Free & Cheap Things to Do in NYC This Week

There’s never a dull moment in the greatest city on the planet, including this week, with the start of NYC Restaurant Week meal deals at 400+ top eateries and Broadway Week 2-for-1 tickets, and the $100 incentive for getting vaccinated continues.

Get more NYC for less money with NYC on the Cheap.

That’s our motto and we’re sticking to it.

NOTE - In accordance with the NYC vaccine requirement, visitors ages 12 and older must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter NYC museums or attend live theater performances, including those listed here.

All times listed are New York City time, also known as EST.

Add these virtual and in-person events

to your calendar for the

Week Tues., Jan. 18 To Sun ., Jan. 25

Find More Things to Do every day on our

FREE & Cheap Events Calendar

Now Underway

Photo: Sendak Foundation and Harper Collins

Get Your Kids Vaccinated at the Brooklyn Public Library

In partnership with NYC Health and Hospitals Test and Trace Corps, select BPL branches are hosting a walk-in vaccine clinic for children ages 5-11. No appointment needed.

Plus there are perks -

New York City’s $100 incentive will be available at this clinic.

Plus, kids can take a photo with a cardboard cutout of Max from Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are, and take home a free copy of the book!

This timeless, wonderful and truly magical book was a favorite of my kids when they were little.

Books and photo provided courtesy of the Sendak Foundation and HarperCollins.

Please check the events calendar in advance as schedules may change.

Click here for the schedule and locations.

Broadway Week 2-for-1 Tickets

Get BOGO tickets for top musicals and dramas for performances through Feb. 13, which is three weeks of choices

This is your annual two-week opportunity to get half-price tickets to 17 top shows, including Moulin Rouge, Come From Away, Phantom of the Opera, Wicked and The Lion King, and the new MJ musical about Michael Jackson.

For the first time this year, The Book of Mormon is particpating in the half-price promotion, but not Hamilton.

Full information here

Restaurant Week Prix Fixe Meals

Eat on the cheap, with multi-course lunches or dinners priced at $29-$59, depending on the restaurant, between Jan. 18 and Feb. 13, 2022. Which is three weeks, not one.

It’s one of the largest and longest celebration of food in the 20+ year history of NYC Restaurant week, signaling that NYC is back, baby.

Full information here

Money Matters - Retirement Planning

Retirement A to Z

If you are planning to retire soon, this FREE webinar series with top financial experts if for you.

Join the New York Public Library’s Thomas Yoseloff Business Center for an eight-part series on Retirement Planning.

These programs are designed to introduce you to the many possible sources of retirement income and resources, including social security, medicare, pension options including 401ks, individual retirement accounts, and annuities, as well as the complex issues faced when planning for loved ones with wills and/or trusts.

Wednesday at Noon starting this week, Wed., Jan. 19, through mid-March.

Registration information here

Historical Photo courtesy Museum of Jewish Heritage

Thursday - Nazis on Long Island: The Story of Camp Siegfried

One of the Bund’s most notable activities was running summer camps across the nation similar to Hitler Youth Camps. Camp Siegfried was located in Yaphank, New York and attracted numerous visitors. The camp even had its own train on the Long Island Railroad, the “Siegfried Special.”

Join the Museum of Jewish Heritage for a program exploring Camp Siegfried and Nazis in the United States.

The program will feature a panel discussion between Bess Wohl, playwright of Camp Siegfried; Bradley W. Hart, author of Hitler’s American Friends: The Third Reich’s Supporters in the United States; and Arnie Bernstein, author of Swastika Nation: Fritz Kuhn & the Rise and Fall of the German-American Bund.

The conversation will be moderated by Randi F. Marshall, Editorial Writer at Newsday.

This program is co-presented with the New York City College of Technology (CUNY) and the Holocaust Memorial & Tolerance Center of Nassau County.

FREE at 2pm, but a $10 donation is encouraged to support programs like this one.
Register here for the virtual event.

Image: Temple Emanu-el Streicker Center

Thursday - FREE Author Talk with Award-Winning Journalist Carl Bernstein

Once again, Temple Emanu-el Streicker Center is offering another compelling FREE program with a prominent journalist, author or historian. In the case of Carl Bernstein, he is all three.

CARL BERNSTEIN IN CONVERSATION
WITH MOLLY JONG-FAST

In-Person & Virtual Event*

Thursday, January 20 | 6:30 PM

Free (with option to buy book)


REGISTER

*If Covid-19 restrictions prevent large gatherings, this program will become virtual-only. All in-person tickets will automatically transfer. A link to the virtual program will be emailed to buyers the day prior. If a book is included in your ticket purchase, it will be mailed to the address you provide. No refunds will be available.

It’s hard to imagine the young reporter who helped break the Watergate scandal and topple President Richard Nixon — and won the Pulitzer Prize for telling that story — as a 16-year-old truant who almost flunked out of high school.

But Carl Bernstein has always been known as a risk taker, which might well be the secret to his success. After squeaking through school by the skin of his teeth, by the age of 19 he’d earned a spot as a reporter at the Evening Star,

He didn’t keep it for long, however, because he refused to finish college. Still, within a year, he was back in the game with a job at The Washington Post and on his way to becoming a pioneer of investigative journalism.

In his new memoir, Chasing History: A Kid in the Newsroom, Bernstein traces his early days in the bedlam of the nation’s capital and joins us to discuss, with his typical frankness and wit, a determined young man’s dogged commitment to truth and a lifetime of taking on the powerful.

After leaving the Post in 1977, Carl Bernstein reported for ABC, CNN, and CBS, breaking story after story about the CIA and American media, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the political dexterity of Pope John Paul II. He is the author of five other books.

Image: Metropolitan Museum of Art

New Museum Exhibit - Inspiring Walt Disney

Pink castles, talking sofas, and objects coming to life: what sounds like fantasies from the pioneering animation of Walt Disney Animation Studios were in fact the figments of the colorful salons of Rococo Paris.

The Met’s first-ever exhibition exploring the work of Walt Disney and the hand-drawn animation of Walt Disney Animation Studios examines Disney’s personal fascination with European art and the use of French motifs in his films and theme parks.

Explore the parallels between the studios’ magical creations and their artistic models including nods to Gothic Revival architecture in Cinderella (1950), medieval influences on Sleeping Beauty (1959), and Rococo-inspired objects brought to life in Beauty and the Beast (1991).

The exhibition also marks the 30th anniversary of the animated theatrical release of Beauty and the Beast.

It’s open through March 6, 2022, when it moves to London’s Wallace Collection, co-organizer of the exhibition with the Met.

Here’s a review of the exhibit by PBS All Arts.

Ticket information here.

What to Do With the Kids

Photo of Lamb Chop: MCNY

Puppets of New York

Get up close with New York City’s quirkiest residents—puppets! At the Museum of the City of New York.

Puppets of New York examines the extraordinary, surprising, and diverse history of the puppetry traditions, practices, and languages that made New York City home.

This wonderful new exhibit features more than 100 puppets that span the city’s history from theater, television, and street life—including Lamb Chop, Sesame Street, Avenue Q, The Lion King on Broadway, avant-garde theater, parades, and more, and poised to bring joy and awe to people of all ages.

Seriously - who doesn’t love puppets?

butterfly conservatory_american museum of natural history

Photo: American Museum of Natural History

AMNH Butterfly Conservatory

The Butterfly Conservatory: Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter

Celebrating its 23rd year, this popular attraction returns to the American Museum of Natural History and transforms the coldest day into a summer escape.

Walk through a special area to be greeted by up to 500 fluttering, iridescent butterflies among blooming tropical flowers and lush green vegetation in 80-degree temperatures.

Open through May, 2022.

AMNH is at 79th St. and Central Park West
Make it a museum day, and visit the New York Historical Society one block away

Museum Exhibits We Recommend

Notorious RBG: The Life & Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Explore the life and impact of Brooklyn-born Ruth Bader Ginsburg – the trailblazing Supreme Court Justice and cultural icon – at a new exhibit at the New York Historical Society.

Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg features personal artifacts, archival photographs and documents, historical artifacts, contemporary art, media stations, and interactives spanning RBG’s varied roles as student, wife to Martin “Marty” Ginsburg, mother, lawyer, judge, women’s rights pioneer, and internet phenomenon.

More information here.

Also now at the New York Historical Society - and for the same admission price - see

Georgia O'Keefe_New York Historical Society

Georgia O’Keefe painting courtesy New York Historical Society

Scenes of New York City: The Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld Collection

Celebrate a dynamic and multifaceted New York City from the 19th century to the present day with 130 stunning paintings, sculptures and works on paper by artists including Marc Chagall, David Hockney, Edward Hopper, Jacob Lawrence, Louise Nevelson, Georgia O’Keeffe, Norman Rockwell and Andy Warhol

The exhibition showcases the extraordinary promised gift to New-York Historical from philanthropists and art collectors Elie and Sarah Hirschfeld, whose collection encompasses many views of an ever-evolving city.

Through Feb. 27, 2022

Photo: Rubin Museum

Mandala Lab at Rubin Museum

There’s always good Karma at the Rubin.

Get FREE tickets for the opening night celebration of the new Mandala Lab, the Rubin’s latest interactive space. Explore innovative installations, enjoy free admission, soak up beats with DJ Luna Rosa, and toast the new third floor.

The Rubin is at 150 West 17th St., open 11am to 5pm Sat./Sun. and to 10pm on Friday.

FREE admission on Friday evenings.

Reserve your free timed entry ticket here.

More NYC Museums & Exhibits Worth Visiting

Skyscraper Museum

This wonderful small museum just steps from Battery Park is all about the history and architecture of skyscrapers around the world, and how they influenced the growth of cities.It’s re-opening with open the long-delayed Supertall 2020 exhibition, now renamed Supertall 2021.

The show is both a survey of 58 supertalls worldwide - including here in NYC - and a showcase of a dozen recently completed towers that represent some of the most stunning new forms and innovative approaches to structural engineering around the world today.

There’s also a virtual lecture series World View presented talks by the principal designers of these extraordinary projects.

Skyscraper Museum is now open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from noon to 6pm, with FREE admission, but timed-entry reservations are required.

Book your FREE ticket here.
The Skyscraper Museum is at 39 Battery Place across the street from the Museum of Jewish Heritage, another must-visit NYC museum.

Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA)

This little gem is about the history and influence of Chinese in America, from building railroads to building high tech networks, fashion, games, food, and more.Current exhibitions include Asian American Responses: Resisting the Tide of Racism, and a photography exhibit of Chinatown.It has re-opened with its normal pre-Pandemic hours:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 6pm

FREE Admission: In celebration of receiving a generous donation from Mackenzie Scott, MOCA is able to offer free admission for all throughout the run of the Responses Exhibit,

MOCA is at 125 Centre Street.
No Reservation Needed.

Louis Armstrong House Museum

This off-the-radar gem in Queens has reopened for in-person tours.

NYC Libraries Return to Full ServiceYet another sign that NYC is back in business – NYC libraries in all five boroughs are back to full service/

That means you can borrow books and CDs, use the FREE computers, and more, at all three NYC library systems, NYPL, Brooklyn Library and Queens Library.

Full information here.

National Museum of the American Indian

This branch of the Smithsonian is always FREE.

Exhibits feature the arts and culture of native peoples from Alaska to the southern tip of South America.

NMAI is open Monday to Friday, 11am to 4pm, at 2 Broadway at the northern edge of Battery Park.

Timed admission tickets are required.

Photo: Cooper Hewitt

Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum

This museum is housed in the glorious and opulent former home of Andrew Carnegie.

Timed admission tickets are required

The Guggenheim Museum of Art

Pay-what-you-wish Friday and Saturday, 4pm to 6pm
Reservations are required.

Jewish Museum

There is FREE admission all day Saturday.

Visitors with disabilities and their caregiver receive free admission every day.Get more from your visit with the FREE audio tour you can download into your smartphone.

Explore the Jewish Museum through the voices of artists, scholars, rabbis, and more. From thematic tours including Jewish Rituals and Artists’ Voices; to tours for kids and families, and Verbal Description tours for individuals who are blind or have low vision. Uncover rich stories from many voices and perspectives at Tours.TheJewishMuseum.org.Headphones must be used in the galleries.

More information here.

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More to Do in NYC Every Weekend

Greenpoint Terminal Market

This popular outdoor market is back for the season on Saturdays and Sundays, with a full roster of vendors, including food, and also entertainment.

This season, Greenpoint Terminal Market expands with roller skate rental and lessons, Yoga, Capoeira,fitness, art and dance classes.And there’s always the expansive and gorgeous views of the Manhattan skyline.

There are more than 100 vendors, from vintage and antiques to local art and design, and fashion.

International food vendors on hand reflect the multi-cultural diversity of Brooklyn.

Greenpoint Terminal Market is at 2 Noble St., Brooklyn.

- By Subway – take the G Train to Greenpoint Avenue
- By Ferry – take the East River Ferry to Greenpoint

NYCOTC Publisher/Executive Editor Evelyn Kanter is a native New Yorker who has written for the NY Times, NY Daily News, NY Post, New York Magazine, and is a former on-air reporter for WCBS Newsradio 88 and WABC-TV Eyewitness News.