The Theory of Relativity

Happy Summer everyone!! It is officially post-Memorial Day, which means in real-person world (rather than solar calendar world) it is summer. Toss that cap in the air, be it graduation cardboard or not and smile.

I was home in CT for Memorial Day weekend as it was also the Jewish holiday of Shavuot—the celebration of the giving of the Ten Commandments for those of you who care to note. It was nice to relax with the family after our tour-de-crazy in Vegas. Immediately upon my return, I asked my sister if she had watched this week’s Bachelorette.

Now before you X-out of this week’s post at the mention of The Bachelorette and anything in the vicinity of Chris Harrison and roses, bear with me. Last season with Ben-I-Look-Like-Rafael-Nadal Flajnik was my first season ever and I was not a fan. Addicted, yes. Fan, no. But I was interested to see if I prefer watching 25 guys fight over one potentially put-together woman, rather than 25 girls claw at each other over one useless, blank-staring idiot. (For the record, I do prefer it.)

As my sister and I huddled deep into Bachelorette discussion, my mom rolled her eyes and declared her disgust for the show. In her paraphrased words, “I just think it’s disgusting how she goes off on a date with one guy and totally makes out with him and then turns around and is “in love with” and kissing a completely different guy.” The fact that Emily Maynard bounces around between a pool of men doesn’t sit well with my mom. Yet for some reason, this does not really phase me.

I think the reason it doesn’t bother me so much is that this is what dating is like—at least in a city with as many people as New York. You go out, you meet someone. Two days later, you go out and meet a different someone. Then (potentially) you sit at home comparing them to each other. Who do I like better? Who am I more attracted to? Who treated me nicer? It’s all relative. Sure person #1 might be great, but what if person #2 is better?

Herein lies the difference between our generation compared to our parents’ generation. Relativity. We have the chance to compare our options, and--dissimilar to days of yore--EVERYTHING comes with options. 

(Disclaimer: I’m about to make large generalizations based on my own personal experiences and observations. These are not absolute truths.)

Whereas our parents might have been set up on a date by acquaintances, or met one person at a local bar to go out with, we can go on OkCupid and JDate and Match.com and eHarmony.com, even Facebook, and find five people to go out with at the click of a button.

So is it weird to me that this season’s Bachelorette wants to find what she’s looking for by dating a whole bunch of guys at once and picking the best of the best? No. It seems almost normal.

It seems perfectly practical that rather than date one guy and see how that goes and assess your relationship in steps, a girl would date multiple guys and evaluate each person at the steps along the way. I grew up relying on a strategy of relativity and choosing for the future. I have trouble living in the current moment. 

This theory of relativity carries over into my professional life. I often find myself thinking about my job and what I do day-in and day-out. How is this job getting me to where I’m going? Is it the most productive job I can be in to get me to my ultimate goals? Is there something else I should be doing that will get me farther faster? Can I do better?

Regardless of the answers, the questions are there. My instinct is to compare. I want to know if I am doing my BEST in the BEST job for me. I sit around evaluating myself relative to my friends and co-workers and the paths that society’s most successful people took.

The relativity renders me impatient. I feel anxious to get to a better place, a higher place. In actuality, my situation is fabulous and I am on a productive path. If I would stop comparing for two seconds, I could live in the moment and appreciate what I have qualitatively.

Sometimes I compare and debate and contemplate and wonder "is this better, or that better" way too much. I'm always calculating what will get me where I want to be tomorrow. But the truth is, the question should be: am I happy where I am today?

Our generation lives in a bigger world than my mom's generation. We live in a world of endless choices and increasing accessibility. Want to live abroad? Ok, pick a country. Want to talk to your friends overseas all the time while you're there? Ok, choose a Skype name. Want to know the trendy news topic? Just sign in to Facebook. Now that we are so connected and borderline voyeuristic, we have much more to compare to. It's all relative. But should it be?

I'm an advocate of goals. I'm an advocate of standards. I do not believe in settling romantically, socially or professionally. But there is a difference between settling and allowing yourself to be content in your current place regardless of where others are or where you could be. 

When you come to a big decision, it's important to gather information and discern the best situation. But there is a different between choosing a path at a crossroads and constantly creating crossroads for yourself. It can be necessary to resist that urge to compare. 

Don't think about who deserves the rose. Sometimes it's necessary to just take a breath and be happy where you are.

Just go with it

So I just got back from a long weekend in Vegas, which is why this post is delayed. Now I didn’t want to write until my trip was over, because I just knew I’d have some fabulous tidbits for you when I got back. Well I’m back, so fasten your seat belts.

This was my second time to Vegas. I first learned of its awesomeness two years ago when I was 21. I instantly fell in love and could not wait to go back this time. Las Vegas is simply Disneyland for adults. I’ve met people who really don’t like Vegas—this is a fundamental difference between me and those people. This difference cannot be resolved because people who hate Vegas are people who hate fun. Sure, it’s a bit tacky. Sure, people are belligerent. But it’s also just a place where you can smile, let loose and just go with the flow.

My first day began by the pool of the MGM Grand. My sister and I floated along the lazy river; aka water pathway of dehydrated and over-intoxicated tourists buzzed with the excitement of Bachelor Party and weekend getaway festiveness. As we swam, this one guy asked every female who passed for a chest bump. My sister looked horrified. I, however, jumped out of the water and obliged. Hell yeah chest bump. Because why not? Just go with the flow. No harm, just fun. The pure silliness of it made me laugh. I felt like I was on vacation.

I went to Vegas with my family, since my dad has a business convention there this time of year. But on Saturday night, I really wanted to go out to the clubs and dance. The fam and I were walking around the Wynn hotel, I was going to hop in line by myself for XS—one of their nightclubs that I’d heard good things about. Then I saw a group of young guys just standing around. So I waltzed up to them and asked which way to XS. They pointed the way, but said they were going to Marquee at The Cosmopolitan (another club, another hotel) and would I like to come with. Why the heck not? So I kissed the fam goodbye and hopped in a cab to Marquee.

Well, we got there and the table these guys had reserved was not reserved. Yeah right for getting in without a reservation. I met these other two girls while waiting around who suggested we go back to XS. I didn’t want to leave the guys behind; I just felt bad. But after some debate they agreed to come with. We were all leaving, when some random guys sitting at the hotel bar waved at us. My new girl friend Randall stopped to say hello and the guys we were with…did not. They blew right by us and left us behind. WHAT?! Yes. That happened. But whatever, because we went with it and met nicer, cooler guys. These guys had a friend with a table at Tao.

So after some drinks and getting to know you, we walked out to get a cab. The line was just too long. The cab caller told us we were in for a half hour wait and we needed to split into TWO cabs because there were seven of us. Or…we could take a stretch limo for $60. Done and done. We piled into the limo and headed for the Venetian hotel, host of Tao night club. The driver turned up the music and we were in party heaven. When in Vegas….

We got into Tao just after 2am and hit the dance floor right away. I was SO happy. As if I needed more reason to love Vegas and Tao, LMFAO was partying at the club with us. YUP! I was dancing just a velvet rope away from Redfoo, SkyBlu and the Party Rock Crew. The music was pumping, the glow sticks were waving, and a good time was had by all. And to think it all started because I asked some random guys for directions.

Saturday night and my brush with LMFAO did not even prepare me for Sunday. The MGM Grand (the hotel I actually stayed at) hosted the Billboard Music Awards live from Las Vegas. My parents had been debating about buying tickets for us. Was it worth it? Would the arena be too huge to see anyone on the stage? Would we rather see the celebs walk the red carpet than actually watch the show?

All questions were answered when my mother discovered the art of seatfilling. For every live television broadcast, the networks hire a seatfilling service so that there is not an empty seat on the floor of a venue during the televised show. Empty seats don’t look good on camera. Turns out, they need A LOT of seatfillers. Even though you have to sign up a few months in advance, the Billboards still needed standby seatfillers. Guess who obliged? My mother, brother, sister and I stood in line from 1pm decked out in full-on nightclub attire—including fashion tape, red lipstick and five-inch heels—so that we could fill free floor seats to the Music Awards.

After staying out until 7am the previous night, I was cranky and my body hurt. But when we were sitting backstage waiting for the broadcast to start and LMFAO walked by and smiled at us, it was worth it. When Brandy stopped to say hello, “Oh girl you got all dressed up and nice for the Billboard Awards!” it was worth it. When my sister sat second row next to The Wanted it was worth it. When I saw co-host Ty Burrell one foot away, it was worth it. Not to mention, I got to witness live performances by Chris Brown, Usher, LMFAO, Katy Perry and the Stevie Wonder all from twelfth row center!!!! FREE!!! Unbelievable.

Afterwards, I felt like I was going to collapse. Despite my exhaustion, I was in Vegas so I had to just go with it.

Las Vegas is like a time warp. The rules do not apply in Vegas. The mentality of the entire city is “do what you want because here you can.” It is a city of pure enjoyment and entertainment. Now I’m not suggesting that we all just start living our lives Vegas style going wild and crazy and begin day-drinking Monday through Friday. But I will say that there is something to be said for the open-mindedness that pervades Vegas. I talked to a lot of random people by the pool—met folks everywhere from Wisconsin to Germany.  I personally felt open to experiences and people I would normally ignore in my New York reality. A dash of openness and the willingness to go with the flow, might be just enough Vegas for each of us to take wherever we go.

Every Rose has its Horn

This past weekend was awesome. As many of you may have noticed, the weather was finally fabulous and it appears we may have some sunshine in this lifetime to enjoy. Aside from the bright sunshiney days, I also basked in the brilliance of musical talent.

Saturday evening I went to Jazz at Lincoln Center to see The Music of Jelly Roll Morton as part of their New Orleans Celebration. The Marcus Roberts trio (Marcus Roberts, piano; Rodney Jordan, bass; Jason Marsalis, drums) joined forces with talented horn players (Alphonso Horne, trumpet; Ron Westray, trombone; Stephen Rile, saxophone; Richard Pascal, saxophone; Joe Goldberg, clarinet) for an evening of Jelly Roll’s famous tunes.

I sat dead center orchestra in the Rose Center theater – which, by the way, is a stunning theater—for the low, low price of $10. TEN DOLLARS! Jazz at Lincoln Center offers Hot Seats, $10 tickets for each Rose Center performance and select Allen Room performances available at the box office on the Wednesday before the show. Cheap tickets in advance! No age or student status required. This was a find, my friends.

The concert was fantastic for those of you jazz fiends out there. These instrumentalists are at the top of their game. Watching Marcus Roberts, a pianist who lost his sight at age 5, was astounding. Something like watching Ray Charles live. The sound of his piano and the horns filled that Rose Center with that old New Orleans, upbeat Dixie sound.

I felt so classy dressing up and heading to JALC, arguably a place where the more sophisticated residents of New York spend their evenings clapping respectfully and drinking $20 beverages with their pinkies up. It felt mature to join this crowd of high-society music aficionados.

But the music didn’t stop there. I tried my luck at The Book of Mormon lottery for the fifth? sixth? who’s counting anymore? time. I lost. Never have I had such terrible luck at a lottery. It could have been that there are never less than 150 people there, but still. So I decided to just deal with it and try for a Standing Room Only ticket. Now I am VERY against standing room—not the fact that it exists, but the idea of buying a SRO ticket for myself. I KNOW I am going to end up in pain from standing for so long and that it will distract me from the show. But, I was at my wit’s end. So for $27 I had a dead center orchestra SRO seat. I stood the whole show.

This experience, a little less class and a little more sass. The show is fantastic, although the reason it is selling out like mad is because of the shock value in its offensiveness towards religion, Mormonism, AIDs, female circumcision and general poverty in Africa. The humor is not necessarily my cup of tea, which is why I am not instantaneously obsessed.

It’s not that BOM doesn’t deserve a full house, but people wouldn’t be clamoring as they are if this was just a well-put together musical about the same flambouyant Mormon missionaries but they end up working in, say, England. The British aren’t that amusing to make fun of.

Andrew Rannels (Elder Price) totally deserved his Tony nom. His voice is clear as a bell. It does not sound like he has been singing that song, that high in his range, 8 times a week for over a year. Brava. The story is solid, unlike so many Broadway shows with characters you don’t feel for (see: Ghost The Musical) or haphazard books. The music is of the classic showtune variety and each song sounds like it has a place in THIS show in one unified score.

I feel like sending Casey Nicholaw (Director/Choreographer) a Valentine. I love his work and he is truly a master at classic Broadway. He allows the show and its dance numbers to be cheesy at times, but not overly so. He demands character depth from his actors.

All in all, the show is great, but it IS offensive. This time: every rose has its thorn, and for me, much of the humor in the script was the thorn on this blossom of a musical.

Lucky for me, the weekend as a whole was simply rosy. Here's hoping the week follows suit.

New York Moment: The sidewalk lottery

Bumping into celebrities = awesome. In fact, I like to bump into celebrities people don’t realize are celebrities (aka Broadway strongholds). When I start seeing Broadway folks around town, I believe that fate is back in my favor. It just makes me giddy.

A few months back. The Apple Store. Upper West Side. I plop down with my back-breaking bag—it was holding two laptops—and begin the impatient wait to be helped at the Genius Bar. Fear not geniuses! I will wait for you because I have accidentally sat down next to Joshua Henry (2011 Tony Nominee for The Scottsboro Boys, cameo role in the 1st SATC movie, currently on Broadway in Porgy & Bess). I sit trying to catch glimpses of him in my peripheral vision—I don’t want to blatently stare!

When Joshua gets up to leave, I introduce myself. I nearly start crying explaining to him how much of an impact his performance in Scottsboro Boys had on me. He is so gracious. So sweet. A total darling. He is sincerely happy I had recognized his performance, well-evidenced by his appreciative facial expression. And he stands there dressed to the nines and good-looking to boot. We talk a bit about how he likes Porgy & Bess and then he trots off leaving the Genius who had waited on him asking me “Who is that?” A star, sir. A star.

A few weeks later, I was running to yoga in the theater district and I bumped into Kerry Butler fresh off her matinee performance of Gore Vidal’s The Best Man. She was “stage-dooring it,” as my brother would say. Her baseball cap pulled low to cover her excessively stage make-uped face and her sweatshirt bundled up to her ears to keep her warm. She was on her phone so I didn’t bother her.

I’ve run by Karen Olivo (now playing Cassie on “Harry’s Law” but formerly of the Broadway stage as Anita in West Side Story and Vanessa in In The Heights), Christopher Fitzgerald (original Boq in Wicked, Igor in Young Frankenstein), Cynthia Nixon (please tell me you know that one) and so many more.

My highest profile celebrity sightings actually happened my freshman year of college on consecutive nights. My brother was in town and I was taking him to see the two Broadway shows he could not see with my parents: Avenue Q and Spring Awakening. Rachel McAdams sat a few rows away in Spring Awakening. Can I just say how simply radiant she is? Her skin is smooth like porcelain. No one was bothering her, so we didn’t either, but when we left the theater and she was just zipping down the street I couldn’t resist. We got her autograph and she was genuine and down to earth. More shocking than her quiet demeanor was that most people had no idea who she was. Hello! Mean Girls! The Notebook! Geez.

The subsequent evening Joseph and I went to Avenue Q. We walked to 42^nd Street to get on the subway and BAM! Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew Broderick and Mikhail Baryshnikov.  By the looks of their Playbills they had just seen The Pirate Queen. I lost my mind and started running after her screaming, “Miss Jessica Parker! Miss Jessica Parker” as if her middle name was actually a hyphenated last name. One of my finer moments. She did stop to sign our playbills, ducking behind her male entourage so as not to cause too much commotion. She freaked when we tried to take a photo. Note: Do not EVER try to take a photo of her if you get that close. But how nice of her to stop (and how stupid of us not to talk to Matthew and Mikhail)!

While this major sighting was clearly exciting, I actually prefer my little passingsby and casual Apple store conversations. 

Today, I ran by Amy Brenneman on 42nd Street. I love her on “Private Practice” and she was completely dressed down. You wouldn’t even recognize her. 

When these moments happen, my heart races just a bit and I get this little jolt of adrenaline. I think I react this way mostly because I realize “They’re people, too!” They’re on the subway, and at the bus stop, and chatting on their phones as they almost get run over by cabs. They dress in sweats and go out with no makeup on!! Sometimes, they’re even REALLY REALLY nice. They are thankful for fans. I like to think that celebrity spottings are like winning the sidewalk lottery—that luck must be on my side and my future fate is on the up and up.

In what other city do celebrities roam the streets like normal people? (And don’t say LA because I refuse to believe they act normal there.) New York is primed for moments like these. I just hope I keep running into them and my good luck streak stretches for a long New York moment.

"Musical Comedy, the most glorious words in the English language"

This past weekend I ventured up to Syracuse to see my siblings. My sister is a freshman at the Newhouse School of Communications and my brother is a junior in the school of Visual and Performing Arts. The occasion for my visit: my brother had a double show weekend and I went to see him.

Cast as Sylvius in the mainstage show As You Like It, my brother was stoked for his first lead up there. Not that the show wasn’t fantastic—it was—and not that he wasn’t fantastic in it—he was—but the true treat of the weekend was his more intimate cabaret, Myths and Hymns. 

He and his four classmates worked all semester to write a one-hour cabaret, outlining life in the Drama Department at SU for a prospective student. Packed with the best songs from Broadway (most with rewritten lyrics) and original choreography, the show poked fun at Syracuse, the program with ridiculously high expectations, and the strange characters that comprise the drama department faculty. 

Now, I didn’t go to Syracuse and there were some jokes that went over my head. However, as a musical comedy fan this show was the genre at its finest. I laughed, I resisted the urge to hum along, I grooved in my seat, I beamed in pride, and I cried. 

While the show was one big spoof, there was a moment when each of the five students got serious. In a very Chorus Line fashion, each performer approached the edge of the stage with a photo of themself at a young age. I listened to each of them explain why they chose musical theater as their path and then they flipped over the photo to show their professional headshot they hope will be their ticket to do this for the rest of their lives.

Jonathan Larson’s song “Why” from Tick, Tick... Boom! strung together these true-to-life monologues.(Video below)

Hey what a way to spend the day

Hey what a way to spend the day

I make a vow

Right here and now

I’m gonna spend my time this way

I’m gonna spend my time this way

As my brother told his story about dancing in his high school show to Gloria Estefan’s “Get On Your Feet,” his eyes sparkled. He spoke about how—at the time— he asked the audience to stand up and dance in the aisles and how his family was the first to pop up. In that moment he knew that this was more than a love. Dancing is his soul mate. And as I cried at the beauty in his confession, I listened to him and his friends sing, “I’m gonna spend my time this way.”

It’s crazy to me that these 20- and 21-year-olds can be so sure of how they want to spend their futures. Performers. That’s what they want to be when they grow up. It’s even crazier to me that some of them have known it deep down for so long. I still feel like I’m floundering to figure out what I want to be when I grow up, and I’m already in the working world.

But when you think about it the way they do...the way the song does, it sounds so easy to decide. “Hey what a way to spend the day. Hey what a way to spend the day. ... I’m gonna spend my time this way. I’m gonna spend my time this way.”

And then it seems simple. How do you want to spend the day? How do you want to spend your time? 

When I see those kids...their passion, their absolute yearning to succeed at this, I know that they feel so blessed that they get to spend the day singing and dancing and acting and learning. As much as they “hate it,” they know that SU Drama is a gift. They love the way they spend their days. I think this may be the key to happiness and fulfillment, at least when it comes to career.

I want to feel that way about what I choose to do when I grow up. I want to be so in love with what I do that my eyes dance with fire. I want to deliberately choose the way to spend my days. 

A piece of what I love is writing. So I thank you for reading, and giving me a way to spend (at least) my Sunday.

While I figure out the rest, I shall continue to enjoy musical comedy. In fact, last night I went to yet another farce: Columbia’s 118th Varsity Show. As promised, below are some ways you can go see some New York theater (musical comedy or not) without paying full price. I hope you see something as inspirational as I did.

Rush, lottery and standing room

If you live here in New York, or if you just have the luxury of spontaneity, try day-of rush or lottery for Broadway and off-Broadway shows. Depending on the show, most box offices offer deep discounts hours before the curtain. If a show has a ticket lottery, you can arrive at the theater (usually) 2.5 hours in advance and enter your name in the drawing. Each show has a fixed number of tickets they lottery off each day. Typically the seats are front row or side boxes. Often times they can be partial view—but can you really complain when you’re paying $20-30? The names of winners are pulled approximately 2 hours before curtain. Make sure you bring a photo ID and cash—while some lotteries now accept credit cards, most do not. Do not be that person to win tickets and have no dollars to pay with. Fun fact: Rent was the first Broadway show to hold a ticket lottery.

Student rush evolved as a way for high school and college students—aka kids without income—to see high quality theater for low prices. These seats can also be front row and box seats. Most student rush happens when the box office opens for the day (often at 10AM). Depending on the popularity of the show, people can line up starting at 7AM or at 9:30AM. Best to visit the box office and ask the attendants at the window what time the line typically begins to form. Don’t forget your student ID and cash.

Fear not poor non-students! With the economy the way that it is, students aren’t the only ones short on cash. General rush functions on the same policy as student rush (minus the student ID part). Same seating section, same price. You may have to show up early, but when you end up paying around $60-70 for two tickets instead of $136.50 for a single ticket it will totally be worth it. Brava!

If none of these work for you, there is the chance that you can get last-minute standing room seats when the show is sold out. For shows like Book of Mormon, the standing room line can be long. But for most other shows, standing room is cheap and available. Check at the box office just before the curtain rises. It may be your lucky night.

For a list of shows and the details of their individual policies, you can visit playbill.com or any of the show’s individual websites for their ticketing policies.

Discounts for young people

For those of you young sprightly theatergoers, you can subscribe as a member to discount ticket services. Roundabout Theatre Company (responsible for such shows as the Tony-winning revival Anything Goes) offers HIPtix, $20 to any Roundabout show for ticket buyers age 18-35. All you have to do is go to the website and sign up for HIPtix. The membership is free and you can get up to two tickets per show—your guest will have to show proof of age at the box office. Plus, HIPtix throws great parties after the show. Buy your tickets online, by phone or in person.

To compete with HIPtix, Lincoln Center Theater (host of Tony-sweeping War Horse) offers LincTix for ticket buyers ages 30 and under. Sign up for a LincTix membership by visiting their website. Then, whenever you want to see a show all you have to do is sign in with your member ID number, pick your show, pick your date, and get one seat for only $30. There are a limited number of LincTix seats per show, but this is better than rush and lottery because you can purchase these seats in advance! What if you want to go with a friend? If they are a LincTix member, you can use their name and ID number to request seats together. What if you want to go to a show with someone over 30 you say? Just visit the box office. You can buy one seat with your ID number and one full price seat side-by-side.

Finally, there is Manhattan Theater Club’s 30 under 30 deal. It works just like it sounds, offering $30 tickets for buyers 30 years and under. You can buy up to two $30 tickets for any MTC show subject to availability. At MTC your guest can be any age, but YOU must be under 30. Sometimes there are parties, giveaways or extra perks to non-MTC shows. Isn’t it great to be young?

TKTS

Back to day-of sales, the TKTS booth at 47^th Street and Broadway can be great for discounted seats that may be more desirable than front row. The booth located under the red stairs in Duffy Square opens at 10AM for matinee performances (11AM on Sundays) and 3PM for evening performances (2PM on Tuesdays). Tickets are on sale at 20-50% off. Check the board to see what shows are selling that day. Some shows like Phantom of the Opera are on sale at TKTS all the time. Other shows like Book of Mormon, Wicked or Jersey Boys rarely light up that digital show list.

Less people know about the other TKTS locations at the South Street Seaport and Downtown Brooklyn. Both of these locations sell day-of tickets for evening performances and next-day tickets to matinee performances. Check the link for their hours.

Cash and credit cards accepted.

2-for1 Off Broadway Week

Usually once in the early fall and once in the winter, NYC & Company sponsors 2-for-1 Broadway and off-Broadway week, in which you can buy one ticket and get one ticket free. Check nycgo.com for dates and details.

Broadwaybox.com

Finally, if you’re just desperate to see a show without waiting in lines or waiting until the last minute, broadwaybox.com is a great website for legitimate discounts on theater tickets. No age requirements. Purchase in advance. The prices are not as low as the other methods above, but at least you will save a little. 

New York on a Dime

Here in New York City, life is expensive. In fact, just about two weeks ago reports confirmed that rents in New York have never been higher. As described by Citi Habitats (and reported by NY mag) “the average rent for a place in Manhattan now stands at $3,418—more than it was back in 2007, at the height of the real estate bubble.”

We pay through the nose to live here. But, there is a reason we all choose to withstand the obnoxious cost of living. Personally, I put up with because there is no better place to live at this point in my life. Why? Because where else is there something to do every single hour of the day? New York is a hub of culture collisions and entertainment, fine dining and museums, random moments and planned nighttime revelry.

Sometimes it can be hard to afford all New York has to offer.

Well this week, Iʼm letting you in on some of my secrets to FREE (and dirt cheap) enjoyment of the Big Apple. Because you donʼt have to be rolling in dough to have a good time.

Iʼm not talking about buying from Groupon, or Living Social, or Bloomspot or Lifebooker or blah blah blah.

When I worked at Time Out New York, one of my duties was to write the “Get This” promotional page in the magazines (Time Out New York and Time Out Kids). Every week it was my job to write up the little paragraph to entice readers to enter for free prizes—anything from free Broadway show tickets to a free hotel stay at the Thompson LES (did I mention these prizes are free?).

Not only did I write the page, but I collected the entry data and called happy winners each week. ONCE A WEEK I gave away free prizes to readers. And based on the data I collected, the entrants’ chances were really good. For those of you outside of paradise, you don’t have to live in New York to win. I donʼt write the contest anymore, but now I spend each week entering in hopes of winning one of their awesome prize packages. You should, too.

The catch? As far as I know, there isnʼt one. While entrants did provide their email addresses, at the time I worked there we did not send mass emails to that list. Times may have changed, but to my knowledge there is no down side here.

Aside from Get This, Time Out also sponsor Free Stuff and Free Flix. They are giving things away, people. Move tickets to advance movie screenings. Show tickets to plays in previews. Why not sit in the audience for free?

In fact, most magazines have promotional giveaway programs. They want their readers to engage with their publication, even if that just means entering a contest every once in a while. Elle magazine has a page of their site dedicated to Sweepstakes. Who knows? You might be the lucky winner of all of those designer shoes for the small price of providing your email address.

But seriously, if you don’t want their news flooding your inbox, just give them your SPAM email (you know the one you created for this exact purpose) or just unsubscribe from their newsletter the first chance you get. Or maybe, you will be surprised and realize that you like getting their newsletter because (like the contest you entered) the content is of interest to you.

Aside from looking in the magazines you subscribe to, it may be worth searching out websites that serve specific communities. I happen to belong to an organization called the Urban Girl Squad. This organization is amazing and if you are a young woman living in New York City, you need to check them out NOW. UGS runs a weekly contest on Facebook. Each Friday at 12pm, they post the contest on their page. All you have to do is comment. I won two free tickets to an advance screening of The Grey by commenting with my best story of “roughing it in the wild.” Another time, I won a free ticket to one of their fabulous events. Free yoga classes and customized designer fashion accessories are some of the other giveaways popping up on my newsfeed.

Check out the Facebook pages of your favorite organizations. Companies want you to do more than like their page; they want you to interact with the brand. That often means free perks!

Zagat.com caters to the foodie community, famous for their coverage of restaurants and bars. Zagat runs discounts for specific restaurants on a weekly basis. Get 30% off the bill at some of their favorite places. Aside from their bargains, I just entered to win ticket to their 30 under 30 party, a night of fancy cuisine featuring renowned and up-and-coming chefs and mixologists. Someone has to win. It could be me. I mean...you.

Aside from contests, there are ways to have cheap fun without having your name drawn out of a hat. On rainy days like today, museums can be a great way to stretch your legs when you’re stuck indoors. Many people donʼt realize, but the “price of admission” at American Museum of Natural History is actually a suggested donation. The $19 they want to charge you as an adult, totally optional. The Met is the same way. And The Whitney has a pay-what-you-wish policy on Friday nights from 6pm-9pm.

Now donʼt be a cheap jerk and pay nothing. After all, to keep these fortresses of art and history running the museums need income. But no one will blame you for paying $5-10 instead of the advertised price.

Perhaps you are on the hunt for more extravagant enjoyment in the city, like dining at that restaurant whoʼs chef was on Iron Chef America or spending a luxurious time at a spa. Thank goodness there are opportunities for these experiences on the (relative) cheap.

Restaurant week (really more like month) happens twice a year—usually in February and July. As advertised on NYCgo.com, restaurant week refers to the time when hot shot New York eateries put together pre-fixe menus for diners that are cheaper than going in for a meal on a regular day.

Dinner is usually $35 three-course prix-fixe and lunch is usually $25 three-course prix fixe. Think you can’t afford that dinner at Bobby Flayʼs Mesa Grill? I did. This past winter. It was fantastic. Totally affordable and just as classy as any other day of the year. Mark your calendars because these meals can spice up your usual days of diners and Thai takeout.

Once restaurants decided to appeal to a younger and less affluent demographic—so as to hook us once we do have money—spas thought they would jump on the bandwagon. Now we have spa week. Unfortunately, Iʼm a week overdue in alerting you since it was last week. BUT, mark your calendars for April 2013 folks because participating venues offer $50 treatments for a full week. This includes, facials, massages, seaweed wraps, mani/pedis, even cellulite treatments and botox (though I will stick to creams and oils over lasers and needles).

Even though you missed spa week, you can go to spaweek.com and check out discounts all year long.

Now when it comes to my one true love, the theater, there really arenʼt many ways to enjoy this for free unless you win one of the previously mentioned contests. Having worked in the business, I do have friends who occasionally have access to free tickets and I get to go as their date.

Aside from connections, free theater seats do not abound. Good news! Cheap ones do. There are TOO MANY ways to get cheap theater seats to describe here. You will just have to wait until next time!

While you’re waiting, what’s your secret to affordable/free fun in the city?

Only good things

This past week I started thinking about how important it is to me to maintain the active healthy lifestyle I’ve worked to make my regimen.

My thought was: I the ultimate goal is to lead a happy life, then our bodies—literally the casing that holds us in—should be kept happy. This is not some superficial “I want to look hot” philosophy. This is about feeling good because your body feels good. This is about caring for your outer armor, because you only get one.

And as a wise blonde woman once said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.”

Let’s be honest. I know I feel way more energized when I drink a smoothie, as opposed to feeling sluggish after a cupcake. (Sometimes the cupcake is worth it because it’s just that tasty, but sometimes I find myself eating things because they’re put in front of me rather than making a conscious decision that the junk food is what I want.)

I’m not saying don’t treat your body. Every once in a while, go have that scoop of Ben & Jerry’s. I know that makes me happy. But when it comes to what I put in your body consistently, I am more conscientious. My experience tells me that overindulgence can take its toll.

I just finished yet another Jewish holiday where it felt like I just ate all day long and then sat around and ate more. My body was not thrilled. In fact, I felt like running around outside and playing a game of tag. My body yearned to move, so I went to yoga to finish off my weekend. I listened to my body and was happier for it.

Perhaps most importantly, I am aware of my body’s environment. I definitely believe in feeding off of the energy of the people around you. When I’m with happy people I usually feel happy.

Be aware of the people with whom you surround yourself. Negativity can be toxic. We all have bad days, but if you notice that someone you spend a lot of time with is constantly affecting your disposition in a not-so-sunny way, it is time to re-evaluate that relationship.

This idea of positivity is a full mind-body issue—very yogi. I remembered one of my favorite lines from the movie John Q, starring Denzel Washington. If you haven’t seen it, I won’t ruin it because you should go rent it NOW, but circumstances lead Denzel’s character to give life advice to his young son:

Stay away from the bad things, son. Please. Don’t get caught up in the bad things…so many great things out there for you.

I like to think Denzel was talking to all of us.

I think of this line often. Like when people ask me if I ever smoked and my response is always, “No. I never wanted to put that shit in my body.” There are so many great things out there if we only would reach for those instead of the bad things.

Surround yourself with positivity. Be kind to people and watch how people respond in kind. Be kind to yourself.

Personally, I like to listen to music. It just makes me think of goodness. A friend of mine sent me a video of his newly formed choir singing in their first public concert. As I walked in the park, breathing fresh air and gazing past the trees on the Hudson River, I listened to these young voices. And I felt my body relax and my mind enjoy. Music is good for the body and soul.

I just re-read the first two “books” of Eat Pray Love. In the first book, Eat, Elizabeth Gilbert talks about her time in Italy. While there, one of her Italian friends explains to her that he believes every city in the world has a word that encompasses the essence. When I think of the one-word essence of New York, I think FUTURE. We are all pushing forward and aiming high, and operating at a fast and hard pace. The city is tough on the body. The urban air, the hard cement, the elevated stress level and aura of competition. It’s what we love about New York, but also what can take a toll on the human body. So exercise. Eat well. Choose a healthy crowd of supportive people in your life. Read poetry or stick your headphones in. Lay out in the sunshine.

While I truly believe that beauty does come from within, the inside deserves to be kept in a healthy, cared-for outside.

Here’s to only good things now and to come.