Moving to New York City, the first thing you notice are high prices. A monthly unlimited metrocard is $89 with the possibility of a fare hike; an average room in a safe area is $600-650 a month and shopping for organic food is surely beyond your limited funds. If looking at price tags often makes you dizzy or think that “no way can I afford this,” you should know that there are also things you can get at no cost. Free stuff you receive may lack quality or accessibility, but it’s still better than nothing. Here are 10 things that may satisfy your needs from different areas of your life for free if you can’t pay for them otherwise:
1. Food and drinks. Free food is often available at festivals, church events, and receptions. Follow advertisements and listen to what people around you are saying. You can also go online on www.nyc.gov to find a local pantry where those who are in need can get food. If you want to apply for a $250 grocery gift card for free, check out http://localstateprograms.com/newyork/ for more information. There are also restaurants and bars that serve complimentary snacks, but this is not completely free, so it may not be the best way to go. However, if you would like to drink at no cost, sign up for weekly listings at http://nyc.myopenbar.com/ and you will always know where to go on a day off.
2. Restrooms. Soon after you eat, you need to use a restroom. New York City is not San Francisco: there are no free public toilets that go through a cleaning cycle every time after you do your business. If you dare to walk into a restaurant and ask them for a bathroom, they are likely to make you buy something. Where can you go for free? Starbucks Coffee shops always work. Another good idea is to go inside a huge shopping center, like a Century 21 department store or get lost in a shopping and restaurant paradise of South Seaport. Home Depot, Bed, Bath and Beyond and Borders bookstore do not care either if you use their restrooms without buying anything.
3. Medical services. Doctor visits are costly everywhere and not everyone can afford going there often. Occasionally, however, New Yorkers get a chance to measure their blood pressure or take a diabetes test right on the street. You just have to look around for these free screenings or call 311 for more information. Also, if you need a test for HIV or STDs, you can get checked out (no compensation required) in various public hospitals.
4. Birth Control. There are public hospitals or small grocery stores where you can get free male or female condoms. The condoms are labeled “NYC” and are supposed to be given away at no cost, so if you see that someone sells them, you can call 311 and stop the injustice. In addition, if you are a patient at Coney Island hospital and get a birth control prescription, you can ask to stamp it as “Family Planning Grant” and you will get the medicine for free at the Outpatient Pharmacy on the second floor. Considering the fact that they are free, there is no good reason not to use these contraceptives.
5. Internet access. There are two major ways to search the web for free. Both are limited in time. First, you can go to a public library where you got your books from and put your number on the waiting list. If it is crowded, you will only have 30 minutes and then you will have to wait again. Still, if this is the only way you can go on Craigslist for a better housing deal, it’s surely worth waiting. And secondly, you can go to an Apple store and pretend that you are looking for a fast-speed Internet device. It is not as convenient, but you can still send a couple of e-mails to people you haven’t seen for a while. If you have a laptop, you can bring it to the library or a Starbucks coffee place. They have free unlimited Wi-Fi that you are allowed to use for as long as you wish.
6. Map. The first thing you need to go around the city without getting lost, a free map can be taken from any booth at a train station or from a bus driver. If you walk a lot, use bus maps: they are quite detailed and you are likely to find any street you need.
7. Transportation. While prices on MTA MetroCards keep going up, delays and changes in service do not disappear. Use this to your advantage. When a subway line is rerouted, there are free shuttle buses that may stop right by your house and take you somewhere you need to go. Learn about these shuttles and service changes at http://www.mta.info/service/ and save your money. There is also a free ferry that connects Manhattan and Staten Island. Not only can you use it as a means of transportation, you will also find it exciting to see the Statue of Liberty from the ferry at absolutely no cost.
8. Places to see. In addition to the beauty of Central Park that is always free, there are also certain days in certain places on which you don’t have to pay an entrance fee, like Botanic Garden on Tuesdays or the Bronx Zoo on Wednesday. Be aware, though, that a place like the Bronx Zoo has a lot of attractions inside it and you will most likely still pay a fee for seeing gorillas or riding Wild Asia Monorail.
9. Books, magazines and newspapers. Obviously, you know that you can register at a borough of a public library and borrow books for free. But you can also keep some books or magazines that the library is not going to use anymore. Such publications can be found by the entrance on a special shelf and there is usually a sign “Free Books.” They are often in good condition; you just have to come in at the right moment. As for newspapers and magazines, you will encounter them at almost every street corner in plastic boxes with a window, in which one issue is always displayed. If it’s a “Daily News” or another newspaper you have to pay for, then you won’t be able to open the door without first putting required amount of coins. However, you can get “Am New York,” “Metro” or “El Especialito” (in Spanish) newspapers without spending a penny. These papers are good for job or housing ads. A great magazine you can take home for free is “4Heallth.” It can be also obtained from one of these boxes, and it gives you a lot of tips on how to stay healthy physically and mentally. These issues are also great if you need to improve your language skills (English or Spanish) and have no extra cash to pay for materials.
10. Museums and art galleries. Art galleries are always free and they usually serve drinks and snacks as a great extra bonus for art lovers. As for museums, free admissions are waiting for you at the National Museum of the American Indian, Forbes Magazine Galleries (toy collections) at Fifth Avenue and 12 street in Manhattan, the Goethe Institut at 1014 Fifth Avenue (on weekdays) and many other places. For more information on free deals and discounts, refer to http://gonyc.about.com/cs/museums/a/museumdeals.htm.
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