Top 10 Free Activities in NYCxml
With the economy still struggling, it’s not that easy to have a social life in New York City.  We compiled a list of the top 10 things to do in New York City…and the best part is they’re absolutely FREE!
1)Â Â Free Drinks
MyOpenBar provides an extensive listing of venues in NYC that offer free cocktails to its patrons. The website is constantly updated with new promotions and deals from local bars for the discerning drinker.  Many of the specials include certain “well†drinks (the standard ones – not top shelf) for a fixed amount of time.  These places are not your standard “hole in the wall†bars either; several of them are located in Midtown and the Lower East Side.
http://nyc.myopenbar.com/
2) Free Bar Food
Now that you know where the free drinks are, why not find out about the free bar food? GridSkipper provides a list of bars and restaurants in NYC and Brooklyn that offer cheap deals on food when you buy beer. Â We would recommend the Crocodile Lounge on 325 E 14th Street for its free pizza and skeet ball.
http://gridskipper.com/62732/nyc-free-bar-food
3)Â Â Â Â Â Free Friday Cultural Events
After doing some research, I was surprised to learn how many cultural institutions offer free admission on Fridays. Â The International Center for Photography, Museum of the Moving Image, and Museum of Modern Art are just a few among many of the institutions offering free admission. Â A detailed list of additional places, as well as numerous other deals during the week, can be found at:
http://gonyc.about.com/cs/museums/a/museumdeals.htm
4) Free Comedy
The Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre, located at West 26th in Chelsea provides its audience with anything that is comedy.  Comedians offer everything ranging from improv, sketch and standup to pranks, jokes, and podcasts.  They also offer improv classes for aspiring actors.
http://www.ucbtheatre.com/
5) Free Tickets to a New York TV Show
Instead of sitting home watching another episode of your favorite daytime or late night TV show, why not become part of the audience for free? Â Nytix provides free tickets to tapings of your favorite TV shows that are located in NYC. Â Shows range from The Colbert Report to Saturday Night Live and more.
http://www.nytix.com/Links/TV/
6)Â Â Â Â Â Free Dance Classes
For an easy way to keep in shape and learn a few new dance moves, ClubFreeTime offers a listing of a wide variety of free dance classes.  From Salsa classes, to Flamenco lessons and even Irish Step dancing, there is bound to be a class that will best fit your personality. http://www.clubfreetime.com/viewcategory.asp?view_category=dance
7)Â Â Â Â Â Free Gallery Opening Tours
Not only do some galleries provide free admission to their openings, but they may also give out free drinks as well.  While this may sound great, the hardest part is finding these places. However, you’re in luck! Another feature from ClubFreeTime is a great listing of free gallery opening tours in NYC.  The listing includes the name of the gallery, as well as the time and date of the opening.
http://clubfreetime.com/new_york.asp
8) Staten Island Ferry
Once quoted in a guidebook, “One of the world’s greatest (and shortest) water voyages,†the 5 mile, 25 minute ride on the Staten Island Ferry provides a majestic view of New York Harbor and a no-hassle, even romantic, boat ride, for free! From the deck of the ferry you will have a perfect view of The Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.  You’ll see the skyscrapers and bridges of Lower Manhattan receding as you pull away and coming into focus again as you return.
9) Big Apple Greeter
There’s no better way to explore NYC than with a true New Yorker who loves the city! Big Apple Greeter was founded in 1992 as the first “welcome visitor†program of its kind in the United States.  Today, there are roughly 300 volunteer greeters who will show you a favorite neighborhood, answer your questions, and demonstrate how easy it is to use free public transportation…all for free! This is a great program for those who are new the city and want to learn more.
http://www.bigapplegreeter.org/
10) Free clubs and gigs
Frequenting local clubs and gigs is a great way to explore different areas of the city. Â However, overpriced cover charges and drinks may make this difficult, especially in this economy. In light of all this, we were able to find a terrific website, http://www.freenyc.net/, that gives a great list of upcoming performers who are playing at clubs with absolutely no cover charge! Â The site provides a detailed listing of the venue, as well as the performer, with the time, date and location.