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!

~

The Daily Blast! NYC Websites, Deal Sites and Apps.

With new establishments opening every day, there is no way to keep up with all the new restaurants, bars, spas and boutiques in this city.  I rely on an arsenal of websites to stay up to date.  Then, I enlist an army of daily deal sites that scour the city trying to find the best prices to enjoy them.  I also use local applications on my phone to help find what is nearby, for when I am looking for some fun on the fly.  Below are three sections of NYC based media to help the busy New Yorker: daily e-mail websites, daily deal sites and local smart phone applications.

I do not subscribe to them all, or else I would be way too overwhelmed.  I did not come-up with the taglines – I just quickly pasted their taglines next to each one.  If one appeals, sign-up and start becoming an insider on what’s hot in NYC.  I added a personal note in blue next to a few of them.  Click on the name of the brand to be linked to their site.

THE DAILY E-MAILS

Each of these sites will send a daily (or few times weekly) e-mail, featuring something fabulous in NYC.

(PS – almost all of these also have an application for smart phones)

* Urban Daddy has information on the hottest nightlife, restaurants and bars in New York.  This is probably my favorite daily e-mail for finding the hottest new restaurants and bars! 

* Eater - The New York City Restaurant, Bar and Nightlife Blog.  A foodie’s paradise.

* Daily Candy – NY restaurants, bars, fashion, shops, spas, events, deals and more.  Clever, girly writing, about all that is new in NYC. 

Grubstreet is a blog about the New York City restaurant scene from New York magazine with coverage of the restaurant scene, openings and closings, NYC food reviews, and food news.

Thrillist New York unearths all that's new, unknown or under-appreciated in NYC.

Curbed - The New York City neighborhoods and real estate blog.    

Racked - New York City Shopping, Stores, and Retail Scene.  

Chowhound - Tips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in Manhattan. 

Gothamist - A daily weblog covering New York City's personalities, news stories, and media with humorous photos and running commentary.    

Midtown Lunch is a food blog dedicated to finding the best cheap lunch at restaurants, delis, and street carts in New York City.   

Serious Eats: New York is a food blog about everything delicious in the New York City region.   

Vital Juice is a free daily e-mail that delivers the latest must-read information about New York's new workouts, healthy eateries, spas and gurus.  

Flavor Pill is a daily guide to quality cultural events in New York City. 

DAILY DEAL SITES

There are so many deal sites out there now, there is no reason to pay full price!

* do Greater  - Get a GREAT DEAL while helping a GREAT CAUSE!   There are so many deal sites, but you can shop here and feel good about giving back to a great cause.  Log on to see what the current deals are and what non-profit is being featured! 

* Shop It To Me - Fashion on sale in your size. It's fun and free.

I have to tell you this is the best thing that happened to me for shopping!  You tell the site your sizes in different items and the brands you like.  They send you an e-mail with the links to the products that are on sale in your size, from the brands you love.  You also control how often you receive them – I get mine twice a week!  I HATE paying full-price for things now, because most things go on sale eventually.

* Groupon features a daily deal on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in New York City.    They were the 1^st on the block to change the way people shop for activities and services! 

* Gilt, Gilt City, and Jetsetter are all a part of Gilt Groupe and feature Invitation-only sales on Fashion & Products, Restaurants & Services, and Travel.

* Lifebooker - Discounts & Deals at the Best NYC, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island day spas, hair salons, medi spas, & plastic surgeons.  

 * Blackboard Eats often offers 30% off at the best restaurants, for a DOLLAR!  

* Yipit is amazing.  Instead of subscribing to tons of different deal sites, you can subscribe here and they send you the deal from all your favorite sites in one e-mail.  Below is a list of all the sites included on Yipit (when you go to their actual site):

  

Village Vines

Living Social   

TravelZoo   

BuyWithMe    

KGB Deals    

Social Steals   

 DealOn NYC     

Scoop St.     

Deal Surf     

Daily Flock      

Scout Mob    

InBundles    

The Dealist     

Jdeal      

Tippr     

Fresh Guide     

Gaggle of Chicks    

RelishNYC      

HomeRun    

BloomSpot    

iDealDay    

Zozi     

Lifebooker     

Daily Candy    

Do Greater      

Groupon     

Blackboard Eats     

…and more.

APPS FOR YOUR SMART PHONES

iTrans NYC - The ONLY subway app with timetables, offline service advisories, and walking directions.  This is great, because it doesn't need internet access to work, so when you are underground in the station, you can still access the info!

The Scoop is a guide to New York City from the staff of The New York Times. Providing you lists of favorite restaurants, bars, coffee shops, stores, events, experiences and day trips. 

NYCWAY has loads of info for dining, traffic, bars, coffee, public restrooms, transit, things to do, WiFi, hotels, banks, tourist attractions, gas stations, post offices, cabs, and more.

MoMA has an amazing app that tells you info about the museum, the art exhibits, and tour information (you can listen to it while viewing the art, informing you about the pieces).

TKTS – The Official TKTS app is the only way to get fast, accurate, real-time listings of all Broadway and Off Broadway shows available at the world famous TKTS Discount Ticket Booths in New York City.

OpenTable – an extension of the website, make reservations and check availability in a snap.

Happy Hours – find the closest happy hour deal near you!

MenuPages – like the website, but at your fingertips! 

Around Me allows you to quickly find out information about your surroundings.  It will locate you and then identify nearby restaurants and stores, etc.

Y! Sketch No keywords, or typing—just draw on your screen with your finger to identify where you want to search. You’ll get a bird’s eye view of your restaurant results, all conveniently located near your destination.

OTHER 

Lastly, I live for Time Out New York and New York Magazine.  Sure, there is nothing better than the New York Times and the prestige of their reviews, but if you want to lose the pretension and have a nice easy read about the best food trucks or dive bars alongside the best new chefs and nightclubs for your secret fetish, dig into these two.  They also cover local festivals, art exhibits, Broadway shows and more!

You can access them online or subscribe to have the real thing mailed to you.  It’s old school, but I love the real deal – a tangible magazine to take on the subway.

ENJOY! 

There are LOADS more.  I am sure YOU ALL have great sites you know of you too!  E-mail me and I can post a round two of sites and apps in the coming months!