Tryin' to catch me ridin' dirty

You may have noticed an influx of blue bikes in NYC lately. Or perhaps you've embarked on your morning stroll, only to discover that a bike docking station has appeared along the street around the corner. Watching New Yorker after New Yorker whiz past on a metallic blue bike (front basket included) has made me pretty eager to discover what the deal is with Citi Bike.

Image from nytimes.com

Citi Bike is a bike sharing system that allows customers to pick-up and drop-off bikes at any docking station in the city. Residents (or visitors) of NY can choose to purchase a 24-Hour Access Pass ($9.95), a 7-Day Access Pass ($25.95), or an Annual Membership ($95.00). The only catch is that bikers must check their bikes into a Citi Bike station every 30 minutes, or 45 minutes for annual members.

So, is taking advantage of Citi Bike something you should look into? From an environmental standpoint, yes! NYC has no shortage of pollution output, so the more people that choose bikes over cars the better. In terms of your health, bikes are a great alternative to riding the train, or hopping in a cab. What about the financial aspect of purchasing Citi Bike passes? Ninety-five dollars is less than the price of a month-long metro card—so $95 a year for unlimited bike trips is much cheaper than a year's worth of subway fare!

The fact that bikes must be checked in every 30-45 minutes could be a hassle for those with a longer commute. If the distance from home to work or home to school can be traveled via bike, however, then I would definitely recommend trading in your subway card for a Citi Bike pass. Try it out for a day or a week to decide if you are able to take advantage of what Citi Bike has to offer. Even a day of biking back and forth from home to work has benefits for your health, and for the health of the planet.

As for me, I first have to overcome my fear of biking in the city! I think I'll ease into it by starting out with a bike ride in an outer borough, and then slowly work my way towards biking in Manhattan. It would certainly be nice to save some of the money that I spend on subway fare each month.

Another option is, of course, to purchase and ride your own bike without any time constraints. The advantage of Citi Bike is that you'll never struggle to store your bike, as there are countless docking station locations. If finding a place to lock up your bike is not a problem for you, however, then riding your own bike would be the financially superior choice.

Looking Ahead to the Opera

I think the opera is great. The costumes are beautiful, the sets are elaborate, and the stamina and talent of the singers is pretty amazing. But going to the opera can be kind of expensive, and even with the intermissions I have trouble sitting still for four or so hours. I was excited, then, to stumble upon a way to witness the opera that was free, and that allowed me to move around.

Each summer, the Metropolitan Opera hosts their annual Summer HD Festival. During this festival, HD recordings of well-known operas will be projected onto a screen set up in Lincoln Center Plaza. The festival is completely free for anyone who wants to stop by and have a seat, either on a blanket, a fold-up beach chair, or somewhere on the concrete.

Though seeing the opera on a screen is not quite the same as seeing it live on stage, it's about as close as you can get. An added benefit of the HD projections is that they include subtitles; I once went to see an opera in Italian, and since 'ciao' is pretty much the only Italian word I know, you can imagine I was quite lost without subtitles.

The festival takes place at the end of August (this year August 24th through September 2nd), and is a nice way to take advantage of the last of the summer weather, while simultaneously enjoying the opera. I find that the fresh air, combined with the ability to get up and walk around ensures that I will be alert throughout the performance (it also doesn't hurt that I can consume coffee in my seat). Plus you have the freedom to whisper to your friends next to you about what is happening on the stage. Just don't whisper too loudly if you're sitting with the main crowd, lest you'd like to be the target of a bombarding of "Shhhhs".

I plan on heading to Lincoln Center on September 2nd to see Aida. The screening starts at 8 pm, but as the seating is first-come, first-served I will try to arrive as early as possible. If you're only interested in seeing a snippet of opera you are free to come and go as you like, as there are no official tickets or seats.

That'll Be Five Dollars

This afternoon as I was passing through Union Square, I decided to stop by the Greenmarket to look for something to make for lunch. I had only been to the market on weekends, and was pleased to find that a Friday early afternoon was much less crowded than a Saturday early afternoon.

Having spent multiple occasions weeping while tossing out shriveled greens and molding squash, I knew better than to buy more than what I'd eat today, tomorrow, and maybe the day after. The Union Square Greenmarket is open Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, so it's worth making more than one trip a week, and only buying what I plan to make that day.

from Bodhitree Farm

I entered the market not knowing what I was in the mood for, but was immediately drawn to a pile of produce the color of eggplant, but the size of a hot pepper. The sign read "Fairytale Eggplant". I couldn't resist. 

I found some yellow and green squash further into the market, that could be roasted alongside the eggplant. I also picked up a bundle of broccoli raab, and an ear of corn (I realized that I hadn't had corn on the cob all summer, and somehow that felt very wrong).

I left the market with a wallet only $5 lighter than what it had been when I entered–not bad for a bag of produce that was certainly going to last me more than one meal. At home I discovered that I had a good amount of brown rice, a little bit of chicken in the refrigerator, and a hefty supply of spices and oils.

I washed the skins of the squash and eggplant, then chopped each one into bite sized pieces. I spread the produce out inside a casserole dish, and then added a little bit of pepper, salt, and olive oil. I opened the oven, which was preset at 400 degrees.

The smoke alarm went off immediately.

After a small battle with the smoke alarm (has anyone else found a more effective method for turning off a smoke alarm than taking it off the wall and giving it a few good smacks?), I reduced the temperature to 300 degrees and placed the dish in the oven. While the vegetables were roasting, I cooked the rice.

After 15 minutes I checked on the vegetables: still too hard. I sprinkled dried basil and some balsamic vinaigrette over top, and then left the vegetables to cook a little longer.

In another ten minutes or so, the squash and eggplant were ready. I mixed them in a bowl with the rice and heated chicken, and then sat down to enjoy the meal. It was easy, quick, and the vegetables were fresh and flavorful. Next time I would probably add tomatoes, and definitely some more eggplant, as my squash-to-eggplant ratio was a little off.

I have enough roasted veggies left over to have for lunch tomorrow, as well as the corn and greens that I can use for dinner. Combined with the abundance of legumes and grains I found in my cabinet after cleaning out my shelves last week (I am embarrassed to admit I couldn't even remember buying half of what I found), I can make it through the weekend without spending more than that $5 on food.

I think that's a price that I can come to terms with.

If you're interested in checking out a Greenmarket but Union Square is a little too far, never fear. There are many locations throughout NYC, open various days and hours. There is more than one market located in every borough, featuring local farmers from upstate New York, New Jersey, etc. If you have a question about what something is, how to tell if it's ripe, or how to cook it, don't hesitate to ask the sellers! Everyone I've talked to has been more than helpful in their recommendations.

P.S. You can now find The Penny-Pinching New Yorker on Instagram! Look for @pennypinchingnewyorker, or #pennypinchingnewyorker.

A Morning at the Hudson River

Monday morning 8 am. Wake up to the sound of a power drill in the hallway. Remind myself that it's my day off, and that I should just ignore the noises and go back to bed.
8:01 Get out of bed. Decide that listening to power drills is my personal hell on earth. Must leave immediately.
8:15 Teeth brushed, face washed, contacts inserted. Remember that I haven't done laundry in at least two weeks. Manage to find a pair of bright pink gym shorts bought in my last year of middle school. Scold myself for having no choice but to wear these shorts in public. Secretly applaud myself for not spending money on new gym shorts.
8:20 Out the door and debating where to go. Can't spend money. Wearing gym shorts.
8:25 Start walking towards Christopher Street. Head west on Christopher towards the Hudson. Visiting Hudson River Park is free, and peaceful in the mornings. Peek into a few store windows along the way. Linger outside of a restaurant that smells like coffee. Cross West St and narrowly avoid colliding with a bike.

8:35 Reach Hudson. Inhale, exhale. Begin walking south.
8:55 Start to feel inspired, because everyone around me is running. Decide I'll start running too.
9:02 Bad idea. Remember why I don't like running. Determine that walking is equally inspiring.
9:05 Pass by a couple playing tennis in one of the courts. Pass by some dogs running around in a fenced off area. Pass by benches occupied by readers, meditators, and quite a few nappers.
9:15 Try not to look alarmed as I pass by a man who seems to have lost his pants. Note that New York has probably given me a pretty killer poker face.
9:20 Pause by a grassy area and sit down in the shade. Look over at One World Trade Center. Take a moment to imagine how high up those workers must have been when they attached the building's spire. Decide that the Top of the Rock is the highest up that I'd ever like to be, besides airplanes of course.
9:40 Can no longer ignore my stomach's vocal demands for nourishment. Decide to head back.
10:00 Realize I have 35 cents in my pocket. Enough for a $0.25 banana from the food cart by the subway.
10:30 Arrive home, banana in tow, thoroughly ready for some Penny-Pincher's Morning Oatmeal. Thankful for the close proximity of a calm place to walk, a magnificent view, and a budget-friendly place to go when escaping from indoor construction.
10:40 The power drill noises recommence.

Vitamin D via Washington Square

Jumping into the fountain at Washington Square Park is one of the items on my NYC Bucket List. I've yet to cross this task off of my list, however, always blaming my hesitation on the wrong dress, or the wrong shoes. (The truth is, I'm actually scared of all of the children running around inside the fountain. They show no mercy when it comes to splashing!)


Luckily, Washington Square is good for much more than simply taking a dip in the fountain. Spanning Macdougal to Fifth Avenue, and West 4th to to Waverly Pl, this park is home to dancers, musicians, magicians, and chess players alike.

There are plenty of benches in the sun and shade for the taking, as well as open grass (though I'd suggest bringing a blanket, as the grass can be kind of muddy). It's a great place to bring a book, but there's also much to see and to hear. Take Colin Huggins, for example, also known as "the crazy piano guy". Each morning Colin Huggins wheels (or perhaps has a friend wheel, I've never asked) a grand piano into the park, and spends the day playing for visitors. I highly recommend stopping by for a listen if you get the chance. You can also usually find one or two jazz bands performing throughout the day, and sometimes solo drummers as well.

There are a few dance groups that I've seen performing in the park, including a group that executes some pretty amazing acrobatic stunts (check out this photo from Humans of New York of one of these performers). I've seen a few mimes and some very advanced jugglers (although to me, all juggling seems advanced). There have also been yoga classes, parades, and music festivals, and I'm quite sure that I saw someone on a pogo stick the other day.

The northwest corner of the park is always home to expert chess players, waiting for you to join them in a match. I'll let you know that they are extremely familiar with winning. They do, after all, play chess all day, and they are very good at betting you out of your money. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Washington Square is much, much smaller than Central Park, so it boasts a very different vibe. While you can find isolated spots in Central Park to nap or picnic, Washington Square is less private and a little more urban. While school is in session the park is bustling with NYU students, as well as lots and lots of dog walkers. If you are a dog owner yourself, there is a fenced in area where dogs can run loose and, ahem, take care of their business.

The park is also beautiful in the snow!

What this park is great for:

• children
• picnics
• listening to live music
• reading
• sunbathing
• people watching
• (getting beaten at) chess

What this park is not great for:

• going for a run
• total peace and quiet
• escaping into the wilderness
• biking
• hanging out alone in the wee hours of the morning (unless you know karate, in which case, go for it.)

P.S. The park is free! It's a great spot to bring your friends, so you can feel free to skip out on the expensive dinners without sacrificing your social life. 

Remembering 9/11

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with my roommate at the World Trade Center 9/11 Memorial. I hadn't been to the site since the memorial opened in 2011, so after the spire was recently added to the top of One World Trade Center I decided it was time.

The memorial consists of the North Pool and South Pool, the museum (not yet open), the tridents within the museum (not yet open), and the Survivor Tree. The site is surrounded by the tall buildings of the World Trade Center, including 1776-feet-tall One World Trade Center, and 977-feet-tall Four World Trade Center. Between buildings Two and Three will be the WTC transit hub. Although the site is not finished, we were able to get a good look at what has been done so far.

The North and South Pools are located where the original Twin Towers stood. Along the perimeters of the pools are the names of the victims of 9/11, as well as the names of the six people who were killed in the bombing of the WTC garage in February of 1993.

The Survivor Tree is a Callery Pear tree that workers recovered (in stump form) at Ground Zero. The tree was replanted in a park where it could grow, but today resides once again at the World Trade Center. You can touch the bark (but not the leaves) when you visit the memorial.

When the museum opens it will feature two steel tridents, recovered from the North Tower facade. Other artifacts from the original site will also be featured.

The memorial contains electronic directories that allow visitors to look up victims from the attack, and then locate their names on either pool.  Visitors can search the name, flight number, or hometown of the victim; my roommate comes from a very small town, and we were surprised and saddened to find that someone born there had been a passenger on Flight 77.

Memorial Museum

In spite of the tragedy that occurred on September 11th, the memorial that honors the victims and heroes of that day is quite beautiful. I highly recommend taking a trip down to see it, and I look forward to returning when the museum is open, and the surrounding buildings are complete.

Let's Talk Logistics.

• Cost The memorial is free to the public. Visitor passes can be acquired at the site itself (which requires a long wait in line), or you can reserve passes online for a $2.00 fee. We chose the latter option because it was hot outside and we didn't want to be stuck in line, and I'm very glad that we did!
• Security The security is like that of an airport. You will need to remove your watches, keys, and sunglasses, and make sure you don't have a pocket knife on you. Ladies keep your purses small, as bags that exceed 8"x17"x19" will not be accepted. 
• Transportation The 1/2/3/4/5/6 trains all stop close to the location. The M5, M20 and M22 buses are also options. We took the 1 train to Rector street, and it was a quick walk from there to the memorial's entrance. 

Check the forecast ahead of time to visit on a day with good weather. It is pretty amazing to sit on one of the benches and look up at how tall those buildings really are...

Been working on the railroad

On a day when you feel like being outside, not spending a lot of money, and reconnecting with nature, NYC has got you covered. The city boasts a good number of parks that each vary in atmosphere, and that are all free and open to the public.


Today we're going to talk about the railroad.

The High Line is a park built on an old rail line, that runs above the Meatpacking District up to 34th street. It is a somewhat narrow strip that overlooks the Hudson, and gives walkers a good look at some architecturally unique buildings. The tracks are still visible in locations throughout the park, decorated by the plants growing around them.

This park is great for a morning, afternoon, or evening stroll (the park is open from 7:00 AM-11:00 PM). In summertime, especially on weekends, it can get pretty crowded during the day, so plan on walking at a pretty leisurely pace. The park is a good spot to bring some reading, as there are benches and lounge chairs for the taking; this is also a great way to get some sun if your skin is looking a little, well, paler than you'd like it to.

The park is completely free but there are a few snack and souvenir stands along the way, so try not to be lured in by these tempting sights if you're looking to Penny-Pinch. Whenever I walk the High Line I like to make a detour down to Chelsea Market on 15th street, and browse through the various shops there (strictly window-shopping of course).


Along the way you'll find some artwork, mostly in the form of sculptures. This morning while walking the High Line I saw a video projected along the side wall of an underpass. There was also a sculpture of a nose inside a wheelbarrow (find the deeper meaning in that) and a woman wearing sunglasses that I've posted here.

A Night out at the Movies

Last year, when I saw Titanic in 3D, I cried. It's hard to say though, whether those tears were from the scene at the very end of the movie where Rose and Jack reunite (ok I'm sorry, I'm a girl, it gets me every time), or the fact that I paid $17 to see the movie.

Yikes.

Movies in the city are not cheap... at all. But I love going to the movies, especially on a summer night when you can't think of what to do. Luckily, there is a way to see movies for cheap when you're in the city for the summer. More than cheap, the movies are actually free. Parks across the city hold outdoor screenings of movies throughout the summer (see the schedule here). Last year I sat by the Hudson and saw an outdoor screening of Horrible Bosses. Granted I left to take a phone call halfway through the film and missed the second half (I swear every time I sit down to watch that movie something comes up and I miss the end—I'm assuming they don't actually kill their bosses but I really couldn't tell you), but it was fun to be out there on the grass with everyone and their picnic blankets.

Plus you really can't beat a free movie.

These outdoor movies are also a great thing to do on a date. Take a look at the schedule to see if anything strikes your fancy. I know I'll be at Pier 63 on July 31st to see Moonrise Kingdom, which if you haven't seen yet, I highly recommend.