Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

Happy Sunday!

Instead of being home on the day of rest, i'm at work. I have no complaints about being here. I need the extra cash. Living in the Big Apple is no joke. Everything's so doggone expensive. (I would have said something else, but I promised my Auntie Ann I wouldn't curse). I love New York, but it's almost like the city is turning into a place specifically for those who are well off. That led me to try and find some things to do in the city that are either free, or don't cost much. The goal was to find 20 things. Here's what I came up with:

1.
Take advantage of free or "pay what you wish" nights at the city's finest museums, including:The Whitney Museum of American Art (Friday nights free, 212-570-3676)The Solomon R. Guggenheim (Fridays 5-8 pay what you wish, 212-423-3500)The Museum of American Folk Art, free (212-977-7170)The Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design, Tuesday evenings free (212-860-6868)The Steuben Gallery, free (212-752-1441)

2.
Catapult into the future at the Sony Wonder Technology Lab, where interactive exhibitions thrill children of all ages (212-833-8100).

3.
Let African-American culture inspire you at Harlem's Schomberg Center for Research in Black Culture (212-491-2200).

4.
Taste the Big Apple at its sweetest at the Union Square Green Market, where you can sample fresh fruit, vegetables, baked goods, cider and much more (212-477-3220).

5.
Explore the greenhouses and gardens of Wave Hill, a 28-acre former estate overlooking the Hudson River in the Bronx (free during the week and Saturdays before noon, otherwise $4 adults, $2 seniors/students, 718-549-3200).

6.
Browse for bargains at the famous Sixth Avenue Antiques Market, between 24th and 27th Streets (free, weekends only). Other markets include the famous fleas at Columbus Avenue and West 76th Street (Sundays only) and the weekend market on Houston Street between Sullivan and Thompson.

7.
Catch the breeze even in August on the Battery Park Esplanade, complete with spectacular views of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. In nearby Hudson River Park, the Battery Park City Authority presents a "Sounds at Sunset" summer series of poetry readings, cabaret and classical music (212-416-5328).

8.
Stop and smell the roses at The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and learn about botany and garden lore at special exhibitions in the conservatory (718-622-4433).

9.
Enjoy the best classical music, drama, opera, dance and jazz New York has to offer--including the New York Philharmonic, City Opera, Shakespeare in the Park, and much more--at free warm-weather concerts in the city parks (information 212-360-3444).

10. Every Friday and Saturday night the Brooklyn Academy of Music opens up its BAMcafé free to the public. Jazz, world beat, and experimental artists keep the crowd rocking.

11. If it's free blues you're after, you can't do any better than the gratis shows every Friday and Saturday night at the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill. Shows start at 9 p.m.; get there early for good seats.

12. Visit the Studio Museum of Harlem and watch contemporary artists hard at work on their newest masterpieces. Plan your visit well, though: It's only free the first Saturday of every month.

13. Remember that favorite TV show from your childhood? Well you can probably find an episode at the Museum of the Moving Image. Free admission to the galleries is from Friday evenings from 4 to 8.

14. Join a free yoga class beside the Hudson or relax at the scenic gardens, all inside Riverside Park. A limited number of kayaks can be borrowed for free.

15. The annual Broadway on Broadway show offers skits and musical numbers from every major show playing. Admission is free, but highly coveted, so book early.

16. Theater buffs start lining up at 6 a.m. for tickets to Shakespeare in the Park, presented free each summer. Tickets are distributed at 1 p.m. the day of the show at either the Delacorte Theater in Central Park or the Public Theater. There are two productions each summer, five weeks per year.

17. Every day dozens of deals are posted on www.myopenbar.com for the discerning drinker. Often this involves a certain promoted tipple for the entire evening, but most commonly involves free "well" drinks (the standard ones - not the fancy shelved ones) for a certain amount of time. Who cares, it's free booze. Perhaps the biggest surprise is that the bars aren't all grotty dives … decent venues in SoHo, Brooklyn and the Lower East Side frequently pop up. (I actuallylike a grotty dive now and then).

18. In the west of SoHo, SOB's is one of New York's most prestigious Latin and Hip Hop clubs. Each Friday from 7pm they offer free salsa classes lead by a dance master and his twirl-a-minute lady friend. Men have to pay the obligatory $10 entrance, which covers the rest of the evening (after the class, the nightclub proper begins), but women go free. The distinctive New York salsa technique of "breaking on the second" levels the playing field between newbies and intermediates.

19. There are several sightseeing and party cruises around Manhattan. Some are reasonably priced and others cost a bit more. You can buy tickets at http://www.viator.com/New-York-City-tours/Cruises-Sailing-and-Water-Tours/d687-g3

20. Harlem Meer Catch and Release Fishing - This a popular family and community activity. The Dana Center provides free poles, unbarbed hooks, and instruction booklets. Located inside the Park at Central Park North (110th Street) between Fifth Avenue and Malcolm X Boulevard (Lenox Avenue). (212) 860-1370

www.clubfreetime.com/new_york.asp is a good resource for free activities in New York. They list events by day as well.

Hope these suggestions are useful