Not NYC’s most famous freebie, but with a jaw-dropping view and great flicks,the Brooklyn Bridge Film Series is one of the city’s treasures. See p. 55.

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COPYRIG

HTED M

ATERIAL

Alot of great bargains in this world don’t withstand close

scrutiny. Anyone who’s ever “won” a free weekend at a

North Carolina timeshare can attest to that. New Yorkers are

lucky, however, in having a menu of freebies and cheapies that

aren’t just discards or traps. From Shakespeare in the Park, to car-

less drive-in movies, to kayaking along the Hudson, there’s a host

of remarkable activities here that can’t be had in other cities for

any price. In the dirt cheap realm, the Big Apple’s big volume cre-

ates bargain opportunities left and right. From cheap ethnic food

to cheap avant-garde theater, an urban adventurer can go far on

very little. What follows is the best of the best.

BEST OF THEFREE & DIRT

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1 Best Entertainment Bets

• Best Manhattan Parade: NewYorkers are pros at assemblingen masse, especially whenit comes time to celebratethe ethnic accidents of birth.My favorite pageant is one ofthe city’s most inclusive, theGreenwich Village HalloweenParade , where elabo-rate costumes and a healthydose of gallows humor makethe festive spirit infectious.See p. 26.

• Best Outer-Borough Parade:As New York events becomemore and more commercial-ized, it’s nice to have oneoccasion that’s defiantly do-it-yourself. Coney Island’s Mer-maid Parade bringslow-budget finery to theAtlantic shore. Classic carsserve as the chariots for aprocession of mermaids andNeptunes who will never beaccused of being overdressed.See p. 23.

• Best Festival: Harlem Weekbegan as a single day

30 years ago and nowstretches across the entiremonth of August. Film, jazz,and food festivals are amongthe highlights to be foundalong lovely brownstoneblocks Uptown. See p. 24.

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• Best DIY Rock Show: Whytrek out to the Nassau Coli-seum to watch some agingmonsters of rock, when theLower East Side offers up thesame three chords for free?Punk Rock Heavy MetalKaraoke at Arlene’s Grocery

(95 Stanton St.; & 212/358-1633) is the tri-state’sbest place to play rock star,with a real-live band standingin for a soulless laser disc.See p. 30.

• Best Cultural Center withBeer: Pete’s Candy Store

(709 Lorimer St.;(& 718/302-3770) does itspart to keep Williamsburg ele-vated and enlightened, bring-ing in a bushel of live musicand poetry and prose read-ings. Backgammon, quiz, andScrabble nights round out afull schedule of free diver-sions. See p. 33.

• Best New-York-Studio-SizedMusic Venue: The stage istiny and the seats are few, butthe back room of The Lake-side Lounge (162 Ave.B; & 212/529-8463), bringsin improbably big acts. Rockand rock tributaries can befound on most nights andthere’s never a cover. Seep. 31.

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• Best Jazzy Venue: UpperWest Siders can enjoy cover-free jazz on the weeknightsat Smoke (2751 Broadway;& 212/864-6662). Retro andnouveau bebop, HammondB-3 organs, and even a littlefunk fill out the diverse sched-ule. Drink minimums apply,but they’re not too oner-ous, especially midweek. Seep. 36.

• Best Concerts for SkippingOut on the Office: Theworker bees of the FinancialDistrict have long takenadvantage of the great classi-cal performances heard dur-ing the “Concerts at One”series at Trinity Church (74Trinity Place; & 212/602-0747) and St. Paul’s Chapel(Broadway and Fulton St.). St.Paul’s hosts lunchtime Mon-days and Trinity on Thurs-days. The acoustics are greatin both churches and the $2suggested donation doesn’tbegin to reflect the caliber oftalent. See p. 39.

• Best Summer Music Festi-val: Every year SummerStage

(& 212/360-2777)seems to get even betterorganized, efficiently chan-neling music fans into a stagearea just off the Rumsey Play-field in the middle of CentralPark. Though several shows a

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year are benefit performanceswith steep ticket prices, thecalendar is still littered withhuge names playing for free.See p. 47.

• Best Summer Music FestivalThat’s Not Summerstage: Themassive Lincoln Center Outof Doors (70 LincolnCenter Plaza; & 212/546-2656) festival presents hun-dreds of acts every August.The range is staggering, cover-ing jazz and dance and operaand everything in between.See p. 46.

• Best Movie Screenings witha Roof: Every Sunday nightguest curators put togetherintriguing mini-film festivalsfor Ocularis at Galapagos (70N. 6th St.; & 718/388-8713).The films are usually shortsand a long way away fromanything you’ll find in a mul-tiplex. See p. 50.

• Best Movie Screenings with-out a Roof: Forty-secondStreet welcomes movie fanswith an eclectic selection ofclassics during the HBO/Bryant Park Summer FilmFestival (& 212/512-5700). The lawn crowdsup quickly, but that onlyenhances the festive atmos-phere. See p. 54.

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• Best Outdoor Summer Thea-ter: Forsooth, New York’sgreatest summer asset is nosecret. Shakespeare in thePark (& 212/539-8750) hooks up tens of thou-sands of bard hounds withthe best in Elizabethan drama(using some of today’s bestactors and directors). TheDelacorte Theater’s site in themiddle of Central Park is wellnigh enchanted. See p. 63.

• Best Outdoor Summer Thea-ter That Isn’t Shakespeare inthe Park: Energetic perform-ances substitute for big namesand big budgets in down-town’s alternative Shake-speare in the Park(ing) Lot

(& 212/253-1813).The setting couldn’t be lessformal, but somehow thetroupe manages to cast itsspell. See p. 64.

• Best Dinner Theater: A mere$10 investment will get youin to the Monthly SpaghettiDinner Series, put on byGreat Small Works at P.S.122 (150 First Ave.; & 212/477-5288). While forks wrapnoodles the stage resoundswith dance, drama, film, andsometimes even a little pup-peteering. See p. 69.

• Best Free Dance: Modernand experimental dance hasa home during Movement

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Research at the JudsonChurch (55 Washing-ton Sq. South; & 212/539-2611). Dancers and choreog-raphers vary from week toweek, but the talent levelstays consistently high. Seep. 73.

• Best Comedy Troupe: Thefounders of The Upright Citi-zens Brigade Theatre (307 W.26th St.; & 212/366-9176)have gone on to movie andtelevision fortune and fame,but the institution’s classescontinue to crank out rapierwits. Improv nights here arecheap when they’re not free,and the legendary ASSSCAT3000 is not to be missed. Seep. 77.

• Best Readings: The greatwriterly look of KGB Bar

(85 E. 4th St.; & 212/505-3360) is well matchedby the great writers whocome through here almostevery night of the week.Enough quality words havebeen spilled beneath theSoviet-kitsch furnishings tojustify the publishing of KGBanthologies. See p. 91.

• Best Readings in a Bookstore:New York has many great lit-erary events at its mom andpop shops, but the little play-ers don’t have quite the juiceto bring in huge names every

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• Best Investment of 65¢(Bagel): New York exportedthe bagel to the four cornersof America, but after theindignities that have been per-formed (piña colada bagels?)we should ask for them back.Fortunately, New York stillhas the best, and 65¢ will letyou sample one at Kossar’sBialys (367 Grand St.; & 212/473-4810). With flavor andtexture honed to perfection,you can’t make a better carbinvestment. See p. 118.

• Best Investment of $1 (PizzaBread): The pizza bianca atthe Sullivan St. Bakery (73Sullivan St.; & 212/334-9435) is more a piece ofbread than a Noo Yawk slice,but it’s long on old-worldcharm. Subtly flavored withrosemary and olive oil (notomato or cheese), the doughmanages to be simultane-ously fluffy and chewy. A sin-gle greenback scores a nicebig piece. See p. 117.

• Best Investment of $1.50(Sandwich): Though not tech-nically a sandwich (a big

wedge of sesame pancakestands in for bread), the slicedbeef item at the EldridgeStreet Dumpling House (118aEldridge St.; & 212/625-8008) is the city’s best buckand a half purchase. The pan-cake is big on taste, as is thefresh cilantro and carrot thatdresses up the meat. Seep. 106.

• New York Slice: On a Harlemblock that might charitablybe called unprepossessing,Patsy’s (2287 First Ave.;& 212/534-9783) serves upthe legendary slices they’vespent the last 7 decades per-fecting. The crust is chewyand thin, with a lot of charac-ter, a perfect complement forthe tangy sauce. The two ele-ments combine to make thebest slice in the city, still avail-able for the price of a circa-2002 subway ride ($1.50).

• Best Investment of $2(Tacos): Served in a huge corntortilla and garnished withfresh pico de gallo and gua-camole, the tacos at DelValle Restaurant & Deli (655

B E S T C H E A P E A T S 9

time. The Union Squarebranch of Barnes & Noble

(33 E. 17th St.; & 212/253-0810) has no difficultyFREE

booking the literati glitterati—check out their calendar fora steady stream of famousscribblers. See p. 86.

2 Best Cheap Eats

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LIVING• Best Free School: With col-

lege tuitions spiking end-lessly upward, Cooper Union

(Cooper Sq.; & 212/353-4120) is a definite anom-aly: The 1,000 students hereget their education for exactly$0 and 0 cents. The rest of usare invited in for exhibitions,

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readings, and a great series oflectures. See p. 136.

• Best Free Smarts: The Gradu-ate Center at the City Uni-versity of New York (365 Fifth Ave.; & 212/817-8215) keeps adults educatedwith a terrific selection of lec-tures, seminars, and panel dis-cussions. Fees are reasonable

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Tenth Ave.; & 212/262-5510)burst with flavor. Starting at$2 for standouts like chickenand carne asada, they’re thecheapest way to pay a visitsouth of the border withoutleaving NYC. See p. 282.

• Best Investment of $3(Falafel): I wouldn’t put anyNew York falafel over Rain-bow Falafel & Shawarma (26E. 17th St.; & 212/691-8641).A big fresh pita holds mari-nated onions and crisp, fla-vorful falafel balls. The rest ofthe Syrian menu here isn’t tooshabby, either. See p. 121.

• Best Investment of $3.25(Hot Dogs & a Drink): Thebest dogs in the East Villageare impounded at Crif Dog(113 St. Marks Place; & 212/614-2728). The house specialgets you a pair with a sodakicker. Protein cravings are

accommodated well into thewee hours—4am on theweekends. See p. 113.

• Best Dirt Cheap Sit-DownMeal with Atmosphere:Lovely Day (196 ElizabethSt.; & 212/925-3310) has thefeel of an upscaled diner, butthe chic NoLita crowd grazesfor decidedly downscaleprices. Japanese and Thaiinflected entrees, includingdelicious noodle plates, comein under $10. See p. 116.

• Best Burger: New Yorkershave voted with their palatesby keeping the Corner Bistro(331 W. 4th St.; & 212/242-9502) busy at every hour.With the succulent, unpreten-tious $5 burgers here, it’s nowonder. The city’s expense-account $15 rivals at thefancy-shmancy places don’teven come close. See p. 114.

3 Best Living & Shopping Bets

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and big chunks of the pro-gram are on the house. Seep. 137.

• Best Cheap Bed: Who needs amint on his pillow and a $250bill, when Big Apple Hostel(119 W. 45th St.; & 212/302-2603) can provide agood night’s sleep for under$30? You’ll get a high-rentlocation, too: right in the heartof the Theater District. Seep. 149.

• Best Gyms: Stay thin withouta fat wallet. For less than 14¢a day, 36 gyms and rec cen-ters can belong to you. Thefacilities of the Departmentof Parks and Recreation(& 212/360-8222) includetracks, weight rooms, dancestudios, and boxing rings. For$75 a year ($25 more), youget access to the swimmingpools, too. See p. 158.

• Best Grooming: Style-con-scious New Yorkers flock toBumble and bumble salonfor the latest looks. Savviersouls sign up for the modelcalls at their school, Bumbleand bumble.University (415 W. 13th St.; & 866/7-BUMBLE). If you’re selectedfor the stylist training pro-gram, you’ll get a free cut, ahead full of styling products,and an invitation to call back

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in 8 to 10 weeks to do it allover again. See p. 152.

• Best Cultural Center WithoutBeer: Three Jewels Refugeand Free Internet Cafe (211 E. 5th St.; & 212/475-6650) is an East Village Bud-dhist center that doesn’t letits small square footage limitits options. The long list ofcommunal services includesfree jazz, film, meditation,and workshops. See p. 161.

SHOPPING• Best Thrift Shopping: Hous-

ing Works Thrift Shop (143W. 17th St.; & 212/366-0820, plus other locations)brings the prices of fashion-able clothes and furnituredown to levels real people canafford. The inventory is lightlyused and quick to turn over,and the money you spendgoes to support a great cause(housing, services, and advo-cacy for people living withHIV and AIDS). See p. 177.

• Best Department Store: Cen-tury 21 (22 Cortlandt St.;& 212/227-9092) is theShakespeare in the Park ofshopping—everybody knowsabout it, it’s in great demand,and despite New Yorkers’ highexpectations it rarely comesup short. Amazing selection

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• Best Exhibits: The mainbranch of the public library,formally known as the Hu-manities and Social Sciences

Library (Fifth Ave. and42nd St.; & 212/869-8089),puts on terrific shows in thehushed interiors behind the

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and equally amazing pricesdraw in the crowds 7 days aweek. See p. 186.

• Best Gourmet Food Shop forTightwads: Tracking downfancy fromage is not a dif-ficult task in NYC, but toactually purchase a wedgewithout emptying your purse

is another issue. Thank thecheese gods then for theEast Village Cheese Store(40 Third Ave.; & 212/477-2601), which has a giganticselection at humble prices.This is the ideal place forcocktail party hosts to fortifythemselves. See p. 191.

4 Best Exploring Bets

New York’s Top-Five Best-KeptFree Secrets

1 As far as New York vistas go, it’s hard to beat the Brooklyn

Bridge at night with the Manhattan skyline twinkling in

the background. The Brooklyn Bridge Park Summer Film

Series (& 718/802-0603) does its best to enhance

the view by projecting Brooklyn-angled fare against the

epic scenery. Compared to its Manhattan competitors,

this event is much more under control. The friendly, low-

key crowd is perfect for watching a flick with. See p. 55.

2 Though the National Museum of the American Indian

(1 Bowling Green; & 212/514-3700) has seen the bulk of

its collection moved to the Mall in D.C., the three gallery

spaces here still put on great exhibits of contemporary

and historic Native American art. The building itself, a

magnificent Beaux Arts customs house, is worthy of a

visit of its own. See p. 215.

3 In addition to free Internet, 5,000 videos, 8,500 films,

and 35,000 CDs, the Donnell Library Center (20 W.FREE

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53rd St.; & 212/621-0618) is also the place Winnie-the-

Pooh calls home. The original Winnie and his pals Piglet,

Eeyore, Kanga, and Tigger have lived in Manhattan for

50 years now, most recently in a glass case in the Central

Children’s Room at the Donnell. Oh yeah, they’ve got

some books here, too. See p. 229.

4 The New York Earth Room (141 Wooster St.;

& 212/989-5566) is just that: 140 tons of soil hidden

away in a SoHo loft. Even after multiple visits it’s a com-

pletely unexpected sight, and a few whiffs of the earthy

scent can be oddly rejuvenating. See p. 234.

5 Malcolm Forbes’ affection for his idiosyncratic collections

is obvious from the well-crafted displays at the Forbes

Magazine Galleries (62 Fifth Ave.; & 212/206-

5548). As you wind through model boats, toy soldiers,

Monopoly boards, and trophies, you just may find Forbes’

enthusiasm rubbing off on you. See p. 213.

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lions. Rare editions and man-uscripts are often on display,accompanied by thoughtfulcaptions that make equallyilluminating reading. Seep. 229.

• Best Use of a Former FactorySpace in Queens: The per-functory design of MoMAQNS couldn’t touch LongIsland City’s SculptureCenter

(44-19 Purves St.;& 718/361-1750). Maya Linleft a lot of rough edges, but

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the overall effect is reminis-cent of a cathedral, completewith a catacomblike base-ment. The intriguing sculp-tures and installation artshown here further justify thetrip to Queens. See p. 217.

• Best Art Center in Queens:The P.S. 1 ContemporaryArt Center (22–25 JacksonAve.; & 718/784-2084) putson great art shows just astop away from Manhattanin Long Island City. The

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museum is a beautiful conver-sion of a Renaissance revivalpublic school, and the inte-rior spaces have been inven-tively redone to complementthe cutting-edge art displayedhere. See p. 226.

• Best Dirt Cheap Date Night:First Saturdays at theBrooklyn Museum of Art(200 Eastern Pkwy.; & 718/638-5000) are among thebest parties of the year. Youcan generate conversationfodder at exhibits, films, andlectures. You’ll also findplenty of live music, shouldall that talk lead to a littledancing. See p. 220.

• Best Natural Oasis: Visions ofrhododendron valleys, water-falls, and wetlands conjure uponly one place in New York:the Bronx. If you’ve neverseen the New York BotanicalGarden (200th St. andSouthern Blvd.; & 718/817-8700), you’ll be amazed atthe biological diversity here.It’s arguably the country’s

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greatest public garden. Seep. 244.

• Best Elephant Procession:Forget Republican conven-tions—the best elephant show

occurs when the circus(Ringling Brothers; & 212/465-6741) comes to town.Once a year, around mid-night, the elephants (some-times accompanied by theirzebra and camel comrades)stroll up the Queens-MidtownTunnel and across town toMadison Square Garden. Asfar as New York wildlife goes,this spectacle is hard to beat.See p. 246.

• Best Boat Ride: Transformyourself into river trafficthrough the programs at theDowntown Boathouse(Pier 26, 66a, and 72nd St.;& 646/613-0375). They’llloan you a kayak and let youpaddle around their west sidepiers. If you get your strengthup, you’ll be eligible for alonger ride into New YorkHarbor. See p. 162.

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