A (FREE) Night at the Museum

While I believe strongly in supporting the arts (I have a membership to several museums), not everyone has the dough to fork over every time they want to experience some culture, especially if there is only one specific exhibit you want to see.

NYC is an incredibly expensive town, but it also has so many opportunities for free culture and entertainment.

Below are a few separate lists:  Free hours to visit museums (almost every museum offers a few hours a week or month with free entrance), museums that are always free, museums with suggested donations, and evening parties to cocktail with your art (don’t miss this section)! Everything is hyperlinked to take you straight to the website.  All special hours and events can change, so always check before going.

The Frick Collection

MUSEUMS THAT FEATURE FREE ADMISSION AT CERTAIN HOURS

*American Folk Art Museum: Fridays 5:30-7:30pm with Live Music

*Asia Society and Museum: Free on Fridays 6-9pm
*The Bronx Museum of the Arts: Free All day on Fridays

*The Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Free all day on Tuesdays and 10am-Noon on Saturdays.  Also weekdays from November 9-March 13

*The Brooklyn Museum of Art: First Saturdays of every month, free admission 5-11pm

*Children's Museum of the Arts: Pay what you wish 4-6pm on Thursdays
*Children's Museum of Manhattan: Target First Fridays - free admission 5-8pm
*China Institute: Free on Tuesdays and Thursdays 6-8pm

*The Frick Collection: Pay what you wish 11am-1pm on Sundays
*The Guggenheim Museum: Pay what you wish 5:45-7:45pm on Saturdays
*International Center of Photography: Pay what you wish Fridays 5-8pm
*The Jewish Museum: Free on Saturdays

*The Morgan Library & Museum: Fridays 7-9pm

*El Museo del Barrio New York: Free Wednesdays 6-9pm and every 3rd Saturday 
*Museum of American Finance: Free Tuesdays and on Saturdays 10-11am
*Museum of Arts & Design: Pay what you wish 6-9pm on Thursdays
*Museum of Chinese in America: Target Free Thursdays 11am-9pm
*Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust: Wednesdays 4-8pm
*The Museum of Modern Art: Target Free Friday Nights 4-8pm

*The Museum of the Moving Image: Free on Fridays 4-8pm

*Neue Galerie: First Fridays, they extend their hours, free to the public 6-8pm
*The New Museum of Contemporary Art: Free 7-9pm on Thursdays

*New York Botanical Garden: Free all day on Wednesdays and on Saturdays 10am-Noon
*New York Hall of Science: Free 2-5pm on Fridays (September-June) and Sundays 10-11am (September-June)

*The Noguchi Museum: First Friday of the month is pay-what-you-wish

*NY Hall of Science: September through June, Fridays 2-5pm; Sundays 10-11am

*Queens Botanical Garden: Free all day November through March; On Wednesdays April-October 3-6pm and Sunday 4-6pm
*Rubin Museum of Art: Fridays 6-10pm Fridays, featuring live music
*Staten Island Children’s Museum:  Free on school holidays and Wednesdays 5-8pm

*Staten Island Museum: Free Noon-2pm on Tuesdays

*The Staten Island Zoo: Free on Wednesdays after 2pm
*Studio Museum of Harlem: Target Free Sundays
*Van Cortlandt House Museum: Free on Wednesdays

*Wave Hill: Tuesdays are free all day during off-peak months (November-April, July & August).  Tuesdays are free 9am-noon during peak months (May, June, September, October).  Saturdays are free 9am-noon year-round.

*Whitney Museum of Art: Pay what you wish 6-9pm on Fridays

*Yeshiva University Museum: Mondays and Wednesdays between 5-8pm; Fri 11am-2:30pm

Noguchi Museum

MUSEUMS THAT ARE ALWAYS FREE

African Burial Ground Memorial Site 

American Numismatic Society 

Center for Book Arts

Dahesh Museum

The Drawing Center 

Federal Hall  Federal Reserve Bank of NY  Fisher Landau Center for Art

Forbes Galleries

General Grant National Memorial  Goethe-Institute  The Grolier Club 

Herbert and Eileen Bernard Museum of Judaica

The Hispanic Society of America 

The Korea Society Gallery

Lefferts Historic House

Maritime Industry Museum at the State University of NY

The Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators

Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology

National Museum of the American Indian

New York Public Library

New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex & Store at Grand Central Terminal

Nicholas Roerich Museum

Queens County Farm Museum

Scandinavia House  Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Socrates Sculpture Park

Swiss Institute

Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace 

The New Museum of Contemporary Art

 UNDERAGE GETS IN FREE!

Admission is always free for children under 6 years old 

Museum of American Finance

Wave Hill

Admission is always free for children under 12 years old 

The Bronx Museum of the Arts

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden

China Institute
Folk Art Museum
The Guggenheim Museum
International Center of Photography
The Morgan Library & Museum

El Museo del Barrio New York

Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust

The Noguchi Museum

Rubin Museum of Art

Staten Island Museum

Van Cortlandt House Museum

Admission is always free for children under 16 years old 

Asia Society and Museum

Chelsea Museum of Art  

Admission is always free for children under 18 years old 

Museum of Arts & Design High school students with ID and Children 12 and under (excluding groups): FREE

The New Museum of Contemporary Art

The Noguchi Museum NYC public high school students with a valid ID: FREE

Whitney Museum of Art



The Guggenheim Museum

MUSEUMS THAT HAVE “SUGGESTED DONATIONS”

If you can afford to support the arts, please do, but I have gone to the Met to only see one exhibit and said I would like to donate $10 (instead of the suggested donation of $20).  You still get the cute little colored M clip that gives you access to the museum! 

American Museum of Natural History - Suggested adult admission $16

Bronx Museum - Suggested adult admission $5
Brooklyn Museum - Suggested adult admission $10
The Bronx Zoo - Wednesdays are Suggested Donation Days $16
The Cloisters - Suggested adult admission $20
Children’s Museum of the Arts - Pay-what-you-wish Thursdays 4-6pm
Grey Art Gallery NYU - Suggested adult admission $3
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum - Pay-what-you-wish Saturdays 5:45-7:45pm
International Center of Photography - Voluntary contribution Fridays 5-8pm
King Manor Museum - Suggested adult admission $5
The Metropolitan Museum of Art - Suggested adult donation $20
Museum of Arts & Design - Pay-what-you-wish Thursdays 6-9pm
Museum of Biblical Art - Suggested adult admission $7
Museum of the City of New York - Suggested adult admission $10; if you live or work in East Harlem, visit the Museum free of charge
Museum of the Moving Image - Suggested adult admission $7
el Museo del Barrio - Suggested adult admission $9
Newark Museum - Suggested adult admission $10
New York City Fire Museum - Suggested adult admission $5
New-York Historical Society - Pay-what-you-wish Fridays 6-8pm
The Noguchi Museum - Pay-what-you-wish on the first Friday of every month
P.S.1 Contemporary Art Center - Suggested adult admission $10
Queens Museum of Art - Suggested adult admission $5
Sculpture Center - Suggested adult admission $5
Staten Island Museum - Suggested adult admission $3
Studio Museum in Harlem - Suggested adult admission $7
Whitney Museum of American Art - Pay-what-you-wish Fridays 6-9pm

American Museum of Natural History

 A NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM – PARTY WITH ART!

* MoMA Nights - Open until 8:45 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month, and every Thursday in July and August.  Free with admission, this extended hours evening includes live music or a DJ and a cash bar, as well as gallery talkbacks.

* Target First Saturday’s at Brooklyn Museum of Art - There is always a full line-up of activities for all ages, including the free admission to the museum, but then from 8-11pm there is a dance party.  During the summer they are outdoors and feel like the sickest block party with amazing music.  They move indoors in the winter, but the DJs are still fabulous.

* K2 Lounge at the Rubin Museum of Art on Friday evenings - Admission to the galleries is free from 6-10pm, there are Pan Asian tapas and drink specials, along with live music, open galleries and films.

* PS1 Warm Up Saturdays - Warm Up is MoMA PS1's exciting music, art and entertainment series during the summer. On Warm Up Saturdays, from2-9pm, admission to MoMA PS1 and to Warm Up is $15.00.

* Art after Dark at The Guggenheim - First Tuesday night of the month from 9pm-midnight. $15 at the door gets you in to see the exhibits, fun music and a cash bar. 
* First Fridays at the Bronx Museum of Arts - First Friday of every month, the museum offers free admission to a night of film, art, performance, music and other special programming. 

 

Dance Party at The Brooklyn Museum of Art's First Saturdays


LAST, BUT NOT LEAST....

*One of the coolest programs in NYC is the SlideLuck PotShow.  A few times a year they put on an amazing party in different spaces (they have events all over the world now).  They have been in spaces like the Chelsea Museum of Art in the winter and in the open air old Tobacco Warehouse under the Brooklyn Bridge during the summer.  You meet, mingle and potluck (bring a favorite dish and a bottle of wine) and then sit to watch a slideshow of amazing local talent.  Mostly photography is shared, but they also show photographs of other art forms.  Artists can submit work to the provided theme and are given an alotted amount of time.  Sign-up to receive e-mails when the new events are posted.

*Don’t forget the Museum Mile Festival!  Each year, the strip known as Museum Mile (Fifth Avenue from 82^nd to 105^th Streets), is blocked off from traffic.  There is live music all along Fifth Avenue and free admission to almost all of the museums and galleries along the way.  I recommend starting at the northern point or going to some lesser known museums, to avoid the crazy lines and heavy crowds.  This year the Museum Mile Festival is on June 14^th from 6pm – 9pm! 

During the summer, tons of museums (like the Whitney, The Cooper-Hewitt and MoMA) host a series of live music, cocktails and entertainment with art.

Enjoy!

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It's the Most...Wonderful Time...of the Year

I love holiday music and couldn’t wait for the day after Thanksgiving to play it.  New York is an amazing place to be in December with so many festive decorations and events!

Below is a rundown of some of the best NYC has to offer over the next Month (plus the best trees, skating rinks, window displays and gift fairs)!

* Now through Jan. 9 – I am determined to see the New York Botanical Garden’s Train Show this year.  It is supposed to be amazing (particularly just after dark).  Miniature trains chugging past a miniature NYC (along a half-mile of tracks, passing 140 New York landmarks) constructed entirely of natural materials: nuts, tree bark, fruits, pinecones, and leaves, housed within the warmth of the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory.   

* Now through the end of January – Artist Daniel Libeskind is bringing The Hanukkah Project to the Jewish Museum and worth a visit to see the collection of famous menorahs.  Candles will be lit to create a line of fire!

* Nov. 30 – the Tree at Rockefeller Center is lit!  Lighting ceremony begins at 7pm and features stars and performances.

* Dec. 1 – The launch party for DoGreater!  $20 gets you three hours of open bar, food and dancing!  My buddies are launching their new company in style so come out to support and kick-off the holiday party season right!  Read about the company, sign-up to receive the deals and buy your ticket HERE

* Dec. 2 – First Thursday’s in DUMBO for the art gallery walk while artists are open late!

* Dec. 3 – The Movember Gala Parté!  You survived the month with that itchy ‘Mo (and people telling you that you look like a pedophile) - now celebrate your hard work!  $20 tickets can be purchased HERE (or if you raise at least $100 for the cause, you earn a ticket free). 

* Dec. 9 – The Yelp Snow Ball is FREE and includes booze, food and other little extras.  A $10 donation to the NYC Coalition Against Hunger is optional, but good karma is always nice around the holidays!  The list of vendors participating is impressive – check it out and RSVP HERE

* Dec. 9 – MoMA by Night (tickets in advance are $14) –What better way to see art than with cocktails, music and gallery talks after hours!  I saw the Abstract Impressionist New York exhibit this weekend and it really is a must-see.  

The Best Christmas Trees (and Menorah) worth a visit:

* The annual Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History is 13 feet tall.

* The Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Créche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Medieval Sculpture Hall.   While you are there, don’t miss the John Baldessari exhibit, which closes January 9^th!

* Standing over 50 feet tall, the Singing Christmas Tree at South Street Seaport has carolers performing Fridays at 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm, through Christmas.

* Cathedral of St. John the Divine Peace Tree

* Lincoln Square, Madison Square Park, Washington Square Park and Bryant Park all have trees worth checking out if you are in the ‘hood.

* And, of course, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree!

* The Menorah Lighting at Grand Army Plaza – The World’s Largest Hanukkah Menorah has a lighting ceremony each night, Dec. 1 – 8 at 5:30 pm, by a cherry picker!  Fifth Avenue at 59^th Street

Make time to cruise past these holiday window displays:

* My absolute favorite, by far, are the windows at Bergdorf Goodman.  Since there is only one store and they don’t need to replicate it across the country, they pour money and creativity into their windows.  Year round they are my favorite, but they go over the top for the holidays!  Fifth Avenue at 58^th Street.

* Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Lord & Taylor are all worth a peak!  Barney’s is always fun too!

* Saks Fifth Avenue stepped it up this year from the snowflakes to a 3-D projection show.

* For those of you who like to look at sparkly things, Tiffany’s, Van Cleef and Arpels, Cartier and other jewelers on Fifth Ave always put together fabulous little windows!

Ice Skating Rinks:

* Skate beneath the famous tree at Rockefeller Center

* Do a lap in Central Park at Wollman Rink

* Avoid all the tourists and head to Northern Central Park’s Lasker Ice Skating Rink

* Bryant Park ice skating rink is fun and the holiday booths are set-up for shopping as well!

* Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers

Holiday Gift Shopping Bazaars and Fairs:

* Union Square Park Holiday Market

* Columbus Circle Holiday Fair 

* Holiday Shops at Bryant Park

* Grand Central Terminal Holiday Fair 

* My favorite gift shopping destination is the Young Designer Market in Nolita – tons of artisanal accessories, goods, clothing and jewelry for reasonable prices! 

* I am actually also getting a few gifts this year from the New Amsterdam Market

* I bet the Hester Street Market would also have some great local goodies for filling those stockings with local products (and they have super yummy food booths for curbing your appetite while shopping (like Luke’s Lobster and the Meatball Shop)! 

I am sure I will have at least one more post in the next few weeks, as other events get advertised, but this should get you all started and in the holiday spirit!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!!!

X

Fall'n for NYC

Summer ended yesterday (sighhhhh) and while that brings regret of the days I didn't go to the beach, it also means that today is officially Fall - my absolute favorite time of year!  The sun is out, but the air is crisp with a breeze… this weather makes me so happy!  Plus, it is the season of pumpkins, and I am from a town famous for a pumpkin festival (and the world's heaviest pumpkin contest) - I love pumpkin everything (including our dog, Pumpkin). 

Central Park in the Fall by Stephen Davis Phillips

Here is a rundown of free, cheap and fun events coming-up through October!

 * Tomorrow, Sept. 23 - Rachel, Elsa and I are having a little fundraiser for the Light the Night Walk, benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  $10 gets you in with great drinks specials at ReUnion Bar tomorrow night from 7:00 pm – 10:00 pm (204 Park Avenue South at 17^th Street).  RSVP HERE. 

*Sept. 25 - Steuben Day Parade and Oktoberfest. 

*Sept. 25 - Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day.  Free admission with a required ticket from the website.  There is a huge list of museums participating.

*Sept. 25 - Stone Street Oyster Festival.  Ulysses hosts this outdoor fest featuring “freshly shucked oysters, perfect pints, live music, DJs and special guests.” 

* Sept. 24-26 – Coney Island Film Festival

* Sept. 24-26 – DUMBO Arts Festival

* Sept. 24-26 –  New York Surf Film Festival.  Yah, bro.

* Through Sept. 26 – San Genarro Festival in Little Italy.

* Sept. 27 – Opening of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2010-11 season, including simulcast in Times Square and Lincoln Center Plaza.  Deborah Voigt hosts the pre-show at 6:15 pm and the performance begins at 6:45 pm.  Head to Broadway (between 43^rd – 45^th Streets) and there will be 2,000 FREE seats provided.

* Oct. 1-3 –  New Yorker Festival

* Oct. 7-10 – Food Network’s New York City Wine & Food Festival

* Oct 9-10 – Open House New York Weekend

* Oct. 8-10 – New York Comic-Con

* Oct. 11 – Columbus Day Parade 

* Oct. 16 - The band Your Vegas (above) will be performing for FREE.  Fresh off the farm (literally… these Brits JUST finished recording their sophomore album at a ranch in Texas), they will be performing at the Brooklyn Bowl.  If you have never been to Brooklyn Bowl before, it is a kick-ass 21+ venue with food from Blue Ribbon, a huge bar, a big stage and concert area that is adjacent to the bowling alley.  You can RSVP for free entrance HERE. 

* Oct. 28 - Edward Hopper Exhibit at the Whitney Museum begins.  MODERN LIFE:  EDWARD HOPPER AND HIS TIME

* Oct. 31 – Village Parade on Halloween http://www.halloween-nyc.com/

 

 

Obsessions:

Girly moment.  I was so excited to make the transition back to fall nail polish in my dark shades of sole mate, wicked, very vamp… but I noticed the trend of taupe lately.  I actually think it is a kinda gross color, but I found a shade I could love – a taupe-gray with a hint of purple, by Essie, called Merino Cool.

Ya’ll l know I love purple and now I am…obsessed. 

 

Movie:

Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps  Starring Michael Douglas, Shia LaBeouf, Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon, Josh Brolin and Carey Mulligan, opens September 24^th and takes place all over NYC!

Broadway Shows Bring out the Stars and the Divas!

* Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown  (Previews begin Oct. 5) – I am totally nerding out for this one – so many Broadway divas in one place, taking on Almodovar  – I can’t wait!  Patti Lupone, Sherie Rene Scott, Laura Benanti, Brian Stokes Mitchell and, um, Justin Guarini (seriously, one of these things is not like the others).  Fierce!

* Driving Miss Daisy (Previews begin Oct. 7)  Starring Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones.

* Merchant of Venice (Previews begin on Oct. 19)  After starring at the Public Theatre during Shakespeare in the Park, Al Pacino makes the move to Broadway!

* Lombardi (Previews begin Sept. 23)  Want to get your man to take you to a Broadway show?  This football biography about Vince Lombardi should be good bait! 

* A Life in the Theatre (currently in previews)  Starring Patrick Stewart and T.R. Knight. 

* The Pee-Wee Herman Show (Previews begin October 26)  Paul Ruebens brings Cowboy Curtis, Chairry and Miss Yvonne along for the ride too.

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Next week’s Blog will feature fun outings for tree peep’n without having to rent a car or get a hotel room.  There are some stunning places in NYC and greater area where you can fall in love with fall foliage!

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