The resident's guide to what to do, because it's your back yard and you're not a tourist.
Back in 2015, my girlfriend was unemployed and we were trying to find the cheapest things to do living in NYC and so I came up with an idea to create a hashtagged list of things so we could always find something heavily discounted or free to do. This list was the result.
Because I made this list for my own usage, I'm still working my way to see all of them, so I can't speak to the quality of every single entry yet. I will slowly make blog entries about the ones I did go to.
This is not an events calendar. You won't find "what to do this weekend" pop-ups, temporary street fairs, or fleeting concerts here. Instead, this is a curated directory of permanent landmarks, public resources, hidden history, repeating events, venues that regularly have free and cheap programs, and year-round budget-friendly destinations across New York City.
Many of our listings leverage local access programs:
- Culture Pass: A program allowing any active New York public library cardholder to reserve free passes to major cultural institutions.
- IDNYC: New York City’s municipal identification card, which unlocks free, one-year memberships to dozens of world-class museums, zoos, and botanical gardens.
