Part of the joy one gets from being a New Yorker is finding a deal. Let’s face it, we’re used to paying for exorbitant rent, $15 dollar cocktails, and a monthly Metrocard that costs more than airfare to Florida. So when we can get a deal in our luxurious city, all of a sudden New York is ours again. It’s not just about saving those dollaz, it’s about getting to experience all this town has to offer.
So without further ado, here are our top five favorite deals of the moment for your wintry pleasure.
1. Karaoke Shout: This gem of a place is located on Steinway in Astoria. Every New Yorker needs to experience a karaoke party room at least once. You can gather a large group, order food in, and drink up the happy hour specials. Or you can get down and dirty like Craig and I do - just the two of us, shamelessly alternating back and forth between showtunes and rap, day singing at a mere $3 per person per hour. And like their website says, “Singing heals the world.” For you Manhattan babies, you’ve got three solid locations that rival our Astoria diamond in the rough from the folks over at Karoke Duet.
2. Museum of the Moving Image: Craig’s parents gifted us a membership to this incredible museum for the year. The museum is filled with fascinating and interactive exhibits ranging from Breaking Bad to Indie Video Games to Jim Henson’s Muppets. But perhaps our favorite thing to do at the museum is go see their film series. Every month they focus on something different and in their See It Big! Musicals Series this winter you get to see classics like Cabaret, The Sound of Music, A Star is Born, The Wiz and so much more on the big screen. All screenings are free with admission and for adults it’s a whopping $12 for a whole day’s worth of fun.
3. KGB Bar: Known as the best literary bar in New York City, KGB is nestled on East 4th Street in the LES on the artsy block shared by New York Theatre Workshop and La Mama. I’ve haven't sidled up to this hot spot yet, but I am absolutely dying to try and all it took was this description taken from KGB’s website, “We wanted writers. Writers who would come and read their work for no pay but a few free drinks. KGB would be open to the public without charging a cover. Drinking would be encouraged but not required.” Cold night, warm drink, live readings of fiction, poetry, and more? Sounds like a plan.
4. Finding Vivan Maier: This documentary will be released in March, and while the exact theatres haven’t been announced yet, you can pretty much assume it will be landing in NYC (my semi-educated guess is Lincoln Plaza Cinema). And seeing a documentary is a substantially cheaper option than that typical $15-$20 blockbuster. This film unravels the story of Vivian Maier, a woman who while living was known as a nanny, and who after dying was discovered to be one of the brilliant photographers of her generation. She took endless amounts of photographs but never shared them. In a culture fixated on insta-sharing, tweeting, and updating, this film is surely going to rock our assumptions about art and privacy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZoYG1kgMNo#action=share
5. Spa Castle: Here's another deal on my hit list that I haven't tried yet. I heard about this a few years ago from some friends at work who went for an entire day of lounging, imbibing, and good old fashion spa treatments. For $35 you get access to the entire spa for the day, including pools, waterfalls, saunas, hydrotherapy foot spas, hot tubs, and Hinoki baths. There really is nothing better than a sauna or hot tub in the winter. If you're looking for the cheaper version of that ski lodge vacation - this may be it.
What are your favorite cheap spots during the winter?
