Want to check out some great musical talent in the city but don’t want to pay a fortune?

Thanks to Tim, we have found a way to get a listing of great artists performing for a reasonable price. Many shows are under $20 and some are free.

Check out the website: www.ohmyrockness.com

About a month ago I reported the 11% visitor discount at Bloomingdale’s. Well, my friend Lynn has informed me that Macy’s does the same thing!

Bring your out-of-state license or international passport to the Visitor’s Center in the store and collect your 11% discount card. You can use it on anything in the store all day! Brilliant!

Thanks to Abhinav, I’ve discovered a great deal website.  Check out www.slickdeals.net

Daily they mention deals on everything from restaurants to electronics to clothes. Check out the coupon and forum tabs at the top of the page for more ways to save money!

Check out Think Coffee Shop for good free live music on Thursday nights around 8pm. They often have shows on Fridays as well.

There are two locations: 248 mercer street (between 3rd & 4th st) and 1 bleecker street (corner of Bowery & Bleecker).

You can get more info on their website: http://www.thinkcoffeenyc.com

Thanks to Lynn, Zach and Dimitra, I spent the afternoon dancing to fabulous house music at the Hotel on Rivington Penthouse. Dimitri from Paris was spinning!

The Respect is Burning folks present ÉTÉ D’AMOUR NEW YORK every Sunday at the Hotel on Rivington Penthouse. This Sunday was the first party and they will take place every Sunday at the Penthouse until Sunday, September 6th.

The party starts at 1pm and goes until 1am. Dancing in the afternoon…what could be better than that?! Admission to the party is free, but drinks aren’t that cheap (maybe bring your own water bottle?)  Get there early to guarantee access to the rooftop.

The Hotel on Rivington is located at 107 Rivington Street (between Essex and Ludlow Streets).
http://hotelonrivington.com/home.html

Thanks to Jay for introducing me to 2 Bros. Pizza.  They have a great deal – $2.75 for two slices of pizza and a soda, or $1 a slice. The pizza is good too!

I love the owner’s marketing prowess, continuing to call it a “Grand Opening Special” more than six months after the opening.

Who knew there were affordable gyms in the city? Not I. I remember the first, and only, time I joined I gym was when I first moved to the city 9 years ago and I was paying a crazy $150/month. Yeah, that lasted 6 months…maybe.

My friend Adam told me about the indoor recreational facilities provided by New York Parks and Recreation.

The membership is $50 a YEAR for access to all the city’s recreation centers, and $75 a YEAR for those recreation centers with indoor pools. How many gyms have pools in the city, seriously?  That’s awesome!

There are 22 recreation centers citywide (in all five boroughs).

You can get more info and the list of indoor recreation facilities at:
http://www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/recreationcenters

My friend, Chip (AKA Big Daddy), introduced me to a great place to go for an affordable prix fixe meal.

Il Bastardo offers a $15 three course lunch Mon-Fri from 12pm-4pm that includes a choice of appetizer, entree and dessert of the day.

Dinner is $18, also three courses, Mon-Fri from 4pm-7pm.

Brunch is Sat. and Sun. 12-4pm, ala carte items, but you can add $15 for unlimited champagne, mimosas, screwdrivers or Bloody Marys.

It’s a great deal and the food is really good! Il Bastardo is located at 191 Seventh Avenue (between 21 and 22 streets).

For more info go to: http://www.ilbastardonyc.com/

After watching Die Hard 3 it was time to check out the Gold Vault at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
It holds $195 billion worth of gold bars – that’s a lot of money…especially in Canadian dollars!  (Yes, I’m Canadian, the secret is out, and I don’t even have an accent eh).

Thanks to my friend Jessica, I recently discovered the 11% visitor discount at Bloomingdale’s.

I guess in a recession you may not be shopping at Bloomingdale’s, but, if you are, bring your out-of-state license or international passport to the Visitor’s Center in the store and collect your discount card. You can use it on anything in the store all day! Awesome!