Joyce Carol Oates!

The literary goddess herself will be reading from her new novel, The Gravedigger's Daughter, tomorrow evening for FREE at the Barnes and Noble on Broadway and 66th!

More Tag sale lovin on Saturday the second!

Tag sale season lives on in this time of 90 degree days in not-yet-June NYC. I've explained my love of such sales in a previous post (see the Perry Street tag sale boost) but would like to expand upon the type of goodies an astute and able "plucker" can find at such an event. At the Perry Street event (which is all but a carbon copy of what Jane Street holds) I found....

A velvet label never-worn summer dress- $6
A purple striped strapless dress with satin sash $10
A brown and white polka dotted Vivian Tam designer dress $20
Tan leather flats $10
The Kite Runner - $1
Ghostwritten- $1
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie - $1
The Plot Against America - $2
Long beaded wooden necklace -$2
In total, three dresses, a pair of shoes, a necklace and four books for a mere 53 bucks!

So you've basically got to go to what may be the last of the grand summer tag sales at Jane street west of Hudson. Enjoy!

THIS JUST IN: BONUS sale right nearby on West 12th between Greenwich and Washington , whoo hoo!

Bank of America Freeness in May

So yesterday Bea, Roma, Ethan and Ben and I trekked over to the Bronx zoo planning on spending massive amounts of money merely to oogle wild creatures in their own habitat (we probably could have just gone to the village but what can you do). It was to our surprise and delight that when purchasing tickets with our Bank of America cards, we got two free tickets each! Crazy right? I did some research and it turns out that May is free museum month with your BOA card (trust me though, this isn't an advertisement, I'm pissed that the bank never filled me in on this deal) turns out that for the next four days (as it ends in May) us New Yorkers with the cards can get 2 free admission tickets to places like the New York Aquarium, Moma, and the Whitney. Find a full list here, then send them an email praises their efforts put lauding their publicity!

Good deals? Sweet events? Free booze? Hell yea!

Today will be devoted to two email listserves that NYC-ers in search of bargains and deals, even free booze, must be a part of. The first is Daily Candy. Serving up daily offerings of where to be (events) and where to shop (sales) around the city this mass mailing is good for someone who wants to know the up to the day events of our shining city. There really is no focus on the cheap, however, so aside from the sales keep in mind that some of these NY events come attached with NY prices.

Next however is My Open Bar.com
which provides the cheap alcoholic in all of us a daily fix of events that offer an open bar with or without a cover, for the evening. Often these actually coincide with neat events, (avant garde maze openings anyone?), and are sometimes centered around one drink, and best of all, once you're in the door it's F.R.E.E.

Roti Rolls at Bombay Frankie's

Let me first say that I was BOMBARDED by mags, newsletters and events this afternoon all guiding me towards the free and cheap splendid events taking place throughout the city this summer. Most everything kicks off in June so I'll start actually writing about them next week but my piece of advice is to get done with all that "I've wanted to do this for so long but haven't yet" "stuff" that needs to occur before the craziness of summer sets in and you're busy up to your ears with events!

While you're out and about, however, check out upper west side favorite spot of mine, Bombay Frankie's! Located on Amsterdam at 109th street, this little haven of a street store serves up Roti Rolls, basically a sort of burrito stuffed full with Indian food. Ranging from $2.75 (for spiced potatoes and chick peas) to $6.00 (for the shrimp variety) apiece them mega-sandwiches offer the perfect meal to go as you check out central park on 110th or cruise Columbia's gorgeous campus on 116th. With special deals if you buy two (seven bucks gets you two chicken malai rolls) and mango lassi's in the fridge, there's nothing more likely to get way up on the west side!

Oh yea, and if you're lucky enough to live nearby, they offer free delivery until midnight on orders 12 bucks or over, 212-666-1500.

Who says you can't be sleek and cheap?

Normally I don't even let my pinkie toe step foot into any of the oh so fancy meatpacking district stores for fear I'll leave in a mess of tears and shame. Not tomorrow my friends! Uber-sleek designer, Rubin Chapelle, is making MONSTROUS price cuts on the oh so fabulous Italian duds in their meatpacking district store. Examples include Italian Cotton Sweatshirts for 30 instead of 220 and miniskirts for 45 compared to 290. Me Likey!

Wed May 23rd- Fri May 25, noon to 7pm
410 W 14th St between 9th Ave and Washington (take the ACEL to 14th st/ 8th ave)

Meatpacking District Design Week!

Hello my loves! I'm so sorry to have missed an entire week of NYC goodness with all of you but I was off burning myself to a crisp in sunny Florida. Luckily, I've made it back in time to catch the tail end of the the Meatpacking District's Design Week! (It's FREE!) Located in various venues throughout the district this week promises avant garde fashion, furniture and even, everyone's secret fantasy since watching those randy children in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, scented wallpaper (ok you can't lick it but close enough!) Today is the last day so pop yourself over to Bodum Cafe, 413 west 14th Street by 9th avenue and grab a free coffee while you scope out the guide to the weekend's (well now it's day's) festivities!

Best Day Ever (rice balls, pinkberry and modern art oh my!)

Just walked in from spending one of the best NYC days ever (though I tend to have a lot of those) with my bud Aaron. It's Friday night and if you're looking for an all star line up of cheap yet amazing fun (it's date night too) then you've gotta check out the below.

1. Dinner (or lunch or bfast) at Oms/b. Located on 45th street between Lex and 3rd (take 456 to Grand Central) this little haven of a shop offers up dozens of rice balls ranging from crab salad to salmon roe to ume plum, these mounds of delight are healthy, refreshing and varied, and, get this, cheap! Aaron and I each got the A box where you can chose any three balls of your liking plus a soup for 7 50. If you're willing to let them chose you get 3 balls a soup and an appetizer for 6.50, a heck of a deal and lunch! The plum was a bit too sour for me but I almost died when I bit into the flavorful eel (not the baked one the one with rice and eel on top) and the light crab salad. Heaven.

Next, take a 15 minute walk up to 53rd between 5th and 6th and check out Moma. (Free on Fridays 4-8) This weekend is the last you can check out inquisitive photography by Jeff Wall and the Comic Abstractions closes on the 11th but my favorite current exhibit by far is the installation Projects 85: Dan Perjovschi. Featuring humorous and provocative sketch drawings taking up three floors of wall space, and creeping around the sides, this piece offers not only comic respite but food for thought. Lay back on the plush black benches (I literally lay on them for about 15 minutes dissolving into laughter) and enjoy! The sculpture garden outside is great too, just don't run or spin through the giant metallic pieces winding around the space, the security gaurds don't like it too much :)

Last but not least take another walk to 32nd between 5th and 6th for
3. Pinkberry dessert! Hard to describe (like tart yogurt?) but beyond addictive, these bowls of deliciousness might be more than the regular cost of ice cream (5.95 for a medium with three toppings) but you'll never get over the incredibleness they can contain on a hot muggy day (or any day infact). Ask for it with rice cakes, (a chewy substance they hide below the counter so it's not on display for the mere mortals), raspberries and chocolate chips and it's the perfect end to the PERFECT NYC day.

Jazz me up!

Hello loves!

1) Sorry it's been a few days, I would say it was finals week but clearly that is not an excuse!
2) I have recently caught wind of another great event happening this Saturday; Free Jazz! The Jazz center at Lincoln Center's Middle School Jazz academy, which offers scholarships for 14 students in 4 of the five boroughs, is having a free concert at the Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall on Broadway and 60th street at both 1 and 3pm. Sure to blow your mind, it just may be a tinch inspirational too. And who doesn't love summer jazz, for FREE?!

"Garage Sale" on Perry Street

How I love this time of the year, the tulips are out the birds are singing and rich west village people are getting rid of their things for cheap cheap cheap! This Saturday hosts a day long (10-6) street long (on Perry between 4th and Bleecker) street garage sale sure to host some goodies. I've been to many similar events and have found such niceties such as a hardback copy of Freakonomics for 2 bucks and a large comfy 100 percent cashmere sweater for 7. It's always a good place to check out antiques and jewelry and as the weather is supposed to be beautiful, it's just a wonderful way to spend an afternoon! See you rummaging through the stands! oh and rain date is sunday!

Samosa! Dosa!

first off, I know a lot lately has been in the west village! I swear I will branch out more once the summer comes and I am finally able to leave the library. That said, the village does have some of the greatest cheap eats in the world including my personal favorite Manhattan Cart- THE DOSA STAND!

Usually parked out on Washington Square Park on west 4th by Sullivan from around 11 to 5ish, usually with a line during peak hours, this guy serves up some of the tastiest quick eats to go NYC has to offer. All vegan and all amazing, the dosa's which I can barely explain but it's a crepe type circle of yumminess stuffed with potatoes, onions, veggies, etc. They range from 3-6 dollars and come with a small (spicy) soup and incredible coconut (sort of, it's better than this but my pallet is not sophisticated enough to explain it) sauce. Skip the lines and grab a samosa or veggie roll for a buck each from the window in front. The samosa's are the best I've had, crunchy outside with an amazingly jam packed middle of flavor and food, and the sauces are divine. Grab a seat in nearby Washington square park and people watch for the afternoon and call it a day.

POP! kA-pOW! Slam! STREB!

Finally I was able to soak in one of, I believe the most innovative and heart pumping shows in NYC, STREB! A "modern dance" group around since 1985, Streb's pieces take the form of pop action where members through themselves from incredible heights, slam themselves into planks of wood, run and tumble into and off of what can only be described as a giant hamster wheel and crash, bang, fall and amaze in their SLAM (Streb Lab for Action Mechanics) studio. While the place is always packed with kids I assure you this show is not only awe inspiring (see how far water can be flung and how many different ways to jump into a pool with splsh) and gasp inducing (dance between concrete blocks as they swing inches from your face anyone?) But also is beyond inspiring in showing what our bodies can take and in how many different ways they can take it. It just urges you to move and explore what can be done with yourself as well as we push the bounds of not only imagination, but ourselves.

The show runs Fri- Sun until June 17th. Find out more info here. Watch video demos here. (just watch them, even if you don't want to go) You're truly missing out if you don't catch this show and don't forget to get CLOSE!

When: Fri and Sat at 7, Sat and Sunday at 3pm through June 17th
Where: SLAM, 51 North 1st street in Brooklyn. Take the L to Bedford walk down to first, take a right onto first and walk towards the water. (If you want to grab food before hand I suggest the Bagel Place, when you get to Bedford and first (before the studios) take a right on Bedford and walk two blocks, the BLT's (4.25) are to die for.
How much: 20 adults, 10 kids.

Let's Go Ride a Bike

It is beyond gorgeous outside and a perfect day for a bike ride. While I own my own bike (which makes these offerings free if you do too!), I realize that many NYC-ites do not have the pleasure and thus would like to offer my two favorite spots to ride PLUS places nearby where you can rent bikes for an hour or the day!

The Hudson Bike Path:

Stretching all the way down from Battery Park to the upper west side, this gorgeous, river side path offers miles of flat, smooth road with fantastic views of the city. Hop on pretty much anywhere on the westside and enjoy!

Central Park:

I know it's been done but I love this loop, it's a workout (if your like me and don't bike all that often) on the hills but it feels amazing to glide down them while whizzing through the city's most wonderful offering.

The only bike rental place I can personally recommend is on the Upper East Side is Eastside Bicycles on Lexington and 88th which rents out bikes for around 8 bucks an hour and is right by the park.

Here's a good site though for many a place in Manhattan. Get off your butt and go on a ride!

Dining Fever, Cheap (ER) deals

The emphasis to this post is on the (er) of cheaper. This Dining Feve blog lists different deals taking place in mid- upscale restaurants around the city where you can get 10- 30 percent off of your meal by printing out their coupons and using special DiningFever codes. You can also search food based on type, dining style and location. Not so very cheap but it will definitely save you a few bucks on those nights you decide to break the bank!

6 and B, How I love thee

It's a gorgeous day and I'd like to honor my favorite community garden in all of NYC, 6 and B!
Located on avenue B and 6th street in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. It's a little fairy village with tumbling plants cascading over the narrow paths winding around the garden. Tiny little hideouts, a gazebo and one amazing sculpture of wood reaching 60 feet in the sky (though the hanging stuffed animals creep me out it's very whimsical in a return to childhood sort of way).

The garden is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 1-6 (and during other events) and boasts a wide array of free events ranging from sunrise yoga on Mondays at 7am to movie nights and artist photo showings in the summers. They also have a lot of events for kids, craft days, poetry workshops and book readings. Basically, it's a bit of heaven.

Cheap Date edition (Grab sunday brunch at Atlas on 2nd Avenue between 4th and 5th. For $5.50 you can make your own delicious omelet (I recommend feta cheese, sweet onions and mushrooms) with a bagel AND a side salad. Plus, they have outdoor seats on the east village sidewalk. Amazing!

BURGER MANIA! (part 2)

For an early morning post it's quite remarkable that I am still craving a burger after describing last nights wonders but here it is. Burger post number two brings us to Corner Bistro a West Village institution on West 4th and Jane since before SJP moved into the hood. Expect crazy lines here as well and a sometimes demanding waiter but the burgers are mmm mm worth it and amazingly good. Greasy, hearty, with lots of crunchy little fries, plus 2 50 drinks and a full full bar make this place provide an extra kick in my step when I'm in need of oh so good oh so bad food. Check it out on a weekday afternoon and miss the long wait which I've encountered even on Wednesday nights (though nothing beats the hour plus long wait we encountered on a friday!) Come to think of it, anyone else think these burger places are so good because you spend so long waiting for one that a beat up slab of ANYTHING would be heaven? Nahhhh.....


CHEAP DATE: Take him/her to magnolia's bakery about five minutes away on Bleecker and 11th. Another village institution (though SJP might have helped this one) you'll think the people in line (again, avoid late nights) are crazy! Until you have a chocolate chocolate masterpiece that is.

BURGER MANIA! (part one)

I, for one, am on the quest for the perfect burger. The kind that crunches when you take that first bite but melts in your mouth as you sink in to the delicious meat. Well, burgers just don't come cheap in this city and I've learned to deal with it (anyone finding something remotely decent under 5 wins a prize) BUT you've got to try out the ridiculous burger place at Le Parker Meridien. Enter the hotel on 57th between 6th and 7th aves and you find yourself in a gorgeous marble hall decked with sky high mirrors. Take a discreet right as you enter and find yourself inching towards velvet drapes concealing what appears to be a narrow hallway. Turn down the dark passage and see a single neon blinking burger and then, my friends, you have entered heaven and by heaven I mean a little dive joint jam packed with food, fries and a small but select group of new yorkers who know the secret. Cheeseburgers (with all the fixins!) cost you seven bucks, they're not huge but grab some fries and a lemonade and you're still under 12. Be sure to know what you want by the time you get to the counter, however, because it's kind of a soup nazi experience which must be seen to be believed. These mouthfuls of delight soak the brown paper bag in grease and you basically have to risk death to find a spot, not to mention a wait in lines but let's face it, it's these experiences we THRIVE for in this city. So live it up loves, it's mm mmm good.

(CHEAP DATE EDITION: Grab student tickets to a nearby show and call it a night!)