I wasn't planning to post today - the combination of actual WORK to do at my day job (really??? you expect me to complete actual tasks for the money you pay me, instead of just reading Salon and working on my blog?) and the reading I'm desperately cramming in for my upcoming summer course has made it hard to dedicate time to helping you find fun new free activities. But I just learned about this on Broke Ass Stuart and had to share:
Pop-y indie rock band We Are Scientists will play a free show in Williamsburg tomorrow night at Sound Fix Record Store, 44 Berry Street, at 8 pm. Those of you who know me recognize that getting me to Williamsburg is no easy feat - and even if you succeed, I will likely complain and judge the crowd the whole time. And while this will no doubt be the case tomorrow night, I really do like this band. And I went to college with them, incidentally. A friend dated one of them. Their music is totally lovable. I'm going to check it out...and then make a mad dash for the L train as soon as it's over.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Guest pool explorer: Susanna Schell!
I'm furiously preparing for an upcoming intensive course on rural food systems at the University of Vermont (The Town That Food Saved is fantastic, if you're looking for summer reading that is both light, smart, and inspirational), so today's blog post comes from guest blogger (and my favorite neighbor) Susanna Schell. Enjoy!
for years public pools remained a thing of my suburban childhood: my mother and her perfectly tanned skin, mine burned to a crisp, and the sloshing of chlorinated water in my ears for hours, never clearing until after dinner in our air-conditioned sunroom. they were uncrowded, casual and part of a small community. though i've lived in new york off and on now for twelve years, it took moving to astoria, ny to be reminded that community can and still does exist fervently in the the five boroughs.
i was reminded of this vividly when i ventured west from my apartment last week to astoria park to take a dip in the astoria park public pool. it is the largest of the "robert moses 11" -- an enormous outdoor pool free to the public that opened in 1936, boasting an average capacity of 5,000 people. as a grad student/waitress studying to teach elementary aged kids i'm always looking for ways to save money, particularly when trying to cool off and/or exercise. so when i was told that this pool is FREE i dropped by mid-day, on opening day, to see if it's my kinda pool. 'cause a free pool in walking distance of my house?! and i thought being able to see my job from my apartment window was a NYC miracle.
i didn't find the idyllic suburban pool, but i found something worth taking advantage of, for sure. the ups: it's BIG, it's COLD and it's FREE. it's a vibrant ambiance with happy gleeful families enjoying the sun, the water and the snack bar. you're not going to find a tranquil, serene dip due to the crowds (i had to wait in line when arriving at 1:00pm as they controlled capacity) but as with most else in NYC, the peace is found in taking a moment to simply look up and take in the enormity and breadth of what surrounds you. with views of the triboro bridge, astoria park, manhattan and the east river while i cooled off in the early summer heat wave, the crowds faded away. and if it's exercise you seek, swing by between 7 and 8:30 am, when free adult lap swimming is available.
the need to knows: bathing suits and locker pad-locks are required but don't fret if you show up empty handed for there are men selling both outside of the pool (yes, i had to buy a lock). water bottles are allowed, but other food and drink are not so don't be shocked when people ask to look in your bag as you enter. electronics are not allowed in the pool area, but there are wonderful places around the outside of the pool structure from which you can take pics of it all, if you so desire.
the most important tip of all: bring a pair of waterproof flip-flops. alas, crowds in wet places do not lend themselves well to clean and tidy locker-rooms. :)
for years public pools remained a thing of my suburban childhood: my mother and her perfectly tanned skin, mine burned to a crisp, and the sloshing of chlorinated water in my ears for hours, never clearing until after dinner in our air-conditioned sunroom. they were uncrowded, casual and part of a small community. though i've lived in new york off and on now for twelve years, it took moving to astoria, ny to be reminded that community can and still does exist fervently in the the five boroughs.
i was reminded of this vividly when i ventured west from my apartment last week to astoria park to take a dip in the astoria park public pool. it is the largest of the "robert moses 11" -- an enormous outdoor pool free to the public that opened in 1936, boasting an average capacity of 5,000 people. as a grad student/waitress studying to teach elementary aged kids i'm always looking for ways to save money, particularly when trying to cool off and/or exercise. so when i was told that this pool is FREE i dropped by mid-day, on opening day, to see if it's my kinda pool. 'cause a free pool in walking distance of my house?! and i thought being able to see my job from my apartment window was a NYC miracle.
i didn't find the idyllic suburban pool, but i found something worth taking advantage of, for sure. the ups: it's BIG, it's COLD and it's FREE. it's a vibrant ambiance with happy gleeful families enjoying the sun, the water and the snack bar. you're not going to find a tranquil, serene dip due to the crowds (i had to wait in line when arriving at 1:00pm as they controlled capacity) but as with most else in NYC, the peace is found in taking a moment to simply look up and take in the enormity and breadth of what surrounds you. with views of the triboro bridge, astoria park, manhattan and the east river while i cooled off in the early summer heat wave, the crowds faded away. and if it's exercise you seek, swing by between 7 and 8:30 am, when free adult lap swimming is available.
the need to knows: bathing suits and locker pad-locks are required but don't fret if you show up empty handed for there are men selling both outside of the pool (yes, i had to buy a lock). water bottles are allowed, but other food and drink are not so don't be shocked when people ask to look in your bag as you enter. electronics are not allowed in the pool area, but there are wonderful places around the outside of the pool structure from which you can take pics of it all, if you so desire.
the most important tip of all: bring a pair of waterproof flip-flops. alas, crowds in wet places do not lend themselves well to clean and tidy locker-rooms. :)
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Brighton Beach Memoirs, or, Game-Time Decisions
Mike and I planned all weekend to attend check out The Roots at Celebrate Brooklyn last Sunday, but when we awoke at 11 am (whoa! I think the heat has been taking it out of us), another free concert just didn't fit the bill. Game-time decision: we decided to hit the beach instead. This is another particular delight of doing free stuff - guilt-free last-minute mind-changing.
We wanted to explore a new spot we hadn't yet been to, and the Q train's direct route to Brighton Beach was an enticement. This was a good decision. The beach is HUGE - no fighting for space here, despite big crowds - and the sand is soft and clean. The water is a perfect temperature at this time of year, and the (very) Russian neighborhood offers plenty of post-swim snacks for super cheap - think piroshki for $1.25 at any of the stands along Brighton Avenue (gluttons that we are, we tried three to compare - meat, cabbage, and potato...and then followed it up with blueberry and cheese pastries, for an extra $1 each).
If you aren't hungry (then I'm not able to relate to you), there's plenty of free entertainment in the form of window-shopping (trivia: the literal translation of this phrase in French becomes "window-licking")...
...but more than anything else, a day in Brighton Beach, away from friends and neighborhood and grocery lists and computers and obligations and other people's air conditioning units dripping from above, helped us get back to us. Good day.
We wanted to explore a new spot we hadn't yet been to, and the Q train's direct route to Brighton Beach was an enticement. This was a good decision. The beach is HUGE - no fighting for space here, despite big crowds - and the sand is soft and clean. The water is a perfect temperature at this time of year, and the (very) Russian neighborhood offers plenty of post-swim snacks for super cheap - think piroshki for $1.25 at any of the stands along Brighton Avenue (gluttons that we are, we tried three to compare - meat, cabbage, and potato...and then followed it up with blueberry and cheese pastries, for an extra $1 each).
If you aren't hungry (then I'm not able to relate to you), there's plenty of free entertainment in the form of window-shopping (trivia: the literal translation of this phrase in French becomes "window-licking")...
...and wildlife observation...
...but more than anything else, a day in Brighton Beach, away from friends and neighborhood and grocery lists and computers and obligations and other people's air conditioning units dripping from above, helped us get back to us. Good day.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Summer concerts make me wanna shoop
The lineup for the Martin Luther King Jr. Concert Series at Wingate Field in Brooklyn is ridiculous - not only a smattering of some of my top middle school-era pop music, but a heavy dose of old school funk, and ARETHA f*ing FRANKLIN. The catch: the shows are on Mondays. The perk: the shows are on Mondays! What else are you doing on Monday night, besides wishing the weekend wasn't so far away? All shows start at 7:30 pm, but I'm getting there early. Free summer concerts make me wanna shoop.
Monday 7/12: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic; The Ohio Players
Monday 7/19: Toni Braxton
Monday 7/26: Musiq Soulchild; Chrisette Michele
Monday 8/2: Salt-N-Pepa; Naughty By Nature; Slick Rick
Monday 8/9: Aretha Franklin (!!!)
Monday 8/16: Bebe & Cece Winans; Fred Hammond
Monday 8/23: Sean Paul; The Mighty Sparrow
Monday 7/12: George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic; The Ohio Players
Monday 7/19: Toni Braxton
Monday 7/26: Musiq Soulchild; Chrisette Michele
Monday 8/2: Salt-N-Pepa; Naughty By Nature; Slick Rick
Monday 8/9: Aretha Franklin (!!!)
Monday 8/16: Bebe & Cece Winans; Fred Hammond
Monday 8/23: Sean Paul; The Mighty Sparrow
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Pack an awesome picnic
Holy spicy hotness, friendly readers! It's about 1000 degrees in NYC this week, and I am planning my life around moving as quickly as possible from one air-conditioned space to another. The heat comes as a firey blast in the face after a peaceful, verdant, computer-free weekend at my mom's amazing home in Connecticut (blueberry picking, swimming with dogs, and topping steaks with fresh chimichurri, anyone?). I'm digging myself out from under the pile of email I let accumulate over the long weekend, so in the interest of getting back to that arduous task, today's entry is a short one.
I realize, more and more, that it's not necessarily always FREE to attend free events - doing anything outside the home in the City leaves you vulnerable to sneaky ice cream trucks, tempting sidewalk cafes, and smoky rich aromas from gyro vendors. Stand your ground, my broke friends! One of the best ways you can learn how to save money and still do fun stuff is to bring your own food. In that spirit, I offer you the incomparable Mark Bittman, NYT food columnist who graced us with 101 Picnic Dishes back in 2008. I love this piece and still look to it for new outdoor eating inspiration. Peruse at your leisure. And now, back to my inbox...
p.s. Couldn't resist: even if you think you make the best deviled eggs around, you owe it to yourself and your guests to take a quick look at this video by Top Chef contestant Jamie Lauren on how to make the perfect deviled egg. I'll never mash with a fork again.
I realize, more and more, that it's not necessarily always FREE to attend free events - doing anything outside the home in the City leaves you vulnerable to sneaky ice cream trucks, tempting sidewalk cafes, and smoky rich aromas from gyro vendors. Stand your ground, my broke friends! One of the best ways you can learn how to save money and still do fun stuff is to bring your own food. In that spirit, I offer you the incomparable Mark Bittman, NYT food columnist who graced us with 101 Picnic Dishes back in 2008. I love this piece and still look to it for new outdoor eating inspiration. Peruse at your leisure. And now, back to my inbox...
p.s. Couldn't resist: even if you think you make the best deviled eggs around, you owe it to yourself and your guests to take a quick look at this video by Top Chef contestant Jamie Lauren on how to make the perfect deviled egg. I'll never mash with a fork again.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Win tickets to a 4th of July oyster roast!
Man oh man, do I love contests. And not to jinx it, but I seem to win them every so often. This could be because I enter SO many of them. But you're in luck today, dear reader - I'm NOT entering this one! I'll be out of town this weekend, so although oysters are one of my favorite things in the world, I'm going to leave it for you to win. Up for grabs are tickets to a Long Island oyster roast, courtesy of Tasting Table (an excellent resource for food news). Details below. Get on it! Make me proud!
Sunday, July 4, 4 - 10 pm
Fourth of July Oyster Roast (not free...unless you win tickets!)
Let Bobo chef Patrick Connolly be in charge of your cookout at the Widow's Hole Oyster estate in Greenport, Long Island. He'll assemble an oyster roast and wood-fired feast with local produce from Sang Lee Farms, wines from Lieb Cellars and beer from Greenport Harbor ($75; call 212-488-2626 to purchase tickets). Three lucky Tasting Table readers will win a pair of tickets; visit their Facebook page for a chance to win.
Widow's Hole Oyster Farm, 307 Flint St., Greenport; 212-488-2626 or widowsholeoysters.com
Sunday, July 4, 4 - 10 pm
Fourth of July Oyster Roast (not free...unless you win tickets!)
Let Bobo chef Patrick Connolly be in charge of your cookout at the Widow's Hole Oyster estate in Greenport, Long Island. He'll assemble an oyster roast and wood-fired feast with local produce from Sang Lee Farms, wines from Lieb Cellars and beer from Greenport Harbor ($75; call 212-488-2626 to purchase tickets). Three lucky Tasting Table readers will win a pair of tickets; visit their Facebook page for a chance to win.
Widow's Hole Oyster Farm, 307 Flint St., Greenport; 212-488-2626 or widowsholeoysters.com
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