nyccheaptravel.com

Category: Free

  • Free Yoga in Riverside Park

    Unwind from your busy day in the city with a free yoga session at Riverside Park’s North Lawn at 78th Street.

    These weekly sessions are lead by instructor Nina Semczuk and include modifications and intensifications depending on experience level.

    Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. from May 11 – September 28, 2017.

    Free and open to the public. Bring your own mat.

    Visit the Summer on the Hudson website for details.

     

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  • Manhattanhenge

    A crowd photographs Manhattanhenge in 2016. Photo by Fred Hsu on en.wikipedia (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

    Manhattanhenge

    Twice a year the setting sun aligns perfectly with the east/west streets of Manhattan, creating a glow of sunlight along the city’s canyons of skyscrapers.

    The event, known as Manhattanhenge (after Stonehenge, a prehistoric monument that aligns with the sun on the Summer Solstice), happens each year around May 30th and July 11th. The dates vary slightly each year, depending on the date of the Summer Solstice.

     

    Viewing Manhattanhenge

    • Check for the exact Manhattanhenge dates and times for the current year
    • Position yourself as far east as possible on a numbered cross street.
    • Popular streets for viewing Manhattanhenge are 14th, 23rd, 34th, 42nd, and 57th.

     

    Neil deGrasse Tyson Explains Manhattanhenge

    Take a look at this American Museum of Natural History video in which Neil deGrasse Tyson explains how Manhattanhenge happens.

     

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  • Paley Park

    Paley Park

    Paley Park is a small “pocket park” located on 1/10th of an acre on East 53rd Street in Midtown Manhattan.

    The park is often pointed out as an excellent example of park design and has been described as an urban oasis. Park visitors describe the space as serene, peaceful, and relaxing, which is quite an accomplishment for a tiny spot in the middle of Manhattan.

    The focal point of the park is a 20 foot waterfall that cascades over the back wall. The side walls are covered with ivy, wrapping the park in green and helping to create a cool, quiet atmosphere.

    The park, designed by the landscape architecture firm of Zion Breen Richardson Associates, opened in May of 1967.

    Paley Park was featured in William H. Whyte’s The Social Life of Small Urban Places, with a discussion of how well the park functions as a social space.

    Why Paley Park works so well as a public space:

    • Its location, directly on the street, is inviting and entices people to enter
    • The large waterfall provides a dramatic focal point and creates white noise that masks the sounds of the surrounding city
    • Movable chairs allow people to create their own seating arrangements
    • A food kiosk provides good, reasonably priced food
    • The honey locust trees selected for the park provide shade, yet have a thin enough canopy that they allow dappled light to enter the park.

    Read comments from Paley Park visitors.

     

    Location

    Paley Park is located at 3 East 53rd Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues.

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  • Today Show Concerts – Be in the Audience!

    Today Show Summer Concert Series

    See a free concert at Rockefeller Center’s Today Show Plaza (on 48th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues).

    Each summer, the NBC morning news/talk show Today hosts a series of live concerts that are free for the public to attend.

    Admission is on a first-come-first-served basis. The concerts are very popular and the Today Show Plaza fills up fast on mornings when there’s a concert (usually Fridays). The show suggests that people arrive by 5:00 a.m. to get a good spot. Performances usually run from 8:00 to 9:00 a..m.

    Concerts are standing-room only.

    The 2017 concert series kicks off May 9th with a a performance by Harry Stiles. Visit the Today Citi Concert Series web page for a list of upcoming concerts.

    Visit the Today Concerts FAQ webpage for details.

     

    Priority Access Fan Passes

    If you’re lucky, you might be able to obtain a Fan Pass that provides priority access to the concert, with shorter wait time and early access to the viewing area. Fan Passes are distributed by an online lottery. Lottery winners are notified about a week before the event. Each pass is good for two people. Instructions on where to go and when to get there are provided with the pass.

    To find out when Fan Pass lotteries are available, sign up for the Today Concert Alerts newsletter.

     

    Location

    The Today summer concerts are held at the Today Show Plaza at Rockefeller Center. The plaza is on 48th Street, between 5th and 6th Avenues.

    General admission check-in is usually at 48th Street, between 5th & 6th Avenues.

     

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  • Irish Arts Center NYC Dance Festival

    Annual Dance Festival

    This annual festival celebrates Irish dance and culture with a day of dance and music performances; participatory dance workshops,jams, and group dances; Irish language lessons, and children’s crafts.

    The event takes place at Riverside Park South, Pier 1.

    The 2017 event is Sunday, May 7, from 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m..

    Visit the Irish Arts Center NYC website for details.

     

    Location

    The Irish Arts Center NYC Dance Festival is held at Riverside Park South Pier 1, which is located on the Upper West Side at W 70th Street and the Hudson River.

     

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  • Free Weekend IKEA Express Water Taxi

    Free Weekend Ferry from Lower Manhattan to Red Hook, Brooklyn

    It’s free to ride the IKEA Express water taxi from Lower Manhattan to Red Hook, Brooklyn on Saturdays and Sundays. The weekday fare is $5.00 (if you spend $10 or more at IKEA on a weekday, your water taxi ticket is good for a $5 discount on your purchase).

    The ferry runs between Pier 11 near South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan and the IKEA store dock in Red Hook, Brooklyn.

    The ride takes 20 to 30 minutes and you’ll get some nice views of the Lower Manhattan skyline along the way.

    While in Red Hook, you can do some shopping at IKEA (you can carry back on the ferry as much as will fit in an IKEA bag, anything more will have to be shipped), and/or explore the Red Hook neighborhood.

    Visit the IKEA Express website for the current ferry schedule.

     

    Location

    The ferry boards in Manhattan at Slip A at Pier 11 near South Street Seaport in Lower Manhattan (street address: 11 Bush Terminal Yard) and in Red Hook, Brooklyn at the IKEA store dock (street address: 1 Beard Street, Brooklyn).

     

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  • Stonewall National Monument

    Stonewall National Monument

    By Beyond My Ken (Own work) [GFDL or CC BY-SA 4.0-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0], via Wikimedia Commons
    Stonewall National Monument marks the West Village location of the Stonewall riots of June 28, 1969, which were considered the beginning of the modern LGBT rights movement in the U.S.

    The monument includes Christopher Park and the block along Christopher Street bordering the park, including the Stonewall Inn. The area received National Monument designation on June 24, 2016.

    In 1969, New York City police raided the Stonewall Inn, an establishment frequented by members of the LGBT community. The patrons and surrounding neighbors fought back against the the raid, which was seen as part of a pattern of police harassment of LGBT establishments. Following the initial conflict with the police, demonstrations continued for days in Christopher Park. The events received inspired participation in the LGBT civil rights movement nationwide.

     

    Location

    Stonewall National Monument is located in Greenwich Village in Lower Manhattan on West 4th Street, between Grove Street and Christopher Street (this section of Christopher Street is also named Stonewall Place).

     

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  • Free Shakespeare in Bryant Park

    Free Shakespeare in Bryant Park

    You probably know about the free Public Theater Shakespeare productions at Central Park, but did you know you can also enjoy free Shakespeare at Bryant Park?

    Free Shakespeare performances are held in Bryant Park on select weekends throughout the summer. Visit the Bryant Park or The Drilling Company websites for a full schedule and details.

    Performances take place in Bryant Park’s Upper Terrace, located directly to the rear of The New York Public Library, between the Bryant Park Grill and The Bryant Park Cafe.

    All shows are free and open to the public.

    The performances are presented by The Drilling Company, which has been the company-in-residence for Bryant Park since 2014.

    The 2017 schedule includes The Merry Wives of Windsor (May & June), Twelfth Night (July), and The Tempest (August & September).

     

    Location

    Bryant Park is located between 40th and 42nd Streets, and Fifth and Sixth Avenues (behind the New York Public Library).

     

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  • Solstice in Times Square – Free Annual Yoga Event

    Free Summer Solstice Yoga Event at Times Square

    Celebrate the Summer Solstice with this free large-scale participatory yoga event held at Times Square.

    Thousands of Yogis from around the world attend this annual event and celebrate the Summer Solstice with a day full of free yoga classes on the Broadway Plazas at Times Square. The event, subtitled, Mind Over Madness Yoga, presents the challenge of focusing amidst the distractions of the surrounding city.

    The event is held annually on the Summer Solstice (June 21 in 2017).

    Pre-registration through the event website is recommended, although walk-ups are accepted as space allows. The classes are free.

     

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  • Audience Tickets for Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

    Last Week Tonight with John Oliver Tickets

    Copyright: piren / 123RF Stock Photo

    You can get free tickets to the be in the audience for a taping of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver through the show’s online ticket application.

    Last Week Tonight with John Oliver is a late-night news satire show aired on HBO, hosted by comedian John Oliver. The show tapes at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street in Manhattan.

    The show tapes on Sundays around 6:00 p.m.. You’ll need to arrive at the studio at least 40 minutes in advance. Details will be provided when you’re contacted about tickets.

    The online application for tickets opens up at 3:00 p.m. each Wednesday for the show two weeks away. Visit the Last Week Tonight with John Oliver ticket site for details.

    If you don’t manage to get tickets online, you can try for standyby tickets. Standby tickets may be available at the studio on the day of taping. You can start lining up for standby tickets at 5:30 p.m..

    Since the format for the show is primarily focuses on Oliver speaking while seated at a desk, the filming tends to go more quickly than shows that feature guests, skits, etc. Prior audience members report that they’re in the studio for about an hour and a half.

    See Yelp reports from people who have attended the show.

    You must be 18 years or older to attend the show.

     

    Location

    The show films at the CBS Broadcast Center at 530 West 57th Street (between 10th & 11th Avenues), in the upper part of the Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood in Manhattan.

    If you’re looking for a place to stay nearby, see a map of hotels near the CBS Broadcast Center.

     

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