is included in the cost! Woo!

It's still $449. Boo.

So there ya go. That's the run down of the 2010 NFL draft. In addition to the occasional name calling, the draft will try to keep you occupied with some signings and cheerleaders and things. It could be a fun time, if you can get your ticket!

Complimentary Movies with Complimentary Popcorn.

2010-04-10T19:25:00.000-04:00

Ever since it started to warm up I've been all sorts of giddy in excitement for New York City's free outdoor movies. Unfortunately it's way too early for that :( but never fear... Huckleberry Bar (Williamsburg) is here to tickle my fancy a bit in the meantime. Every Monday night they host free movie screenings at 9pm (A time that is actually reasonable for my schedule) And if you sign up for their Movie Membership (aka their e-mailing list) you get a fancy card which qualifies you for 2 for 1 drinks and free (deliciously seasoned) popcorn during all of their movies! So good. Brian and I might have had 5 or so bowls of that popcorn...whoops! This week they played Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark as a part of a marathon. Check out their events schedule for their other upcoming movies!

I mean I'll probably start ditching this bar when summer hits for the movie screenings in Bryant Park every Monday night... but I've gotta say, this bar has a quite nice vibe. There's a delightful outdoor garden with plenty of seating and a swanky, yet comfortable interior. Definitely a pleasant way to cure a case of the Mondays.

Anyone wanna join us for Indiana Jones: Temple of Doom next week?? :)

Free Jack from Uncle Jack's

2010-04-06T21:09:00.000-04:00

Uncle Jack's is one of those $50 a plate steakhouses that the fancy pants grown ups eat at. But like a good uncle, Jack's will still let the kids get a taste of the big table on Ladies and Gents night every Thursday 5-7pm. With a free sampling of manly drinks like bourbon or scotch for the fellas and froufy cocktails for the ladies, it's fun for everyone! Take that grown ups!

I'd wanted to check this event out for awhile and the perfect opportunity presented itself when Rob Cargioli rolled into town one rainy Thursday afternoon. We stopped in, received our free glass of Jack Daniels and found two big arm chairs (that may have been decoration) to sit in and muse about the impending awesomeness of Rob's visit. We also talked about grown up things like our stock portfolios and Dancing With The Stars. Sike yo mind! We just drank free whiskey and said good day!

And a good day it was.

Now to swing by for Wine Tasting Wednesday! Uncle Jack's loves to slip us drinks when the grownups aren't looking! He's my favorite!

Visitors visiting for a visit

2010-04-04T19:00:00.000-04:00

Woo! After years of living places without really any visitors, I've had two in the last 3 weeks! Thanks Rob and Junsung! Rob even tried to claim he was visiting NYC just to see me (probably so I didn't feel bad for the torrential rain while he was here)!

Because of the aforementioned torrential rain, we didn't get a lot of great photo ops of all those tourist destinations those tourists like to tour, but back in the day I was just a visitor visiting and I took plenty of pics! Here are some pics from my explorations. Best of all, exploring is free!

These pics were all taken during August 2008.

Philly!

2010-03-31T23:35:00.000-04:00

OHEMGEE! Where do I even start??

Speed Round 1

Ummm… so almost one month ago now… Brian and I went to Philadelphia! We paid a whopping 5 bucks for a round trip on the Megabus! They have super sweet deals… including free round trips if you catch them at the right time! Check them out!

We stayed with our very generous friend David Emery in his sweet apartment across from the Philadelphia Museum of Art! (Not visible from this view… patience.)

We saw the Liberty Bell (always fo frizzle)

Ran into some awesome Folk Art on the street.

Watched a single peacock pursue 5 completely uninterested peahens at the zoo… for 10 minutes.

Oh wait. REWIND! Brian, David and I got into the Philadelphia Zoo all for the price of 1 child! That’s $39 dollars in savings! The trick here is to linger sketchily outside of the Zoo entrance for an extended period of time with your friends… huddle over a map and point out all the things you wish you could see. The manager will be totally weirded out that he will come over to ask what you’re doing. All you have to do is look up at him with sad puppy dog eyes and say that you love animals so much but can’t afford the entrance fee. Voila! …So maybe that’s not exaaactly what happened… but it’s actually pretty close!

Then we dragged our gimpy good friend David Emery out for a walk along the Schuylkill River. There are sculptures all over that city! What a dream! (This one is a bit more phallic than dreamy… but yeah.)

And we of course went to the Philadelphia Museum of Art for some eye candy. Balllerrrr. And since it was the first Sunday of the month... admission was suggested donation!

Umm and RODIN MUSEUM ANYONE? (Also suggested donation)

A fine establishment indeed.

Here is Brian as one of The Three Shades

End.

Frank Turna

2010-03-04T18:58:00.000-05:00

Frank Turner in store on Tuesday was a good time! In case you're not in the know, sometimes musicians stop by a local record shop (in this case Generation Records) to play some songs for free typically before they play a show that night. I guess it's free because you don't get the full concert experience, it's usually just a short acoustic set. This means for some artists you get to hear them play unique acoustic sets of your favorite songs and for others you get to hear them sound basically like they will that night. Frank Turner was more the latter. Just a man, his guitar and a crowded record shop. Be ready to show up early for in stores, record shops don't have a big capacity and you know, they're free.

Oh look someone recorded it!

Also, I think I was hanging out next to the guys in Gaslight Anthem, so there's that. They seemed like real nice dudes. Same with Mr. Turner. Solid dudes.

Road to Fondwa

2010-03-02T22:50:00.000-05:00

Last week I braved some stormy weather and headed to NYU Poly in Brooklyn for an event called Rediscovering Haiti. Not only did it sound interesting, but it was hosted by their student chapter of Engineers Without Borders! I love those guys!

The event started with a historical overview of Haiti. I had no idea they were the first independent black republic, and I never considered what effects that may have on their GDP. Turns out slave ownin folk don't like to do business with a country of free slaves, whoda thunk it.

After some context we watched the excellent documentary Road to Fondwa.

If you haven't seen it I recommend you do. It's only about 30 min long and you can watch it in its entirety here. The film takes place before the earthquake and discusses the many grassroots efforts in the Fondwa region of Haiti that the community developed over the last 20 years. It is really great! As I mentioned before, you can watch it here.

After the screening we Skyped with one of the producers of the film! He was in Miami and had just returned from Haiti and he described the devastation he witnessed in the country. He also reminded us that the rainy season is about to begin, making a horrible situation, horribler. But while the buildings of Fondwa were destroyed, I'm sure the knowledge of the community will enable them to rebound and continue after this tragedy.

Hopefully I'll have the chance to get involved with the work EWB is doing in Haiti and beyond, and I would encourage all of you to find out a way that you can get involved. Additionally, I used the event for networking just like I'm supposed to do! Also, I ate lots of free food :) Now I'm sure you tire of hearing about all the free food so I'll just tell you that it included Cola Champagne!

Oh yeah and go watch the movie and tell me what you think!

Happy New Year!

2010-03-01T21:58:00.001-05:00

If any of you have been watching the news lately, I'm sure you know it's the year of the Tiger

What you may not know is that it is also the year of the tiger in the Chinese Zodiac.

In celebration of this, Windnie and I went to the Chinatown Parade and Cultural Festival last weekend! We got there right in time to see the dancing dragon heads being pushed away on little carts :/

The sun was a-shinin'

The wind was a blowin'

And the poppers were a poppin'

And there were all sorts of adorable children around.

So we actually didn't make it in time for many of the performances/festivities... but we did get to wander around amongst the rubble of what was left of the celebration...

and eat a very delicious lunch! $3 for 12 very large and savory dumplings, what whaaaaaat.

.... WHAAAT IS GOING ON HERE??

H2O GO!

2010-02-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

One of the biggest benefits to living in New York is the opportunity to see some great shows. What's even better is when legends like H2O come from NYC and come back to play a 15th anniversary show! And with a band like H2O you know you're not going to get killed on the ticket. What about $15 for the 15th Anniversary? Absolutely. They played at the Gramercy Theater which is a pretty small venue (where I also attend church) and we had a great spot to watch the show. Enjoy!

Like a prayer, I'll take you there

Top the evening off at your favorite diner with a pitcher of water and some cheese fries and its like I never left 2002.

Da Cloistas

2010-02-21T22:14:00.000-05:00

For Valentines Day, I found a nice romantic spot for Windnie and me to spend our day, and in typical fashion, we didn't have to break the bank to do it!

Way up in the northern tip of Manhattan lies Fort Tryon Park. The first thing we noticed was the elevation. The park lies on a rocky hilltop with a great view of the city to the east and New Jersey to the west. But this isn't your momma's New Jersey...

The Jersey Shore

The G.W. Bridge

Looking east towards the city

The views made me feel like I was in Cincinnati and heading to the art museum, but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Our first stop in Fort Tryon was the New Leaf Cafe. This is a cozy restaurant just inside the park, in what looked to be an old house. It was a homey place with a bit of style, definitely a good place to take a date. It isn't exactly what you'd call cheap, but that doesn't mean there isn't a deal to be found. For the special occasion we splurged a bit, BUT if you're interested in stopping by for brunch we'd recommend the basket of muffins. You get 4 muffins, a cinnamon roll and a scone for $9. All are delicious, homemade and unique. With the complimentary coffee I think they give everyone, you can have a nice breakfast for 2 for less than $5 each!

Next we made our way to our true destination: The Cloisters.

The Cloisters is an extension of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and accordingly also has a suggested donation admission. This means you can pay whatever your little heart desires to get in. The collection is entirely medieval art, this includes the building which is a composite of several French cloisters brought here to house the collection! I hear it's even more beautiful in the spring once the flowers bloom, but there was plenty of eye candy for us on a cold, snowy Valentine's Day...

The unicorn tapestries

Lots of dead Jesi and Marys

Some intense stained glass

Saints stabbing demons was a common theme

The courtyard was a bit intimidating in the weather

And you weren't anybody in medieval times without a dragon chalice with a hairy, wild man holding a club on top

And since it was Valentine's Day, we've got to include the amor pin:

On our way back home I attempted unsuccessfully to sled using thrown away cardboard and garbage can lids, but my mild concussion did little to hamper the lovely day :)

That night we met up with our good buddy Dave Brown (D Bizzle, Brizzley Bear, etc) for a little bit of free jazz in the east village. There was a one drink requirement per set, but I'm not sure if it was really enforced, they seemed pretty friendly. If you want to check it out, it was at Googies at The Living Room. Great vibe, great music, great company... Great day! How Lovely :)

Later days

Best in Show, Hypothetically

2010-02-18T22:53:00.000-05:00

Suppose you lived close to Madison Square Garden. Now suppose you had a day off of work and the Westminster Dog Show was in town. Now suppose you were walking by and noticed that a side door to MSG was open and you thought you'd investigate. Maybe the guy at the bottom of the stairs lets you walk on by, but maybe you'd get stopped by the guy at the top of the stairs. Hypothetically, you'd probably stutter and pat your pockets like you were looking for a ticket. Fortunately, hypothetical you had been walking with purpose so it looked like you belonged there. The ticket guy would probably assume you just stepped out and after a short lecture about remembering your ticket he'd probably let you in!

Then you'd be free to explore the dog show! If I ever went to the opening rounds of a dog show, it would probably be different than what I usually see on TV. Instead of a big open floor there would probably be 4, no 6! rings on the floor. Instead of a packed house, you could probably just wander around and sit wherever you please. Or even better you could walk down on the floor to get a good view of all the cute doggies (except of course the Chinese Crested...) On the floor you could hang out with the participants, both 2 and 4 legged varieties, and congratulate them with a nice head rub after they finished their show!

After watching the intense competition you could wander through the grooming area where the dogs are being prepped for action, complete with blow dryers, barrettes and all sorts of silly looking hair styles fashioned with rubber bands. Maybe you'd hypothetically stroll through the waiting area and pet a cute Norwegian Elkhound that wanted you to take him home or hang out with the best in breed Old English Sheep Dog.

Perhaps you'd also hypothetically realize that your camera phone is junk but since it was all hypothetical I guess you didn't miss any good photo opportunities anyway ;)

Of course, walking into an event like this without paying would be frowned upon so hypothetical it shall remain.

But if it did actually happen, this is probably what the crappy camera phone picture would look like, hypothetically:

Also, if you're wondering the hypothetical dogs have hypothetical stalls covered in hypothetical saw dust for the dogs to hypothetically relieve themselves on :)

Cine

2010-02-06T18:32:00.000-05:00

Going to the movies in New York City hearkens back to the golden days of the silver screen when a night out to the movies was a big event. "Why?" you might ask? Well, when regular admission is $12.50 plus any additional fees for 3D or IMAX and you factor in any trips to the snack bar, a night at the movies really makes a dent in your wallet like a true night out. I haven't even seen a student discount!

You, however, are in luck. We've got the scoop on some ways around these exorbitant fees.

AMC theaters offer a daily matinee! This includes the weekend! Movies are only $6 and as we found out when we went to see Avatar, they'll even cut you a small deal on the 3D surcharge: $3 instead of $4. You'll have to wake up early though... The matinee ends at noon.

The Sony Technology Theater is another great place to see (relatively) new movies for a great price: Free! The screenings happen every Saturday at 2PM and you have to call ahead to reserve your tickets. They pass out the remaining tickets 30 minutes before the screening but I wouldn't count on there being many left. The upcoming lineup of films doesn't look like my cup of tea (except Last Action Hero) but it's an overall solid list. We've yet to check this out but it is definitely on our radar. Check them out here: http://wondertechlab.sony.com/pe-feature_screenings.html

Another thing to keep in mind is the film screenings at the MoMA. Every Friday from 4-8 movies are free (along with the rest of the museum)! But even on a regular day students pay only $8 (regular $10) and count towards your admission into the museum. So if you were planning on paying to go to the MoMA anyway, you might as well see a film as well. As expected, these are generally odd, foreign, fancy pants films but even if that's not your thing you can probably find something to watch. Right now they are playing all of Tim Burton's films and as you may remember we watched the Fantastic Mr. Fox and hung out with Wes Anderson there. http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/filters/3

If you keep your ear to the ground you can also find plenty of movie screenings around town. Last week I planned on attending a showing of Leaving Las Vegas before getting stuck at work. Here is a list of upcoming screenings for Hot Tub Time Machine. http://eventful.com/campaigns/hottub/newyork. I'd say there are enough options here to fit your busy schedule. However, as with all screenings be ready to show up early to ensure you get a seat!

And finally...the Regal Cinemas Blood Drive. Okay, I can't remember where I came across this but the New York Blood Center is having a blood drive at Regal Cinemas in Brooklyn on March 5th and I hearrrr that they are giving away movie tickets to the donors. I can't find anything to verify that but I can guarantee cookies and juice, so really you can't lose.

Fin.

Winter by the Water

2010-02-01T21:22:00.000-05:00

There seems to be less to do now that it's cold and miserable outside. Luckily Brian's zoo membership provides constant "free" fun and entertainment for us all year long. On Sunday Brian and I traveled all the way down to Coney Island to visit the New York Aquarium. Brian took advantage of the long travel time by playing Toobz on my iphone and I... slept :) I don't know about you but I find aquariums friiigggiinn amazing. Highlights from this one include many friendly otters (no pictures)...

very large turtles

and jelly fish!

We also tried to catch all of the animal feedings to make the most of our visit buuuut we got really distracted and ended up missing most of them. We did make it to the shark feeding though!

This guy decided to snatch away his feeding pole and swim around the tank with it. Silly.

Then, Brian and I walked along the quiet boardwalk until we got to Brighton Beach. It was nice to share the sand with just a few people and a lot of seagulls.

We eventually stopped at this little Russian market for a snack.

We couldn't read the labels so we just kind of covered our eyes, pointed at something and hoped for the best. What a delicious surprise! They were these bread-like thingies... mine was filled with egg and Brian's was filled with beef...I think. Who knows. But it was good! And at $1.25 a pop it was the perfect snack to keep our tummies happy for the long train ride back to the City. Another successful day for B and me. Peace out homies.

Brian playing Toobz

Jobs With Benefits

2010-02-01T00:20:00.000-05:00

So if you're new to NY, like Brian and myself... chances are you're struggling to make up for all the money you didn't have but spent while living jobless in the City. That means even if you're getting paid... it is just never enough. One way to milk your job for all it's worth is to attend company functions... and leave with some souvenirs! Like leftover food, for example. Free dinner! Brian, being the smart and handsome boyfriend that he is, did just this on Thursday night. Conveniently, I hadn't eaten lunch that day and ended up staying at work til 10:30pm. To my rescue... Brian came and delivered me a pizza box full of goodies. This included an entire meat pie, hummus and pita, a side of pesto pasta, two slices of veggie pie, a chicken wing and a partridge in a pear tree!

Look! We even have leftover leftovers that we've been munching on since then! (Well... just Brian because there's only meat stuff left.) But I mean more than being cheap we are really being anti-wasteful! So there you have it. Windnie and Brian making the most of things. 'Til next time...

Spoonful

2010-01-22T19:21:00.000-05:00

Looking for something to do tomorrow at 7PM?

Britt Daniels of Spoon will be playing a free acoustic in store set at Sound Fix in Williamsburg. Sounds like one hip time!

Windnie and I already have plans which I'm sure you'll be reading about soon so if you go tell us how it was!

Thanks to pulseJFK on twitter for the heads up!

More show info:

http://eventful.com/brooklyn/events/britt-daniel-spoon-/E0-001-027407023-4

Brooklyn Frees.

2010-01-18T21:00:00.000-05:00

So Brian and I had the best idea ever. Wake up early on a Saturday morning and go to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden! It is free every Saturday morning till noon after all and who doesn't like flowers!

So we got there and somehow were surprised that nothing was in bloom. We're smart! But never fear, we were still able to enjoy the beauties of nature.

Here's Brian testing the ice in this frozen-over stream. How lovely! It didn't take us long to realize we could stand and skate and play and have a grand old time on this ice. Here's a video to show you how far we (Brian) went!

Impressive eh?

So after frolicking in the outdoors for a few hours we went to the Brooklyn Public Library for the Sesame Street exhibit which celebrates "40 years of life on the streets". It is set up in the lobby and is of course, free. We didn't take pictures of the actual exhibit... we want you to check it out for yourself, duhhh!

But here is a photo of the beautiful entrance to the library. It makes Brian swoon.

And if that wasn't enough free fun for the day, we met up with our friends for game night a little later that day. Here is a little shout out to them and one of the cardigan-wrapped trees who live on their street.

Not pictured: Sarah and Joe. Hello to you too!!

Help Haiti, Help yourself

2010-01-17T14:41:00.000-05:00

A lot of you may have already given to Haiti relief and more of you may be thinking it would be a nice thing to do. Well Spirit Airlines (based in Ft. Lauderdale with destinations including LGA) is making it an even better idea by offering 5000 free airline miles for the first 200,000 people who donate at least $5 to Haiti relief efforts. Enough for a free flight! Sounds like a good deal for a good cause!

See the link below!

http://marketing.spiritair.com/haitirelief/

Partying Hard

2010-01-16T17:30:00.003-05:00

After a long week, with lots of long days at work, Windnie and I needed a fun weekend. And who do you turn to when you need to make the most of life? Andrew W.K.

Turns out AWK made a deal with his friend Spencer that if Spencer ever lived in one of his art spaces he would perform on the second to the last day of the exhibit. Thanks, Spencer! I figured the place would be packed but there were only about 25 people there when it all kicked off and probably 50 by the end. It made for a cozy time. AWK didn't play any of his songs, he improvd for awhile, took requests, played some Bach, just kinda let it come. And just in case free Andrew W.K. wasn't enough, they threw in plenty of free beer! Thanks again, Spence!

Some pics and vids from the evening:

We finished off the show with a stop by S'Mac! Which is a Mac N Cheese restaurant! Mmmmmm

I was an Audience Extra or When Free Things Cost Too Much

2010-01-12T20:30:00.000-05:00

Many know about the TKTS booths located around the city (including the cool new digs in Times Square) which offer "cheap" Broadway tickets. Broadway's definition of cheap is unfortunately still out of my regular price range and is reserved for those special nights out.

But what about shows off Broadway? With all that talent on Broadway some of it is bound to overflow onto other streets and avenues, right? Sure! I bet any old street, like 24th Street for instance, would have close to Broadway musical talent! So out I wandered onto 24th Street and POW! Windnie, David Emery, and I were asked to be "Audience Extras" for Sessions the Musical featuring Robert Newman! (Clarification: I found the tickets on Craigslist)

Robert Newman! OMG!

Who is Robert Newman?! It turns out he spent basically an entire career on A Guiding Light! WOO! That's a certifiable D-list celebrity!

Anyway, as audience extras we got free tickets that usually sell for $50 (though I'm not sure if the entire audience was "extra")! It's not all fun and games as an extra though. The email they sent me carried some very specific instructions:

1.Please be discreet! Not everybody gets free tickets, and we don't want our full-price paying guests to know you didn't pay! To get your tickets just show the printed email or your photo ID! Don't say "FREE!" if asked how you heard about the show Please show your Print out or just say "through Carly"

2.) Please show up on time and dressed appropriately!

3.) Please do not cal l the theater for any reason. They simply cannot handle the volume of phone calls

Yep, I had to use a secret code word to get our tickets! But the hardest part of being an Audience Extra was the part that came next... sitting through the show! OH! BURN! It was about as good as one might expect from a play led by the staccatoed, head bobbing leading man of a daytime television show. Which is to say it wasn't very good. I'm not here to give a detailed analysis of Sessions, but it wasn't worth the price of admission (ZING!). Some moments were pretty good but mostly it was uneven and had bad singing.

Sometimes it pays to pay but I think I'll keep on being a cheapskate for at least a little while. I'll just be a little more wary next time I go browsing the free tickets being offered on craigslist.

You can almost hear the crickets

Blockbusted

2010-01-10T00:33:00.000-05:00

If you're in the Union Square/NYU area tomorrow stop by the Blockbuster on Broadway which is going out of business! Tomorrow is the last day of operation and basically all the dvds that are left cost $2! They're also selling various other things like books, video games and accessories, etc. You can also buy shelving if you want to start your own video store to be destroyed by Netflix!

In related news, let me know if you want to come over and watch Komodo vs. Cobra or Wieners starring Keenan Mitchell :)

Go for the booze, stay for the networking

2010-01-08T19:09:00.000-05:00

College equipped me with many things; a passion for learning, great friends, the beginnings of a career and lots of debt that limits my spending potential. There are occasions however when the old alma mater gives back.

While I've been to all sorts of schools, Windnie and I share only one school in common: Washington University in St. Louis. You may have guessed that Wash U is located in St. Louis. About 900 miles away from our present home in New York City. Fortunate for us, Wash U is just crawling with New Yorkers with a passion for the educational opportunities of the midwest.

On Wednesday Wash U held a "networking event" at Mustang Harry's (In case Mustang Sally's was too feminine for you). Networking starts by handing out 2 free drink tickets to everyone in attendance (They basically took our word for being alums, which makes me think I should bring a crew next time). The next part of networking involves eating lots of appetizers. Part 3 of networking involves talking to others in a related field by looking at their color coded name tags. We didn't really make it to part 3. We were experts at parts 1 and 2 and felt like that was good enough. Expert enough that we didn't even need to eat real dinner on Wednesday night, we just stuck with our aps (as the cool kids say).

Windnie did eventually end up networking and we'll see how that all pans out. Heh. Pans out. I also suggested Windnie and I collaborate on a community development handbag project but she seemed a bit sceptical.

Til next time,

Later days

Sorry to keep you waiting

2010-01-07T02:30:00.000-05:00

Oh hello, how have you been? We've missed you terribly! There will be more from us soon, in the mean time watch the entertaining packing peanuts we saw on the way home last night!

Free fun for minutes on end!

Like taking food from a creepy plastic faced man

2009-12-15T02:22:00.000-05:00

Burger King sued over $1 double cheeseburger

When franchisees sue their franchise it makes one take pause. When one reads the fine print and finds out that to produce a $1 BK double cheeseburger in South Bend, Indiana it costs $1.10, one takes an even longer pause.

A pause to think, "The cost of living in Indiana and the cost of living in New York are slightly different." A little different enough to think: "If I eat one of those double cheeseburgers in New York City, BK really must be taking a hit!" YAY! I WIN! Locavores unite and stuff your faces with delicious $1 double cheeseburgers!

In case you were wondering, (for the sake of research) I had one of these today. And I enjoyed it.

Papa Papa Paparazzi

2009-12-09T22:01:00.000-05:00

Oh you know, it's New York City so we hang out with famous people on weeknights.

First: Wes Anderson on a Manic Monday
While designing some top secret new handbags, Windnie found some time to cruise the twittelator at work... only to discover there was a screening of Fantastic Mr. Fox at the MoMA followed by a Q&A with Wes Anderson! GASP! (thanks @pulsejfk). This was exciting for 2 reasons: 1) Wes Anderson seems like a kool kat and 2) Movies in NYC usually cost like $12 and we could get into this one for $6! Somehow MoMA thought it would make going to the movies more awesome and then lower the price. They're just so modern.

We sweat it out for awhile in the standby line while Windnie played with her new iPhone and ignored me. Just kidding, she only ignored me a little. So as you may have guessed we did eventually get into the screening! The movie was pretty great! It was both a great family film and a Wes Anderson film. Every good parent should start their kids on Wes Anderson young :) Once the film was over Wes Anderson popped out of the audience and ran up to the stage to talk to us! (Windnie wants to make sure to note that he was wearing a sweet taupe-ish corduroy suit, what a little fashion designer she is!)

Wes seemed like a pretty normal guy and was happy to answer lots of questions from the audience. He said he was surprised to get Meryl Streep to be in the film, but that it was easy to get Jason Schwartzman, Ha. Perhaps the most interesting comment was that George Clooney and Bill Murray became good friends while filming and he believes they have such a good rapport that they should definitely make a movie together. You heard it here first!

If you're in the city be sure to check out the upcoming films in The Contenders series. These films are all less than 12 months old and MoMA thinks they're going to be remembered for a long time. The lineup looks pretty solid to me! And don't forget that student ID! Also the movie ticket price can be applied to the cost of admission to the MoMA within 30 days of purchase! This may be a good option if you don't want to fight the crowds during the free Fridays!

Hello Wes!

Second: Joe Buck and His Stage of Sporting Spectaculars on a Typical Tuesday

So after one celebrity citing on Monday we decided to up the ante on Tuesday. We attended our second freeeee filming of Joe Buck Live. Though our seats were a bit worse than last time (when we had to make sure our heads didn't get clipped by the center stage camera), we still had a good time hanging out with Joe Buck, Brian Westbrook, Brian Urlacher, Pedro Martinez, Floyd Mayweather, and Michael Strahan! After the Brian's talked about how awesome it is being named Brian (Just kidding, we don't need to remind everyone of our awesomeness, they mostly talked about concussions), Pedro talked about how he really loved New York and basically ended up charming the crowd who had booed him on the way in. Last up Floyd Mayweather talked about how amazing he was and Michael Strahan was psyched about it. (You heard it here first: Floyd is going to beat Marquez, he told me so). It was good times :) Both guys were hilarious and charismatic and it's easy to see that they have big futures away from their respective sports. But don't take it from me... take it from surprise guest: "Marky" Mark Wahlburg! Yeah, we just upped the celebrity ante some more. We're cool like that.

Hello annoying camera contraption!
(we forgot to take pictures while people were actually on stage...)

So if you want to be cool like us, you should come along next time! We're on the mailing list now so we find out as soon as tickets become available! And let us know if you've got ideas for more free/cheap events, or have topics you want us to explore! We'd also love to join you in your freevents and vice versa!

Until next time,
Later days!

Catching up

2009-12-06T00:08:00.000-05:00

Sometimes there's just too much going on and we don't have the time to keep y'all updated. Mi dispiace :(

Sooo before going back to San Antonio for Thanksgiving (mmmm!), Brian and I enjoyed some last minute free fun. The first one was the "Get Local! Shopping Guide to East Village Shops 3rd Edition Launch Party" at an awesome store called Sustainable NYC. I personally love this place because for the first few weeks after moving to NYC I went here often to use their free wireless internet and eat lots of delicious baked goods from their cafe, Ciao For Now! Everything is homemade and almost everything is organic, vegan and made using local ingredients. So good! (Even Brian thought it was yummy!) The event they were hosting was a launch party for the East Village Shopping Guide which supports locally-owned businesses and encourages local and fair trade shopping! (Very inspiring for the holiday gift buying I've haven't started...) Reverend Billy was even there to give a Local Shopping Sermon! Inttteerresttinnngg. The vibe was lovely and the free food and wine was delicious, but one lady there was quite disturbing indeed. She literally stood in front of the food table during the entire sermon and stuffed her face. She was apparently really into the hummus because after about 10 minutes of eating it with vegetables, she decided to pick up a straw from the table and continue to scoop it into her mouth that way. AND she had a plastic cup overflowing with bite-size pastries she was guarding creepily and saving up for dessert. It was disgusting. And she ended up with hummus all over the ground around her and hanging from her nose. Um, gross. But yes. It was a nice event and I'm excited to put the shopping guide to use. They even gave out 10% off coupons for Sustainable NYC (and other neighborhood stores) and I got a free tote bag and small notebook with my discounted purchase! Here's a link to the online shopping guide. Save paper! Shop local! :)

And the night before I left for home, Brian and I spent a romantic FREE! evening at the Empire Hotel rooftop.

There was some lovely live Jazz and lots of fancy people around to make you feel important.

And to keep the night cheap we got water instead of drinks.

The view and music was enough to make the night enjoyable!

So there you have it. More good times from your friends Brian and Windnie. Oh! And if you are interested in the whole shopping local thing (you are!) here are some links to some great local holiday markets:
From Wined and Dined
From TimeOut New York
Brian and I stopped by Brooklyn Flea's Gifted today (check their hours! They're open til Christmas!), which was pretty swell but we are hoping to go to a couple other markets tomorrow and discover more goodies.

Oh! and! Brian and I had Dallas BBQ today, which we are both IN.LOVE.WITH. The prices are excellent and the portions are HUGE! And you really can't get any better than their Early Bird Special! (Scroll down to the bottom.) Although I will warn you... I got it one time and thought I was going to die afterwards because it was such an insane amount of food!

NOM!

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Massacre

2009-11-28T06:08:00.000-05:00

Macy's Department Store: America's Great Iconoclasts

While Windnie played with her family down in San Antonio, I was left to find my own Thanksgiving fun. On a lovely fall day I set out to join the crowds and celebrate the holiday with a good ol' fashioned parade! Little did I know the horrors I was about to witness...

After the seemingly innocent act of sneaking around a police barricade using subway entrances, my childhood was savagely destroyed in front of my eyes. I took pictures!

I was frozen with disbelief when they dismembered Grumpy Bear (Censored for your sake)...

I think they were collecting scalps...

Then they turned on other beloved characters.
Woodstock lay unmoving on the ground, with Snoopy nowhere in sight...

Hello Kitty was drug to the ground, ripped open and then stuffed into a cart

Next the Pillsbury Doughboy was treated like Gulliver by the Lilliputans...

Same goes for the Smurfs and Horton...

Nothing was safe from Macy's crushing fist.
Patriotism: Dead.

Woodland creatures in hats: Gone.

Not even the big man himself was spared their wrath...

Yes, Virginia, Macy's killed Christmas.

I didn't want to stick around to find out what was next...

My Thanksgiving fun didn't end there. I followed this traumatizing experience with a Friendsgiving where I ate lots of food and watched children's movies with my friends in Brooklyn! My holiday featured a lot of free/cheap events including free pie at work and a meal made by my great friends, it would have been awesome to spend time with Windnie and my family but I really can't complain. I hope your Thanksgiving was as fun as mine!

Later days!

Give Some, Take Some

2009-11-22T00:08:00.000-05:00

For us working folk, sometimes it can be hard to squeeze a little bit of fun-time into the middle of a busy week. When you just want to sit back and relax... and maybe laugh a little, The PIT is a good place to go! The People's Improv Theater hosts FREE performances every hour on Wednesdays between 6pm and 11pm (A nice thing to do if you work late!) Different Improv groups are paired up each hour so you can get a nice mixture of styles and things throughout the night (Unlike ASSSSCAT at The UCB in this way.) And an important note: the performances at 11pm are done by members of the audience who get together and improv in groups for everyone! Improv-ed Improv! How fun! Here's their schedule. Notice there are several free performances on other days of the week as well. Brian and I saw Punch and The Baldwins this Wednesday at 10pm--both quite funny indeed. And as an added bonus we got 20% off our meal at Canaan Sushi Restaurant, just below the theater! There is also a participating Subway on the block! Just mention you are going to The PIT and POW! you get rewarded for going to a free show! Works for me. And the prices at both of those restaurants are good to begin with :)

Wall Art

And Brian and I participated in another little niceness switch-a-roo today at the Score! Pop-Up-Swap! in Williamsburg. We RSVPed ahead of time on their website (which I don't think mattered much) and showed up with a $3 donation each for City Harvest and a few items of clothing to contribute to the swap. Then, we were let loose into a swarming crowd of people hovering over tables of things that other people donated. There were areas for clothing, shoes, accessories, music, books, and homegoods. It was out of control! Once you're in you can take whatever you want for free! (So make sure you bring a bag large enough to stuff all your finds into!) I got 7 items of clothing--including 2 J.Crew sweaters, 2 American Apparel shirts and a Ninja Turtles hoodie. Brian got 2 shirts, a Chinese childrens book (which I translated for him on the train ride back into Manhattan), Crime and Punishment and a glasses case. It was also fun to see other people pick up the things we donated and stick them in their bag :) So yeah, not bad, eh? And all of the leftover goodies are given to charity! We are definitely going to keep our eyes out for more of these kinds of things. Fun!

We even got our hands stamped!

Animals in People Suits... People in Animal Suits

2009-11-16T23:49:00.000-05:00

Brian got too excited about Game Night memories and neglected to share our other cheap adventures of the weekend. Oh Brian.

So after work on Friday, we met up with my friend Sam Washburn who was visiting from St. Louis. First things first... CHECK OUT HIS BLOG. I'm serious. He is one of the most amazing artists I know. He even has a second blog solely dedicated to presenting you with an illustration of an animal in a suit every day of the year! It's called... dun dun duuunnn Animals in Suits! Fascinating, eh? So anyway, we met up at the Met (teehee), which for your information has suggested donation admission! We each paid $1 and spent a couple hours roaming the halls. Current exhibitions of note can be found here. Oh, and the museum is open til 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays, which makes it that much more worthwhile at the cost of a single Washington. Sadly, Brian and I got there on the late side and joined the rest of the gang in time only to view Vermeer's Milkmaid (which is in the US for the first time!) and American Stories: Paintings of Everyday Life, 1765-1915 (which included a painting of a guy fighting a bear!). Both exhibits were good, but the latter I have to admit I enjoyed a great deal! After that we ate dinner at a delicious diner and went on a very long search for Wendy's Frostys. My friend Ryan had never had one before! For Shame!

Sam after his Twisted Frosty!

And speaking of "suggested donation" museums along Central Park... Brian and I also went to the American Museum of Natural History! (We each paid $5) And while it's more Brian's thing to look at scary stuffed animals than mine... I found this trip amazing! The special exhibitions are expensive so we didn't see them.. but we could have spent hours in the permanent halls we visited! There is an insane amount of stuff to see... so from this trip (we only explored the 1st floor!) I recommend the "Milstein Hall of Ocean Life", "Gottesman Hall of Planet Earth" and "Human Origins". So cool and so educational! Perhaps i'll make recommendations of the other floors once I've visited them :)

Squid and the Whale!

Child-stealing Northwest Indian!

(You wonder why I think Natural History Museums are creepy...)

Oh and before Game Night, which you read about in the previous post, Brian and I went to the $2 Thanksgiving wine and food sampling thingy! If anyone was with me in Chianti for that wine tasting... you should be proud of me for not letting myself get so out of hand this time around :) We sampled different wines with thanksgiving dishes they thought went well with them. I skipped out on a few of the wines and got seconds of the foodstuffs. It was delicious! Mmm roasted brussel sprouts and mashed potatoes! and Pecans! Mmm!

Wine!

Cheap night? Game night!

2009-11-16T02:10:00.000-05:00

A night out in the city can be an expensive venture, why not have a night in? With some friends. And some games... Game night!

Last night, Windnie and I took part in our first game night since coming to the city! We joined our friends Robert, Sarah and Kevin, and our new friends Corey and Corey in a raucous game of Cranium. First we split into teams:

Team Midwest: Young and restless

Team South: The south shall rise again!

And then the Cranium commenced! The games went back and forth with both the midwest and the south winning one game. The third and decisive game was also a fiercely contested match with both teams battling back and forth. But with only a few questions remaining...

This happened...

And this...This too...

So I guess game night ended in a tie, but I don't think anyone minded. It was a fun, cheap night with good friends and will almost certainly become a regular event. We've even started brain storming themes for future game nights... so far Clue, TV, and sleepover. If you have any suggestions let us know!

Editors note: Brian's handsome new do is compliments of Ed Lampley! Who reminds us that when keeping things cheap it's important to have friends with skills. Thanks Ed!

More Bookstore Events

2009-11-12T21:10:00.000-05:00

And to go along with Brian's latest post... Guess what?! It's Indie Bookstore Week! I'm sorry this is so late :( We've been slacking since I've been sick. Maybe you can still find something to go to:
Bookstore Events

For Your Shopping Pleasure

2009-11-12T21:03:00.000-05:00

Some coupons:

30% off at Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy! 11/12 - 11/15
Print this coupon and take it to any of their stores. 5% will go to Teach for America.
40% off Seven for All Mankind! Now through 11/15
I'm not really into Sevens but most people are.
use code: 7FAMILY online or print coupon linked above.

and some links:

NYC Sales and Shopping
I don't even know what to make of this very long list... but shop away!
An NYC Guide to Getting Rid of Your Old Stuff
and I don't know what to make of this either... but here you go!

Um, and eat some pie:

Free Slice of Pie at Waffle House! Now through 12/15
This looks kinda sketchy, but I don't know. Someone give it a try.

Haha sorry. I need to pull myself together and get organized. Those links were just open in my browser waiting for me to make sense of them... but I'm just too tired. Enjoy? :)

Book Store Bums

2009-11-11T01:52:00.000-05:00

A great place to find free entertainment in New York City (and maybe learn something too) is the bookstore! You could be sneaky and just go read the books at a book store but I don't know if they really condone that sort of thing. For a more encouraged free event, keep an eye out for readings, signings and discussions. These events usually coincide with the release of a new book and in a city like New York you never know who will show up!

Since I arrived in the city I've been to 3 such events (Windnie joined for the last two!):

9/25: My first try at free book signing was a discussion with Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, prolific PBS film makers, at Barnes and Noble on the Upper East Side. I love PBS documentaries and have actually been watching a lot of Ken Burns on Netflix. It helps fill the void of not having school after 19 years of continuous education. These guys were promoting their new film The National Parks: America's Best Idea which was debuting on TV the week after their visit and also includes a companion book.

Burns and Duncan told stories from their travels through the National Parks and then answered questions about their processes and techniques in making films. Many people in the audience apparently thought that the 2 were now experts on all things national parks and asked questions about their vacation plans. The film makers then signed their books which I didn't buy because they were expensive and I am cheap. Overall it was really interesting and enjoyable and wet my appetite for more free events. (As a side note Ken Burns is almost creepily pleasant, like he came out of the Truman Show or something.)

11/9: The Teacha, KRS-One, stopped by the Barnes and Noble in Tribeca last night to discuss and sign his book the Gospel of Hip Hop. Click the picture above to read an article all about this interesting project by a hip hop pioneer. KRS gave a rambling, yet thought provoking, lecture about hip hop, Martin Luther King, globalism and the creation of an authentic American religion. Heading into the event I figured the Gospel of Hip Hop was just a history of Hip Hop culture, boy was I wrong. KRS believes that in the future hip hop will be recognized as it's own religion. From what he said it follows the God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, but is rooted in the American urban experience. KRS often paused while he spoke to make sure we understood the weight of his words, often reinforcing this by telling us how controversial his last comment was. It was interesting to say the least. Also in the audience was Charlie Ahearn, director of Wild Style, which KRS called the "First Gospel of Hip Hop" because it taught the world what hip hop was and gave them a common language. I'll have to check it out! Interesting night... Oh I also didn't buy his book to have signed.

11/10: Tonight was Chuck Klosterman at Border's in Columbus Circle. I've never read anything by Klosterman but I'd heard of him and his books before. I actually kind of confused him with Chuck Palahnuik because I mean, how many contemporary writers could be named Chuck??? Well anyways, this began as an actual book reading. He read a story directly from the book. (As opposed to KRS who obtusely talked about his book). The story was amusing and Klosterman has an amusing voice so it was a good time. Klosterman also answered a wide variety of questions from the audience, from the life expectancy of magazines to his thoughts on Ritchie Blackmore from Rainbow going classical. He also answered some questions about his actual writings, go figure! The event ended with a book signing! Which we did not attend.

These events have certainly been varied and engaging and we plan on going to many more! Almost everyday someone is reading the book they wrote somewhere in the city. Keep an eye out for when your favorite author, hip hop legend, or documentarian are coming through town.

Of course interesting talks are not limited to bookstores, sounds like a blog post for another day...

We <3 Animals (Brooklyn)

2009-11-07T22:17:00.000-05:00

I'm sick again! How wonderful! But it's okay, because Brian and I had a lovely day of free fun in Brooklyn. He's still there watching the UC game at a friend's place... but I called it a night and came home to snuggle it up with my blanket... and you know, write this.

So first for your viewing pleasure: a picture of Brian from Halloween day--free "boo-rito" in hand! Please take note of his amazing bib. We bought a little roll of foil from the grocery store across the street and made our "costumes" literally as we walked over to Chipotle. I made a bracelet and he made this bib. We're good, i know!

And here we are in our real Halloween costumes, which I'm not going to lie... are kind of sad. We went to the thrift store the morning of and I bought that shirt for $1.99 and Brian bought his overalls for like $10.00? I was a farm girl (i've got freckles and pigtails...) and he was some sort of factory worker (i used my mascara to dirty up his face...)? I don't know. We were confused too... but whatevaaaaah

Now on to today's fun activities!
Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition
We woke up semi-early and went to "BARC" to walk dogs and play with cats! Not only free, but fun! and not only fun but nice! This is how it works: You show up to the place, fill out a form if it is your first time, they hand you a dog and give you a little bit of their background, behavior summary, and things to watch out for. Then you walk the dog around the neighborhood for about an hour and enjoy the scenery! Easy Peasy! Just make sure you check their volunteer hours on the website so you actually have a dog to walk when you get there.

Here are pictures of Brian and I walking Jenny. (He was very proud of the 2nd photo so I had to post it for him ;) ) She was so cute and liked to play in the crunchy leaves (like me!). Most dogs are actually much bigger and stronger... typically Pits and things. We were given this little one because I told them I had never walked a dog before. If you go, you'll most likely get handed something a little more challenging :)

On Saturdays you can walk dogs from 9am til noon and you can start playing with cats at noon, conveniently! So after we finished walking Jenny we went into this cat room type thing and loved on a bunch of cats. I had a lot of fun, but Brian was a little frightened. A handful of the cats scratch and/or bite people for no apparent reason. Luckily, my cat at home does both so I'm used to walking away with a few miniature wounds. (Today, I left with a scratch from a cat named Scratch...) But don't be afraid. Most of the cats are super friendly and the ones who might harm you are labeled with caution signs!

Prospect Park Zoo: $7 Admission, Free with membership!
After BARC we made our way over to Prospect Park. We took our time strolling around and crunching the leaves. So beautiful and relaxing! We even ran into our friend Robert May who was also enjoying a day in the park. Eventually the 3 of us made our way over to the zoo, which we got into for free because we have memberships (totally worth it for zoo lovers like ourselves! go here for more info: Bronx Zoo Membership. We have the "Individual" one... which is really for 2 people because you can always bring a guest for free.) But if you don't have a membership, admission is only $7! This zoo is great. Very manageable in size and very interactive (Take your kids!). You can see everything in about 2 hours. Fun!

Brooklyn Museum: Target First Saturdays
And since we were in the neighborhood we walked over to "BAM" for free art! Every first Saturday of the month, entrance is free and they have fun activities and events going on. Today there was a great band called The Beats playing and all sorts of booze and foodstuffs (which cost money, so no thank you.) On the website, all of the events are listed that happen between 5pm and 11pm... which I just now noticed. You can really make a whole night out of this thing! Calendar marked for next month! I suggest getting there a little early since there may be lines for events that you need tickets for.

So yeah, that was about it! The only thing we spent money on today was our brunch at The Bagel Store in Williamsburg. This place is so delicious and reasonably priced. They also have day-old bagels that they sell 7 for $2.25, which I had to buy. I got all sorts of specialty bagels that I cannot wait to eat!! (I'll write a blog on bagels soon... because i love them...) And for dinner I'm eating leftovers! Today was a cheap success!

Who wants to be on TV?

2009-11-05T03:57:00.000-05:00

What did you do with your Wednesday night? I spent mine with Windnie at a FREE live taping of Comedy Central presents! Actually it was 2 episodes, we all had to switch seats in between sets so all y'all wouldn't get suspicious when you watch them on TV. Anyway, we got to enjoy the comedic stylings of Bret Ernst and Benjamin Owen. I thought I had heard of Benjamin Owen before but now I don't think so. But it was fun and mostly funny and maybe we'll be on TV! We were seated in the 2nd row and then the 1st row but off to one side of the stage. We actually had better seats before we were deemed not pretty enough and vanquished to stage left. (I'm not exactly sure that's what happened but I guess some guy and his kids were more important or something, they were lame and didn't laugh that much by the way... watch the episodes and look for the uncool kids and imagine my pretty laughing face instead)

All you faithful blog followers may be thinking, this is the 2nd free live taping you've been to! How do you do it??? Good thing I'm here and can tell you everything I know!

Generally not so much! I found out about the Joe Buck Live taping from tweetjfk on Twitter and I found out about Comedy Central through Timeout New York. Both are good resources for free things going on in the city and will keep you busy for cheap any day of the week, but that's a post for another time.

So here's what I know:
1. First of all live tapings don't necessarily happen at the time the show airs. Actually they usually don't. Live TV is risky business and people are wusses. So with that in mind most late night shows tape in the middle of the day which probably won't work with your work schedule but will work just fine if you're unemployed or just visiting!

2. The best place to get tickets is from the shows themselves. Their websites have instructions, some of which require you to mail them a self addressed stamped envelope (you'll feel special when you get a letter from yourself!), but others that have gone digital. Networks also have instructions for many of their shows and sometimes a 3rd party is in charge of ticketing such as http://www.ocatv.com/shows/

3. Plan ahead! Last time I checked the Daily Show's website there were no free dates listed for the next couple months. Saturday Night Live only accepts requests in August though the season doesn't begin until September. While flexibility is a generally good you'll still have to list specific dates so know when you're going to be available.

4. If you're a last minute sorta lady or fella (like yours truly) be ready to wait. Often times standby tickets are available the day of a show. Be ready to show up early, be ready to wait, and there are no guarantees! Once again, for you working folks this may be out of the question but all you bums go for it!

Here's a list of shows filmed in NYC. Obviously not all have a live studio audience but maybe you can stop by their filming anyway and maybe even get thrown in a scene as an extra? I dunno if that actually happens though I may swing by the Rescue Me filming happening down the street tomorrow to find out...

TV Shows Filmed in NYC

That's what I know, I hope you learned a little though I know it's not much. Hopefully in the coming months I'll figure out some new insight on how to get you into your favorite shows. And if you've got any tips clue me in! I like free and I like being on TV!

Sick & Finding Cheap Goodies

2009-11-03T16:33:00.000-05:00

Bottlerocket Thanksgiving Dinner! ($2 Donation) 11/14/09 2pm-6pm
Prepare your tummies for that huge Thanksgiving Dinner with this little test run. Register for a time slot now before it's too late! Brian doesn't know it yet, but I signed us up for 5pm :)

J.CREW Sample Sale! This Week Only
So i might suck it up and make my way over to this sale... but only because it's close by... and if I'm going to buy anything, it might as well be classic and good quality.

Fred Perry Sample Sale! This Week Only
And perhaps sometime this week I may check this out? Still may be too much money for my little pocket...

Quick One For You Austin folk

2009-11-02T16:23:00.000-05:00

Free Amy's Icecream 11/02/09 2pm-6pm
So this one is coming to you a tad late... and only for you people living in Austin... aka my brother and cousins... and Catherine... so I hope you see this in time to get your free small icecream! Go go go!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T15:22:00.000-04:00

Here are a few treats for you! (even you non-New Yorkers!)

$1 Boston Market Chicken Meal! Deal Ends 11/01/09
Hopefully this link still works! Due to the success of this promotional coupon the restaurant has experienced a shortage of chicken. They removed the coupon from their website, but they will still accept "already printed coupons"....oooorrrr a coupon you find elsewhere, like the one we've provided you here! So print away and head to your nearest Boston Market! You may even get lucky like Brian and I and meet a friendly old woman standing in line behind you who reveals her passion for the "comfort food" that is Boston Market and point out all of her favorite choices and warn you against the saltier foods...

Free Chipotle BOO-RITO! Every Halloween!
Dress up like a burrito and Chipotle will feed one to you for free! Rumor has it you can get as many as you want if you keep returning to the line... but don't be like Brian and get greedy!! You might end up losing your free burritos to the floor...

Black Jack Taco! Halloween After Dark
You've seen the commercials... and you loved them! Right?? From 6pm to midnight on Halloween night Taco Bell is giving away free Black Jack Tacos! Chipotle kinda trumps Taco Bell like a ton, but if you're still hungry after free burrito #1 and are a.) too embarrassed to get back in line for a second or b.) can't handle a whole second burrito (coughbriancough) then get one of these little guys to help top off that meal and make your tummy super satisfied. Yum!

Introductions

2009-10-31T12:16:00.000-04:00

This is Windnie and Brian speaking... just two kids who moved to New York City and refuse to let lack of funds interfere with our fun. We hear it's tough to live cheaply here, especially in this economy (blah blah blah), but we're here to prove that with a little research and imagination you can enjoy the Big Apple on an itty bitty budget. People are often surprised by all the free and cheap things we discover. We kinda surprise ourselves sometimes, but here we are to share our finds with you. Maybe with a little help from us, you too can pay rent and feed your tummies with a little room left over now and then for some fun :)

(This blog also helps appease our friends and family back home who want to know why we're not calling daily to update them on our whereabouts, HELLO FRIENDS AND FAMILY!)

We've got things to do today (It's Halloween and we need to figure out cheap costumes) but we thought we should start by catching you up on some of the cheap fun we've had in the 2 months since Brian moved up here:

Joe Buck Live: We got free tix to see Joe Buck Live which is an HBO show that airs once every three months or something. Our seats were directly underneath the center stage camera so anytime someone wanted to look into the camera it was like they were staring into our souls. Guests included: Dan Marino, John Elway, Joe Namath, Mark Cuban, Jerry Jones, and Curt Shilling. (FYI Windnie didn't know who most of these people were- except Mark Cuban who she hates! But sometime you have to suck it up in the name of free!)

Old Navy Pumpkin Patch: Last weekend Old Navy had a free pumpkin patch in the middle of the Meatpacking District. We decorated free pumpkins, and ate free candy, popcorn, cotton candy (but skipped the apples and pears). We also got to meet their creepy mannequins. OH! Brian also posed in one of those face cut out boards as a small, black girl :)

Upright Citizens Brigade: Every New Yorker/visitor should know about this place. All their shows are cheap ($5, $10), but some are also free including the late show on Sunday night. It's improv comedy with some funny folks including members of SNL and 30 Rock. Right now Horatio Sans is a regular, last year Amy Pohler was too. And sometimes other guests stop by including a lot of writers for shows you know and love. Last summer we even saw the Mac guy, Justin Long, taking in a show (He's cheap too I guess).

TGIFridays: We all know NYC is expensive and even cheap standards like the dollar menu are bastardized here, but occasionally national chains run their promotions in the city making them even more incredible! This includes Subway's $5 footlong and Burger King's $1 Whopper Jr (I also found a corporate BK with better prices than all of the other BK's). But the greatest story of this type of deal is one night at TGIFridays... I found out that there was a promotion for $5 Jack Daniel's burger or chicken sandwich. We show up and look at the menu, these sandwhichs are usually $18! The deal isn't listed anywhere but our server reluctantly says that they'll honor the deal. The menu says the sandwich comes with either fries or a side salad and we both opt for the side salad. Next thing we know, huge side salads are placed in front of us which we eagerly eat. Then comes our entrees... with a full side of fries! We were a little concerned about how this was all going to be charged on our bill (cause we're cheap) so we asked for some clarification. Turns out the deal was only for sandwich and fries and the server thought we wanted the side salads extra. Now we like salad and all but these things were on the menu at $7 each, noooo thanks. Our server said he had planned to cut us a deal and only charge us $3 for each (which was awefully nice of him since he just planned on doing it on his own before we asked or anything) but then decided since we didn't really order them that he would give us one free! And that my friends is how you get $50 worth of food for $15. Nom nom nom.

Seedy Seeds: We're too cheap to go pay for most shows but Cincinnati's own Seedy Seeds were in town for the CMJ festival and staying with our buddy Robert May! At the end of their stay they decided they wanted to play one more show and set up in someones basement! It was like being 16 all over again! And even better it was free and we met some new friends. AND they threw in CDs, stickers, and pins to make sure we got our money's worth. We're good at this.

We've just scratched the surface of what we've done and what we'll undoubtely be doing. Stay tuned to hear about our free furniture, all of the free/cheap food we eat, and more! Woop!