FrugalNYC's Islands Of NYC - Roosevelt Island

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Several weeks ago I tweeted about doing a series called Islands Of NYC.  Today we are starting with Roosevelt Island (aka Welfare Island, aka Blackwell's Island), a place I call "a small town in the middle of NYC".  NYC is so diverse in many ways that you can spend a lifetime exploring all the hidden gems it has to offer.  Roosevelt Island has become one of those gems for me.

Before visiting the island, I did not know much about it.  The only exposure to Roosevelt Island I had was from a movie called Dark Water, starring Jennifer Connelly, and some light reading about the island's history.  The first time I took the F train over to Roosevelt Island, the nearly deserted subway station seemed a bit eerie.  The station is nice and clean, just deserted during the day.  As I took the escalators up to the surface I continued to have an ominous feeling, as if someone or something was following me.  I suggest you don't watch Dark Water by yourself in the dark on a rainy evening or read about the history of the mental hospital on the island before making your first visit.  Just go visit the island and then watch the movie or read more about the island.

The subway escalators up to the surface took a minute or two.  The subway station is one of the deepest in NYC.  Once you get to the surface, you are greeted with a gorgeous view of midtown Manhattan right across the East River.  Outside the subway station, you can catch the Q102 to Queens Plaza or the $0.25 island shuttle.  I prefer to walk, so I started walking toward the NYPL branch during my first visit.

Roosevelt Island's most famous star is the Roosevelt Island Tramway.  Over 26 million passengers -- including commuters, tourists, students and seniors have used the tram. Each cabin accommodates a capacity of 125 people, makes approximately 115 trips per day, and about 100 on weekends. It glides at approximately 16 miles per hour and travels 3,100 feet. At its peak it climbs to 250 feet above the East River. Two cabins make the run every fifteen minutes from 6:00am to 2:30am (3:30am on weekends) and continuously during rush hours.  Read more about the Roosevelt Island Tramway on NY.com.  The tram will take any metrocard (Thanks for the correction JB).  The cost is also $2.25 like the cost of a regular bus or subway ride.  The first Spider-Man movie featured the Roosevelt Island tram.

For a self guided tour of the island you can visit the island's visitor's center, located near the tram station.  You can download a self guided tour for Roosevelt Island or pick up a physical copy at the visitor's center.  I spoke with and did an interview with Judith Berdy, President and Historian for the Roosevelt Island Historical Society.  Below is a summary of our interview.

FrugalNYC's Interview with Judith Berdy

FrugalNYC: How long have you been living on Roosevelt Island?
JB: 32 years and still love living on Roosevelt Island.

FrugalNYC: How long have you served on RIHS?
JB: I've been active on RIHS since living here.

FrugalNYC: How would you describe life on RI?
JB: Quiet. Not chaotic like many Manhattan neighborhoods. Roosevelt Island is a smaller community with close friends and a small neighborhood feel.

FrugalNYC: Are there any major food markets or apparel shops in RI?
JB: There are only 14,000 people living on Roosevelt Island, so there are not that many amenities locally. There is a supermarket - Gristedes. There is also a Saturday green market. FreshDirect delivers to Roosevelt Island and has been doing so for 8 years now. The island was one of the first markets for FreshDirect during their pilot program. Most people leave the island to shop since we are so close to the city (Manhattan).

FrugalNYC: For those who are planning to move to NYC, what makes Roosevelt Island stand out?
JB: It is a nice quiet community and affordable. It's only 3 minutes to midtown Manhattan. There are five different companies managing the buildings here, so the cost of living here can range from affordable to very expensive. Every building is different, there are Condos and rentals.

FrugalNYC: When do you get the most visitors to Roosevelt Island? Are they mostly locals or tourists?
JB: Most visitors come during the weekends. We get 60 - 200 a day. Ninety percent of our visitors come via the tram. We get mostly tourists with about 10% local visitors.

FrugalNYC: Are there tours of the island? What is the cost of the tour?
JC: Tours are available in advance by the Roosevelt Island Historical Society in small groups of up to 20 visitors.

Interesting Facts About Roosevelt Island

• Waste in the Roosevelt Island is collected by an Automated Vacuum Collection System. This is the only AVAC system serving a residential complex in the USA.
• Famous former residents of Roosevelt Island include "Grandpa" Al Lewis of The Munsters, who has a playground named after him, and Sarah Jessica Parker of Sex and the City
• The F Train is the only MTA train that stops on Roosevelt Island
• Roosevelt Island is only two miles long

You can get to Roosevelt Island via the F train, MTA Q102 Bus or the Roosevelt Island Tram.  Via the F train, just get off at the Roosevelt Island station.  Once you are on Roosevelt Island, you can walk, bike or grab the ROIC Red Shuttle for 25 cents a ride!  My personal preference is walking, since you can take pictures, enjoy the scenery at your own pace and get a little exercise all at the same time.  You can bike fairly easily, there is usually not that much traffic during the day.

FREE Things To Do

• There are a number of parks on the island to visit.
• NOTE - A public restroom can be found at the Lighthouse Park and by the Tram station.  Important for families with younger kids!  I mention this because we left early due to lack knowledge of these amenities during one visit to the island.
• Green Market - buy your healthy foods here.
• Summer time outdoor movies - Can't beat a free movie!
• Playgrounds - young kids will enjoy
• Cozy Library  - Not much foot traffic from what I see.  I enjoy just sitting down and reading some magazines.
• Waterfront walks - I mentioned earlier I enjoy walking.  Nothing better than walking by the river!
• Picnic - There are not too many restaurants on the island.  Bring your own food and have a picnic.
  

More Roosevelt Island via Blogs and Websites


You can find out more about Roosevelt Island from the below sites and blogs. You can find additional ideas and find the latest happenings on the island using the following resources.

• Roosevelt Island Historical Society
  
• The Roosevelt Island Blog
• Roosevelt Islander - one of two bloggers I know about writing about life on Roosevelt Island (@rooseveltisland)
• Roosevelt Island 360 - Another blogger, also on Twitter.  Great blog with helpful info about the island.
• Roosevelt Island Operating Corp - Runs and manages many of the services on the Island, including the 25cent shuttle.
• Wikipedia's Entry of Roosevelt Island
• Roosevelt Live - 15 weeks of FREE performances at Riverwalk Commons at Roosevelt Island.
• Roosevelt Islander blog posted some web links related to Roosevelt island

If you don't have any weekend plans or are looking for a Frugal Getaway, visit Roosevelt Island.  I hear the weather should be nice.  Share your thoughts and tips about Roosevelt Island in the comments.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email.

Photo by Designatednaphour

Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival

The 19th annual Hong Kong Dragon Boat Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday (8/8-8/9/09) at Meadow Lake, in Flushing Meadows Corona Park. You can watch over a hundred teams paddle and splash their way across the lake, to compete for $60,000 in prizes.

The festival has its roots set in the 15th century fishermen rescue of poet Qu Yuan. Qu Yuan committed suicide in the Miluo River to protest the emperor's rulings in the Warring States Period of the Zhou Dynasty (Chinese history).

The festival includes the main attraction races, along with lion dancers, an orchestra, music, dancing, martial arts demonstrations, an ethnic food court (not just Chinese food), and much more. The food will include some traditional Chinese items such as dumplings, fish cakes, bubble tea, Taiwanese shaved ice, zongzi among many others dishes.

If you want some other activities to attend after this festival, you can always check out the soccer (football to the rest of the world) fields, along with many other activities in the park. You can take the kids to the Queens Zoo or the Playground for all Children. You can also check out the Queens Museum or the New York Hall of Science (one of my favorite places).

The best thing about this festival, its Free! You can find directions and other related information about the festival from here.

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8 More Free Things To Do In Queens

If you enjoyed 10 Free Things To Do In Queens last week, here are some more free things to do in Queens!

1. World Fair Marina - Take a stroll and watch the boats go by, not to mention airplanes taking off and landing in La Guardia airport.
2. Guided tour of the historic Poppenhusen Institute - Located at 114-04 14th Road, College Point. Wednesdays and Saturdays in June from 11 A.M. - 3 P.M. Visit the first free kindergarten in the US, the old village jail cells and more.
3. Voelker Orth Museum - A bird Sanctuary and Victorian Garden. The homestead of three generations of a German immigrant family who settled in Flushing at the end of the 19th Century. located at 149-19 38th Ave. Flushing. Free guided tours for groups every Saturday and Sunday from 1-4 P.M and Wednesday afternoons.
4. NY Hall of Science Farmers Market - Sundays from 10 A.M. - 4 P.M. from June 14-November 15. Located at 111 Street and 48th Avenue
5. NY Hall of Science - Free Admission on Fridays from 2-5 P.M and Sundays from 10-11 A.M. September through June.
6. Fort Totten Park - Go fishing or just sit by the water of the Long Island Sound. Many other activities are available at this great park.
7. Live at the Gantries - Free performing arts. Tuesdays at 7 P.M. June 14 - August 18. At Gantry Plaza State Park, 49th Ave. along the East River in LIC
8. Queens College - Take a stroll or tour through a college campus in a not too urban environment.

Hope you like this list!

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10 Free Things To Do In Queens

I've gotten some good remarks about my previous post 10 Free Places To Visit In NYC Today, so I decided to write one on Queens! This is just the tip of the ice burg so there will be other venues in the future. I've been to all these below venues and have enjoyed my time at each one, I hope you will enjoy your time at these venues as well.

1. Flushing Library - Find Books, movies, comics, video games, free wifi and many other services available free to the public.
2. Flushing Meadows Corona Park - It's not quite Central Park, though you will find many activities at this park - especially during the summer! It's a very large park, that's why I've also included several related venues on this list.
3. Playground For All Children - This playground is located at the Flushing Meadows Corona Park, near the Queens Zoo! It features some unique musical instruments not seen in any other playgrounds I've been to. It truly is a playground for all children - of all ages!
4. Queens Botanical Garden - One of the smaller Botanical Gardens in NYC, you can stroll through most of it in about an hour or two. Worth a visit if you are in the neighborhood, it was recently renovated and includes many environmental friendly features.
5. Astoria Park and Swimming Pool - Astoria Park is one of my favorite water front parks in Queens. The Astoria Pool is a pool that meets Olympic standards! So come by in the summer!
6. Socrates Sculpture Park - From landfill to public exhibition, this is a must see! Many events are featured at this park, including outdoor movies. It is the only site in the New York Metropolitan area specifically dedicated to providing artists with opportunities to create and exhibit large-scale work in a unique environment that encourages strong interaction between artists, artworks and the public. This means you are welcome to touch the art!
7. P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center - Located in LIC, and part of MoMA, it was once a public school - thus the name. It's a museum solely devoted to contemporary art! This one isn't exactly free, but like MoMA, it has a "suggested admission" of $5 for adults and $2 for seniors and students. This means you can pay what you want! The suggested price is not much to pay.
8. Flushing Chinatown - take a stroll through this neighborhood and you may think you are in China! This is said to be larger than the "original" Chinatown in lower Manhattan. You'll find some of the best Chinese food in this neighborhood, and it's cheap! A stroll is free!
9. Flushing Townhall - While you're in Flushing, visit the old townhall! It is a landmark and include a 340-seat state of the art concert hall/theater, three museum quality galleries, a classroom, offices, a garden that accommodates up to 500 people for outdoor events, and a visitors' center.
10. Little India - Visit little India in Jackson Heights. You'll find many great Indian restaurants, and its very easy to get there. Take the 7, E, F, G, V or R trains to 74th Street and Roosevelt Ave.
    

That's it for now. Hope you like this list. Let us know how you enjoy these free things to do in Queens.

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9 Facts of Queens Zoo

I've been to the Queens Zoo with my family numerous times in the past several months. We are WCS members so entrance is free. Even if you are not a member of the Wildlife Conservation Society, the entrance fee to the Queens Zoo is very affordable.

Here are 9 things you may find interesting about the Queens Zoo.

1. The Queens Zoo is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park
2. The New York Hall Of Science is a neighboring attraction.
3. The Queens Zoo is home to two Lynxes, that meows like an owl's hoot!
   
4. 111 Street 7 train Subway station is the closest subway train
5. Playground for all Children is a neighboring free attraction.
6. Admission is free for WCS members.
7. The Queens Zoo contains a petting zoo, where you can feed many farm animals
8. The Aviary is my favorite feature of the zoo.
   
9. The Queens Museum and Theathre in the park are also steps away from the Zoo!
   

Have you been to the Queens Zoo? What do you know about it? What's your favorite feature of the zoo?

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way, feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Photo by law_keven

Frugal NYC - Top 10 Popular Posts November 2008

Frugal NYC has over one hundred posts now and it may be a little hard to figure out what may interest you. I've compiled the Top 10 Popular Posts as of this writing for you to check out and hopefully get you coming back for more. I've been blogging on a steady schedule since September 2008. Please let me know if you have enjoyed the content. Your feedback is very important to me, and I would love to hear from all my readers. You can leave me a comment on a post that interests you, which gets sent to me via email, or email me directly at frugalnyc@gmail.com. If you miss my regular posts, scoot over to my Frugal NYC Twitter account for quick tips!

1. Inbox Zero - In Three Steps!
2. Affordable Dining In NYC
3. GTD - Getting Things Done
4. Governor's Island
5. 10 Free Places to visit in NYC
6. Embedding Google Maps in Blogger
7. No Time To Think
8. 10 Free Blackberry Games
9. Windows Notepad Productivity
10. Central Park Series

What post do you like best? Am I addressing the topics you enjoy reading about? If you would like to contribute to Frugal NYC in any way, articles, ideas, posts, interesting links, advice, financial assistance, or anything else, feel free to contact me via email at frugalnyc@gmail.com.

Harlem Meer

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I visited the Harlem Meer once, after I left the Central Park Convervatory Garden. It was memorable to me because I never knew there was such a lake at the upper end of Central Park. My travels through Central Park usually consisted of the lower half of the park, unless I was rollerblading. I saw several people fishing, catch and release is allowed, and noticed a good sized lake. I could not see the full expanse of the lake, it is pretty sizable. I may head back for a visit this coming summer, in 2009. For those visiting or living in the vicinity of the upper half of Central Park, I think this is a great place to visit, especially since there is an ice skating rink there. For everyone else, its definitely worth a trip if you have never seen this area of the park.

A little bit of history on this section of the park. The Harlem Meer was an addition to the original park, which ended at 106th Street. Central Park now ends at 110th Street. The Harlem Meer is about eleven acres and is near the Lasker Rink and Pool, which I only found out about at this writing. Surrounding the lake are some of the park's most impressive trees, such as oak, bald cypress, beech and ginkgo (the yellow ginkgo leaves are exquisite this time of the year). There are two playgrounds near-by, and of course it is adjacent to Conservatory Garden, which I really enjoyed visiting. In the summertime, there is a jazz festival.

Check out some great pictures of this area and you can find more pictures on Flickr. A couple years ago, the art installation, Christo's Gates also made it through the Harlem Meer.

Have you been to Harlem Meer? What is it that you like best about this area? Check out my other posts on Central Park.

Free Ice Skating

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The Pond at Bryant Park, is back this year! It's the first and only free ice skating rink in NYC. The Pond is one of NYC's best frugal destinations. You can enjoy a day of family skating, celebrate the holidays, or join in the many special events and ice activities, The Pond will be a favorite destination to many.

Dates and Hours:
Open daily October 24, 2008 - January 25, 2009
General Admission is FREE
Skate Rentals: $12

You can get to The Pond via subway (B, D, F, V) and MTA busses. Have you been to The Pond? Share your experience with us! Which ice skating rink in NYC do you like best?

Diana Ross Playground

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I've been in the neighborhood of the Diana Ross Playground, but I've never gone into the playground. It is located in a very nice area and is definitely worth a visit. From all the descriptions I've gathered, I'm tempted to make a visit in the near future. Most likely I will visit next summer. Have any of you out there been to this playground with your kids? Now on to post!

The Diana Ross Playground is located in Central Park near the corner of West 81st Street and Central Park West. It is at the foot of Summit Rock, the highest natural elevation in Central Park, at 141.8 feet from sea level. To the east, is Tanner's Spring, one of two remaining natural springs in the park. I've yet to discover a spring at Central Park, so I will be looking for the spring upon my visit.

It is named after Diana Ross, the recording artist. She donated several hundred thousand dollars toward the re-building of this playground in the 1980s. The playground is equipped with wood climbing structures, tire swings, a tube slide, a corkscrew slide, and a mushroom water spray. It is open from 7:30am to dusk. You can find a picture of the playground from boldt.us and Central Park 2000 websites.

References: Wikipedia, Central Park 2000, Central Park Conservancy

Have you visited any of the 21 Central Park Playgrounds? Have you check out my other posts about Central Park? Share your experience at the Diana Ross Playground in the comments. Thanks again for visiting my blog and for your feedback and comments!

Conservatory Water

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I never knew this location in Central Park was called Conservatory Water until now. I've visited numerous times and have seen bird watchers watching Pale Male, watched people sail toy boats in the boat pond, and watched numerous fish swim about as children play near the statue of Alice in Wonderland. This area has a lot going on and is a great spot to sit and people watch, or just read a book.

There are usually street performers here during the summertime. The last time I was there, a few months ago, there was a singing group who kept the audience spellbound with their harmonizing. Several feet away, there was a jazzman playing his saxophone. There seems to always be life in this part of the park.

If all you want to do is relax, you can lie down on the nearby grassy lawns and just sunbathe for a couple of hours in the summer. Now, in the fall, you may be able to see foliage not found anywhere else in the city. Trees in the area include Lebanon Cedars, willows, pine and beach. In the spring you can view a great display of blossoming cherry trees.

There is a cafe along with public restrooms in the middle of all this, so it is very convenient. You can spend a whole afternoon here if you were inclined. Conservatory Water is located by 5th ave and 74th street in Central Park. It stretches from 72nd street to 75th street.

Have you spent any time at Conservatory Garden? What did you like best about this area? Check out my other Central Park series posts.

Central Park Conservatory Garden

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All five New York City boroughs each have a Botanical Garden. The Central Park Conservatory Garden is the Botanical Garden for the Borough of Manhattan. It is an ideal location to view the fall foliage in the city.

This garden hosts weddings by reservation, and is an ideal place to sit and relax with a book. The six acre garden houses three styles of landscaping: English, French and Italian. Each style is in its own garden. In each of the three different style gardens, you will find different plants in bloom almost year round.

Most visitors do not know that on the walkway under the pergola, in the Italian garden, are thirteen medallions inscribed with the names of the original thirteen states. So be sure to look for them when you visit.

There is a fountain in each of the gardens. There is a geyser in front of the pergola in the Italian garden. The French Garden has the Untermyer Fountain of Three Dancing Maidens. The English Garden has the Burnett Fountain depicting Dickon and Mary from the book "The Secret Garden".

To enter the Conservatory Garden, you can come in through one of two entrances. From the east side enter at Fifth Avenue and 105th Street. The second entrance is at the 106th St. gate inside the Park.

One last thing, late October is the best time to check out the Chrysanthemum displays at the garden, and there is no entrance fee!

Happy visiting, and check back for my other Central Park posts. Have you been to the Conservatory Garden? What did you like most? Do you know of any other public botanical gardens in Manhattan. Please share you thoughts in the comments.

Bethesda Terrace

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This is the second in a series I'm doing on Central Park.

Bethesda Terrace and Bethesda Fountain has been found in many Hollywood movies and TV shows. Movies such as Home Alone 2, Ransom - Starring Mel Gibson, and even the latest TV series Gossip Girl all feature the famous fountain. Many people recognize this statue of a female angel, and tourists and visitors to Central Park can have a relaxing time in this area. This structure is one of the first built in the construction of Central Park.

There is a public bathroom by the Staircases and you can ususally see street performers dancing, singing or performing some other type of art. This always changing aspect can bring regular visitors to the area, including myself. One such performer is Thoth in the tunnel at Bethesda Terrace in Central Park, located across from the Bethesda Fountain. He is like a one man band, and you need to see him perform to fully appreciate what he does.

Surrounding areas include The Ramble (woodland) and The Lake, where you can rent boats to spend an hour in the water. Tavern on the Green, the famous restaurant overlooks The Lake and can be seen from Bethesda Terrace. Visitors will want to take some memorable pictures from this venue.

Bethesda Terrace and Fountain is located at 72st at the Center of the park. You can arrive via, roller blade, bike or walking.

How did you like your visit to Bethesda Terrace? What do you like best about it? Share your thoughts in the comments.

My Series on Central Park

This post contains updates to my Central Park series of posts. I hope you will find this to be a great resource for taking short day trips in and around Central Park.

1. Belvedere Castle
2. Bethesda Terrace
3. Conservatory Garden
4. Delacorte Theater
5. Diana Ross Playground
6. Harlem Meer
7. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir
8. The Lake
9. The Ramble
10. Strawberry Fields
11. Tavern on the Green
12. Wollman Rink
13. Central Park Zoo
14. More to come...
    

Have I missed any interesting places in Central Park? Have you enjoyed this series so far? Please leave me your comments and thoughts, and check back for updates to this post and series.

Belvedere Castle

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This is a first in a series of posts about places to visit in Central Park. Many of you may have visited Central Park before, but I bet you do not know all the different features and venues that Central Park offers. So here is the start of My Series on Central Park.

Belvedere Castle is located on top of the second highest natural elevation in central
park, Vista Rock. The highest natural elevation being Summit Rock at 83rd street overlooking Central Park West. Belvedere castle is a great spot to view fall foliage at
Central Park, and I'll be heading there for a visit within the next week.

Belvedere Castle overlooks Turtle Pond, the Great Lawn and Delacorte Theatre. This makes it a very busy area during the summer time. You can watch wild life, both aquatic (turtles, fish among others) and aerial (birds, dragonflies, butterflies and others), in the area. During the summer, you can catch a play at Delacorte theatre - FREE! This is also the spot where meteorological readings are done in Central Park. Now you know where the temperature comes from when you watch the local news' weather report.

To get to Belvedere Castle, located at 79st and the middle of the park, take the park entrance at 79th street and 5th avenue.

Have you visited Belvedere Castle? Did you enjoy the view? If you have never been to this Central Park venue, why not make a visit today? I would appreciate your thoughts on this post and how you have enjoyed the venue.

Carl Schurz Park and Gracie Mansion

Over the weekend I took my family to a New York neighborhood park for a spendid Saturday afternoon. Our objective was to go somewhere we have not been to. Though I have visited this park once before, my wife and daughter have never visited. There are a number of activities you can enjoy at this park, most of them are relaxing of course. So if you would like to enjoy a relaxing afternoon on a sunny day, perhaps you too can enjoy your time at Carl Schurz Park. Here is the official site for Carl Schurz Park.

The park entrance is located at East End Avenue and 86th Street in Manhattan, New York City. The park is also home to Gracie Mansion, home to NYC's mayor. This is a link to NYC's history of Gracie Mansion. You can reach it via the M86 bus and walk one block toward the river and park. Activities you can partake at the park include: sunbathing on the lawn, river side stroll, jogging, walking, biking, playground for kids and a dog park. We went for a stroll along the river, watching boats go by and having a great view of the northern tip of Roosevelt Island and its light house.

The playground in this park is great for young children and toddlers. On this early Fall afternoon, with great weather and the temperature in the low seventies, its a great day to be out in the park. I relaxed by a bench while my wife accompanied our daughter on the playground. After some time, my daughter settled in the sand box and remained there for the remainder of our visit. Activities at the playground include: monkey bars, swings, slides, towers to climb, pigeons to chase, build a sand castle and any other childhood sports you can think of.

If you have a low budget and would like to do something for a Saturday afternoon, why not visit this park? The only cost I incurred was for travel and any snacks we wanted. Pack a picnic and all you have to pay is transportation costs.

Have you been to Carl Schurz Park? What did you most enjoy at this park? Would you like to see more suggestions? Check out my other posts on NYC parks.

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way (guest posts, articles, ideas, interesting links, advice, financial assistance, or anything else), feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Photo by Ed Yourdon

New York Now in Bryant Park

I came across a free concert today after I got out of work. I just so happened to be around the Bryant Park area today after work, I sat down at Bryant Park for a break before heading home.
After several minutes, I noticed a stage was set up near the back of the Mid Manhattan library.
I noticed people heading over there so I went to see what was going on.

It just so happens that today was the first day for a new series of free concerts being held at Bryant Park. I encourage anyone who enjoys the Arts to visit and listen to one of these performances.

The performances include performances by New York Philharmonic, New York Cityh Opera, Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Metropolitan Opera, New York City Opera, and The New York Pops
These performances Start today and will go on until October 8, 2008.

A to the calendar of events can be found on the Bryant Park web site here.

Hope you enjoy the free concerts. Let me know what you think of them if you have attended.

Governor's Island

Photo courtesy of Steve Kelley

One of my new favorite quick and very cheap day trip destinations in NYC is Governor's Island. It is a quick 5 minute FREE ferry ride away from the tip of Manhattan Island and you feel like you've left the city once you are there.

Activities there include car-free biking (check out Free-Bike Fridays), having a picnic, a scenic stroll, exploring historical buildings (including a prison), free guided tour of the island, and free concerts. I have personally done the stroll, guided tour and picnic there. I enjoy it every time I go, and it is not over crowded even during the weekends.

To get there, you take a free ferry ride steps away from the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry leaves every half hour. The Island re-opens for the 2009 season on Saturday, May 30, 2009.

Resources:
Governor's Island Website
WikiPedia Entry

Enjoy your visit to Governor's Island! Have been to and enjoyed your visit to Governor's Island?What is your favorite thing about visiting Governor's Island? Do you know of any other similar places to visit? Please share your thoughts in the comments.

Just a quick update since this post was included on Wisebread's places to visit for under $5. I wanted to include a link back to wisebread's post which includes many places to visit frugally.

If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy one of my other posts below:

• New York Now in Bryant Park
• 10 Free Places To Visit In NYC today!
• 10 Free Things To Do In NYC
• Frugal NYC Parks list
  

For additional links to frugal tips and tricks follow me on Twitter. If you would like to contribute to FrugalNYC in any way feel free to contact me via email. Click here to add FrugalNYC to your RSS reader or Subscribe to FrugalNYC by Email.

Travel in NYC

The "Staycation" term seems to be pretty popular in this current economy. In that frame of mind, I recommend walking any place you physically can. The neighborhood grocery, supermarket, bank, playground, library and any other place of interest to you.

Use a monthly metrocard if you commute during the week and like getting out to NYC spots during the weekend. Your cost per ride goes down significantly if you use it seven days a week.

Some places to visit that I recommend are:

• Central Park - Greatest park in NYC
• Bronx Zoo - Animals!
• Coney Island - Beach and Aquarium
• Wave Hill - Garden landscaping, great view of Hudson river
• Battery Park - view of Hudson

What are your thoughts and how do you save on travel in NYC?