The Cheap Bastard's™ Guide to New York City; A Native New Yorker's Secrets of Living the Good Life--for Free!

by Rob Grader

• ISBN13: 9780762723522
• ISBN10: 0762723521
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Trade Paper
• Copyright: 2002-08-01
• Publisher: Globe Pequot

Summary

No place offers more for free than New York -- but only if you know how to find it. Luckily for everyone, "The Cheap Bastard" has found it all and shares his secrets in this witty, exhaustively researched guide. From the obvious to the obscure, the sophisticated to the sophomoric, the elegant to the enlightening, this book catalogs the endless free opportunities available in the Big Apple, shocking visitors and natives alike.

With attitude and humor, author Rob Grader, a born-and-bred New Yorker, reveals how to obtain theater and museum admission, healthcare and yoga classes, Internet access and pet supplies, not to mention food and wine. But he doesn't stop there. While other guides list some of the goods and services available for free or for a pittance, The Cheap Bastard's Guide contains twice as many listings, delving into areas that are not even touched by the competition:
-- How to take free classes in anything from glass blowing to belly dancing
-- How to get low-cost apartments in luxury buildings -- without paying a broker's fee
-- How to g

Author Biography

Native New Yorker Rob Grader is a writer and producer for public radio, an actor on stage and television, and a massage therapist. He lives in New York City in a spacious Upper West Side apartment for which he pays ridiculously low rent

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	xi
Introduction: The Land of the Free	xiii
Section 1: Entertainment in New York	1	(76)
Theater: Free Speech	3	(24)
Volunteer Ushering	4	(14)
Cheap Seats	18	(2)
Just Plain Free Theater	20	(5)
Free Will(iam): Free Theater in the Parks	25	(2)
Music: Of Free I Sing	27	(17)
Rock, Pop, Folk and Alternative	28	(4)
Jazz and Blues	32	(2)
Classical Music	34	(3)
Outdoor Summer Concerts	37	(7)
Film: Cheap Shots	44	(10)
Chart: Free Movies by the Week, Year-Round	45	(1)
Free Flicks	46	(1)
Chart: Free Movies by the Week, Summer	47	(6)
Better than the Book	53	(1)
Television Tapings: Public Access	54	(7)
Comedy: Cheap Jokes	61	(5)
Chart: Comedy by the Week	62	(4)
Dance: Free Expression	66	(8)
Watching It	67	(2)
Doing It	69	(2)
So You Want to Be a Dancer: Work-Study Dance Classes	71	(3)
Magic: Cheap Tricks	74	(3)
Section 2: Living in New York	77	(124)
Food: On the House	79	(17)
Happy Hours	80	(7)
Free Samples: A Sampling	87	(5)
Eat Late, Eat Cheap!	92	(4)
Wine Tastings: Cheap Drunk	96	(8)
Chart: Wine Tastings by the Week	97	(7)
Hair, Beauty, and Massage: Free-Style	104	(12)
Product Testing Centers	104	(1)
Hair Salons	105	(5)
Beauty Schools	110	(3)
Massage	113	(1)
Makeup	114	(2)
Real Estate: This Land Is Your Land	116	(5)
Low-Rent, No-Fee Apartments	117	(4)
Children and Teens: Olli Olli Oxen Free	121	(20)
After-School Programs	122	(1)
Arts and Crafts	123	(3)
Film	126	(4)
Sports and Games	130	(3)
Health Insurance	133	(1)
Museums	133	(2)
Stores for the Fun of It	135	(2)
Storytelling	137	(4)
Education: Cents-Less Smarts	141	(15)
Arts	142	(3)
Food and Wine	145	(2)
Mind	147	(4)
Body	151	(2)
Spirit	153	(3)
Health and Medical: Live Free or Die	156	(8)
Whatever Ails You: Clinical Studies	157	(1)
HHC to the Rescue	158	(2)
Depression/Mental Health Studies and Clinical Trials	160	(1)
STD Clinics	161	(3)
Fitness, Fun, and Games: Cheap Thrills	164	(11)
Park It Here! Parks Offering a Variety of Activities	165	(1)
Recreation Centers	166	(2)
Group Skates	168	(1)
Boating	169	(1)
Everybody In! Public Pools	170	(2)
Beaches	172	(3)
Libraries: Free Access	175	(6)
Research Centers	176	(2)
Private Libraries	178	(3)
Newspapers: The Free Press	181	(5)
Furniture and Household Goods: One Man's Trash...	186	(5)
Map: Manhattan Trash/Treasures Pick-up Days	187	(1)
Favorite Finds	188	(1)
Curbside Shopping Tips	188	(3)
Shopping: A Tale of Two Streets	191	(4)
32nd Street: Bargain Paradise	192	(1)
17th Street: First in Secondhand	193	(2)
Pets: Canine, Feline, Bottom Line	195	(6)
Get a Pet	196	(1)
Pet Postings	197	(2)
Low-Cost Pet Health Care	199	(2)
Section 3: Exploring New York	201	(76)
Walking Tours: The Freedom Trail	203	(10)
Chart: Walking Tours by the Week	204	(9)
Travel: Free-Wheelin'	213	(8)
Getting Around New York	214	(1)
Getting Out of New York	215	(3)
The Train to the Plane	218	(3)
Gardens and Gardening: Dirt Cheap	221	(6)
Public Gardens	222	(2)
Gardening Education	224	(1)
Community Gardens	225	(2)
Art Galleries: Show Me the Monet	227	(12)
Chelsea	228	(3)
Soho	231	(2)
Williamsburg, Brooklyn	233	(3)
Other Galleries and Shows Around New York	236	(3)
Museums: Free to See	239	(15)
Always Free	240	(6)
Sometimes Free	246	(1)
Chart: Free or Pay-What-You-Wish Days at Museums	247	(4)
Museums with Suggested Donations	251	(3)
Zoos: Born Free	254	(23)
Appendixes
Appendix A: Romance: Cheap Dates	256	(5)
Appendix B: Public Library Branch Locations	261	(6)
Appendix C: Beacon Program Locations	267	(3)
Appendix D: New York City Recreation Centers	270	(7)
Index	277	(11)
About the Author	288