It's time to get your costume on, prior to Halloween. From Eater.com's dealfeed:

The Restaurant: Fort Defiance
365 Van Brunt St.
347-453-6672.
When/Where: This Saturday at 5:30

The Deal: From the owner: "To commemorate the 233rd anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn, we're roasting a pig...roast suckling pig, corn pudding, quick pickles, and other colonial fare—accompanied by the Fort Defiance String Quartet...First come, first served...Colonial-era drinks served free to guests in convincing period 1776 attire." $15 includes a full plate plus apple pie.

O.M.F.G.

This has got to be the most comprehensive, ridiculously awesome thing I've seen all month (Well, except for Puppetry of the Penis.)

Wined and Dined, one of the best food blogs ever to hit NYC, has compiled the list to end all lists of free food in Manhattan. Brooklynites, be ready - the Brooklyn list hits soon!

Some I'm dying to try:

Cucuina di Pesce (East Village): What’s better than free mussels w/ marinara at the bar with purchase of a $6 beer or glass of vino. 87 E. 4th St at 2nd Ave.

The Thirsty Scholar (East Village): A free buffet opens at 5 pm on weekdays with food ranging from french fries and buffalo wings to shepherd’s pie and garlic bread. 155 Second Ave., between 9th and 10th Sts.

Il Mulino (Greenwich Village): The onslaught begins here with the Antipasti, as free heapings are circulated through the restaurant and bar areas. 86 W. 3rd St.

Vero Midtown (Midtown East): Get a free pressed panini on Monday nights with the purchase of a specialty cocktail ($9-$12), glass of wine (averaging $10) or martini ($11). 1004 Second Ave at 53rd St (212-935-3530)

Ones I've tried or can vouche for:

Crocodile Lounge (East Village): Offers a free personal pizza with every drink. 325 E. 14th St.

Vintage Irving (Gramercy/Irving Place): They’re giving complimentary sangria and hors d’eouvres between 5pm-6pm Monday through Wednesday. Just RSVP at vintageRSVP@yourpartyplanning.com. 120 E. 15th St.

Rudy’s (Hell’s Kitchen): Free hot dogs all the time at this Hell’s Kitchen dive bar. 627 9th Ave at 44th St.

Sora Lella (West Soho): A the daily happy hour, 5- 7:30pm, Sora Lella serves up a selection of complimentary snacks (zucchini fries and bruschetta) at the bar to accompany cocktails ($10 each, regularly $13-14), select wines by the glass $8 and Peroni beer $5. 300 Spring b/t Greenwich & Hudson

Click here for Wine and Dined's Ultimate Guide to Finding Free Food in NYC.

Upon my first few months in NYC, my dearest friends told me about Shecky’s. Twenty-thirty bucks gets you a night of drinks, a goodie bag, makeovers, games with prizes and sometimes more!

Last week on Thursday, Shecky’s hosted a FREE party in Hoboken (the sixth borough), complete with endless drinks (Bacardi Mojitos -mmm), appetizers and goodie bags. It wasn’t as glamorous as the parties you pay for, but in a recession a night of free drinking with your best girlfriends is something to be cherished. (It’s also pretty much the theme of this blog, if you haven’t noticed yet.)

Double-fisting, we checked out the vendors. Lines for the manicure stattion were way too long - and a hideous color. The clothes vendors were pretty on the rack, but when we tried them on they just didn't fit right. Despite these hit-and-miss vendors, one did shine above the rest. At the end of the night we all decided, hands-down, that our take-home favorite was …Bath Junkie! We sampled their body scrubs, and they felt delish. So smooth! So smooth and so delish that pretty much all of us bought a set.

Here are their smiling faces:

Another shout-out goes to the Bacardi bartenders. Although they wouldn’t give us bottles of Bacardi's Mojito Raspberry mix to take home at the end of the night (No! You won’t get fired! We promise!), they did keep the drinks a-flowing all night long. Product placement shot:

For discounted tickets to the next Shecky’s NYC bash (Oct. 19-23), check out Goldstar for when tickets are live! They discount the tickets to $15 or so.

I never knew a penis had so much in common with a balloon animal.

I usually check Eater's Dealfeed religiously, but I've been slacking.

Thanks to a coworker, look what's been posted: FREE LUNCH AT BRASSERIE. And if you don't get a reservation, you might get a free dinner.

Gahhhh....! Man the phones! (Btw...I feel like I'm 13, trying to get free Savage Garden tickets from the local radio station).

UPDATE: I got a reservation for 5! That means You Can Too, Kiddies. As of 4:07 p.m. they're still taking names for lunch.

Dealfeed: Free Lunch at Brasserie for 50th Birthday
Wednesday, August 26, 2009, by Amanda

Next month, Midtown East's upscale stalwart Brasserie celebrates its 50th anniversary, and to honor the milestone, they're giving something back to the diners. On September 17th, the restaurant will offer a free three course lunch to those who reserve at 212-751-4840. The first one hundred callers not to get a a resy will instead receive a rain check for a free dinner after 9 p.m. For everyone else, the restaurant will be serving three courses for $19.59 after 9 p.m. from Sept. 17 until the end of the year.

Also part of the celebration: the restaurant is bringing back the Brasserie Burger, hosting a "5 Decades of Brasserie Dinner," and serving one iconic cocktail for each decade they've been around, including a martini (50's), sidecar (60's), kir royale (70's), fuzzy navel (80's!), cosmopolitan (90's), and the drink that of course represents this decade oh so perfectly, a Mango Chili Mojito.

Hey it's no 90 cent steak at Patsy's, but signing up for the free lunch is probably not the wrong move here.· All Brasserie Coverage [~E~]· Brasserie [Official Site]

Heyyyy Harlem! Prepare for pizza pandemonium @Patsy's!

90¢ steak, 60¢ pizza pies, 1¢ sodas?! WHAT??!

I've never been to Harlem (please don't scratch my eyes out-- promise to soon! xoxo) and if this deal expanded past 5 p.m., it would be my first trip!

Big fat shout out to one of my fave blogs NYC Daily Deals for leading me to this Gothamist piece:

Last year Patsy's—the one in East Harlem (which some pizza enthusiasts consider to be the only "real" Patsy's)—celebrated its 75th Anniversary by rolling back their prices to 1933 levels, and the result was a total mob scene (heh). So many hungry roustabouts amassed that police were summoned to control the crowd, which turned ugly when the kitchen closed earlier than expected. Well, the restaurant's doing it again this year. An email announcing the 76th Anniversary promises "90¢ steak, 60¢ pizza pies, 1¢ sodas. The NYPD and the FDNY will have a pizza-eating challenge. 118th Street and First Avenue will officially be renamed 'Patsy's Way,' and many other surprises." The email ends with an entreaty to "CALL TODAY (Limited Seating)," leading Slice to speculate that owners are trying to avoid a repeat of last year's pandemonium. But we called the restaurant and were told that's "definitely a mistake. We're not taking reservations. It's going to be the same as last year." [With the discounts for take-out only.] Yes! Notify the riot police; the big day is August 26th, with discounts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tonight you can shop at a discount, and drink a couple of comped cocktails before you hit the town.

Remember to RSVP, just in case.


Pssss.... when you're done with this, meet me at the HolyHotMess party...

Fan of Charlotte Ronson? Fan of free drinks and food and helping a good cause?

See below about an event tonight sponsored by Housing Works:

Summer came late to New York this year, which is why we’re refusing to go quietly! For this month’s installment of our popular Editor’s Choice series, Allure Fashion Director and Housing Works Board Member Michael Carl is hosting a “Last Days of Summer” one-night-only charity shopping event. We will fill our glamorous new Tribeca location with stylish beach wear, bathing suits and beach accessories handpicked by Carl.

Carl will be on hand to give fashion advice at the event, as will his cohosts, designers Charlotte Ronson and Shoshanna Gruss, who are also donating a variety of summer sweet things, including shoes and bathing suits. “I’m so excited to host my first Housing Works event as a board member in the company of Charlotte and Shoshanna. We’re going to celebrate the summer while raising money for Housing Works’ mission to fight AIDS in New York.”

While you enjoy light food and drinks, browse Carl’s carefully edited collection of beach items, such as Gucci bowling shoes, a Sunner silk cream dress, a Robert Graham cotton brocade blazer and Marc by Marc Jacobs white jeans (size 32).

“Last Days of Summer Editor’s Choice” event information:

WHERE: Housing Works Tribeca Thrift Shop, 119 Chambers St. between Church St and West Broadway
WHEN: Tuesday, August 25, from 6 to 9pm
COST: FREE and open to the public
BENEFITS: Housing Works, the largest community-based AIDS service organization in the United States. Since 1990, we have provided lifesaving services to more than 20,000 homeless and low-income New Yorkers living with HIV and AIDS.

Anyone want to go to Toloache after work?

Look what I found today via Twitter:

winedanddined: Get thee to Toloache (W. 50th b/t B'way & 8th)--3 different margaritas are $2 til 9pm. Live mariachi band from 6-10pm-Happy 2nd Anniversary!

Toloache Mexican Bistro
251 W 50th St
New York, NY 10019
(212) 581-1818

Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ricebird

Monday funday - go get your free Ben and Jerry's ice cream! Remember to print the coupon :)

Going to Ann Taylor this weekend? You are now.

Print this $20 off coupon to Ann Taylor and make a killing. Just has to be a full-priced item. Perhaps something small and you'll only pay an extra $5?


Feel free to love me -- and follow me on Twitter! www.twitter.com/ricebird

This morning I discovered The Skint, a daily listing of free and cheap events in the city. I will be checking them out daily and frequently linking back to them, since they've got some kickass content!

Today I found this: Wish You Were Here. Essentially it's a series of events focused on fashion culture swap between NYC and Paris. First event happened on Thursday, but this Saturday it really kicks off! Check it out, especially if you're into fashion.

Saturday August, 22: ‘Wish You Were Here’ Launch
Time: 12pm-2pm
Location: 186 Orchard Street, Lower East Side
The official opening of the ‘Wish You Were Here’ LES pop-up – the weekend celebration will include a Taste of London, late night shopping,pedestrian walks, plus more surprises to come!

Saturday August, 29: London/LES Fashion Show + Ladies Lotto Block Party
Time: 2pm-6pm
Location: Municipal Parking Lot – Broome St. between Ludlow St. and Essex St.
Come down to the LES for a live fashion showcase on Orchard Street. Featuring designs in three categories: Eco & Vintage, London Looks from the ‘Wish You Were Here’ pop-up, and looks from multi-generational boutiques & new designers. The event will also include live sets from London DJs, Local Business Discount Day, and events from the Ladies Lotto Block Party.

Sunday September, 6 & Monday, September 7: Labour Day in the LES
Time: 12pm-7pm
Location: ‘Wish You Were Here’ Pop-up @ 186 Orchard St & throughout the LES
Say ‘no’ to the rules of fashion with a two-day shopping event that rewards you for wearing white! Throughout the day, participating stores are offering in store discounts and goodie bags for lucky shoppers!

Sunday September, 13: God Save the Queen: Wish You Were Here LES Wrap Party
Time: TBD
Location: ‘Wish You Were Here’ Pop-up @ 186 Orchard St & throughout the LES
Celebrate the end of the Wish You Were Here LES experience. Orchard Street will be closed for an all day party themed: God Save the Queen! The event will feature headlining bands from NYC and the UK plus a range of other festivities as we hand the event over to London…
be sure to check back here for the latest updates on events at ‘Wish You Were Here’ in the Lower East Side

http://www.wishyouwerehereswap.com/lower-east-side-events/

love love love

Nick Ragone publicly declared on Facebook upon losing a bet to a coworker that he refused to pony up the cash he legitimately lost. The excuse? “No good reason, except that I'm cheap.” Many further things should be noted about Nick, but I’ll keep it simple. A partner at my agency, he pens NickRagone.com, an opinionated right-wing political blog, and if you still watch TV news you might witness his talking head on Fox.

In his tight-fisted Republican way, Nick shares with us a short case study on his cheapness:

I'm Cheap - Deal with it
By Nick Ragone

Evidently, my cheapness precedes me. Or perhaps it’s because I publicly welched on a bet with Chris Kooluris (he bet me $200 that Tiger Woods wouldn’t win the PGA … just my luck that Tiger would break his 14/14 streak in majors when leading after 54 holes to someone named Y.E. Yang) that I’ve gained renewed notoriety for my cheapness.

Truth is, I’m just cheap. Plain and simple. I don’t like to spend money. I don’t really buy anything except when I’m forced to (such as metro cards and diet Dr. Pepper). It’s served me well. Once during law school, I went about a month without spending anything. Not a nickel. I would search out free food from this event or that event, and mooch dinner in the cafeteria off someone. It got to the point where nobody even bothered to ask me if I had money for drinks and just factored my cheapness into the equation when we went out. I still consider that my greatest achievement in life.

Cheapness used to be lame, but now that we’re in month 18 of the worst recession since the Great Depression, my cheapness is sort of cool. Or at least acceptable. I’m no longer penurious; now I’m wise and strategic. I’m not a miser, I’m a planner.

A mooch? No, I’m behaving responsibly.



If you’d like to model yourself after law school Nick Ragone, keep tuned to NYC Recession Diary for all your free food and drink needs. Also, hire his photographer.

Kickstart your Thursday evening, biotches.

Swaaaag this: free Lacoste perfume sample!

And this isn’t just for the ladies – Lacoste has a lover-ly option for men, so men can get one too(and since when has hottie Hayden Christensen repped Lacoste cologne?! oh, heyyyyy).

For Him: Lacoste Challenge
For Her: Touch of Pink or Love of Pink

Click it and get it: http://www.lacoste-parfums.com/free-sample/

Oh hai, more free hot dogs. New York City could get used to this Free Wednesday Hot Dog deal!

Found this via Twitter! Look:

NYHDC@ricebird New York Hot Dog & Coffee is giving away FREE GOURMET HOT DOGS!! http://bit.ly/auZqt

You should follow them!

See info below:

100 FREE DAK-KALBI HOT DOGS FOR THE FIRST 100 CUSTOMERS!!
August 19, 2009 @ 7PMD
245 Bleeker Street

ak-Kalbi Hot Dogs are hot dogs topped with tender chicken pieces marinated in a traditional sweet sauce, lettuce and pickles

Free product every Wednesday until September 30!! follow us on Twitter @NYHDC to see what time and what products we will be offering!

www.nyhotdogcoffee.com

(And now I kinda need to take back my "Why is free stuff only offered on Mondays?" comment below.)

The deal you've always wanted: get a free panini with your overpriced drink! At last.

Thanks to my friend for finding this!

Thursday there are free drinks and appetizers at Crash Mansion. RSVP to ensure entry.

This is cute. And chocolatey.

Mars is doing a coupon promotion where you can get some free chocolate! Go to https://secure.realchocolate.com/ and fill out the form today for your free Mar chocolate coupon. It only works on Fridays (so you can do this next Friday, too).

First 250,000 people get a coupon, and you can get up to four coupons. I've got one on the way!


Go get yours!

Thanks to a friend for this tip! Via Midtownlunch:

Free Iced Coffee & Cookies Alert
Tomorrow (Thursday, August 13th) the ING Direct Cafe on 3rd Ave. and 58th Street will be giving away free iced coffee and shortbread cookies from 11:30am to 1:30pm. It’s only at this new location, and you’ll probably be subjected to “savings tips”, but whatever. It’s free iced coffee and cookies! Freeloaders engage.

Is some major bookstore trying to clean out their inventory of shitty books? (I'm thinking dated Rachel Ray cookbooks, old HTML guides, movie-to-book compilations).

At Borders today only, you get a free book if you purchase something - anything. Maybe you could get a pen? Or their over-priced bookends?

Still worth checking out, though, if you happen to be near a Borders. Today only!

Another option for tonight, via Thrillist:

Experience the restorative powers of Scottish gin with complimentary Hendrick's cocktails from 6-8pm tonight at the Libertine in the Gild Hall Hotel.

RSVP at Thrillist.com/Hendricks -- unless you're already planning on spending the night watching King of Queens reruns, it's the right thing to do.

If ya love street festivals, here's one you can attend the next two weekends (15th and 22nd) in the a.m.

Just don't expect to see me there...ugh.

Summer Streets will take place for three consecutive Saturdays in August (August 8, 15, 22) from 7:00 am - 1:00 pm.

The route will connect the Brooklyn Bridge with Central Park and there will be recommended connections along low-traffic streets to the Hudson River Greenway, Harlem and Governors Island allowing participants to plan a route as long or short as they wish.This event takes a valuable public space - our City's streets - and opens them up to people to play, walk, bike, and breathe. Summer Streets provides more space for healthy recreation and is a part of NYC's greening initiative by encouraging New Yorkers to use more sustainable forms of transportation.

Modeled on other events from around the world including Bogotá, Colombia's Ciclovia, Paris, France's Paris Plage, and even New York's own Museum Mile, this event will be part bike tour, part block party, a great time for exercise, people watching, and just enjoying summer mornings.This event is for people of all ages and ability levels to share the streets respectfully.

Website: http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/summerstreets/html/home/home.shtml

It’s been about a week, but I still feel inclined to let you know about the party last Thursday at the Steve Madden store in the LES. Because babe, it was awesome.

When I got there the line wasn’t that bad, although I think an air conditioner dripped on me a few times. Whatevs. Once inside, the girls and I lusted after every pair of shoes we saw as we waited for some free SVEDKA Vodka drinks. (They were quite delish).

As I sipped my cocktail, guess who I spotted hot-trotting around in the world's brightest pink shirt? The lovely Micah Jesse. Had to say hi and snap a photo. Visit his website when you're not reading mine: http://www.MicahJesse.com/

Soon after, the other Jessie took the stage! Gorgeous girl. In person this upcoming pop star is tan, tight and tiny! Plus Ms. Jessie James was wearing this adorable green patterned jumpsuit I wanted to grab and run! I think everyone fell in love with her. Visit her myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jessiejamesmusic

Here she is with Steve Madden, posing for the paparazzi. Nice cap, Steve.
And here she is with me and my ladies. Precious!

I've got to say, I’m glad I got a free download of "WANTED," because I can’t wait to buy her album.

Wanted to quickly share today's NYC Groupon, because I think it's an amazing value. If you're a student, or want to skim over your Kindel a little bit quicker, here's your chance!

If you don't already get Groupon in your inbox, go to http://www.groupon.com/ and sign up for the daily newsletter. If you want to learn more about what Groupon is, click here to read my older blog post.



FROM TODAY'S GROUPON: DISCOUNTED SPEED READING!

Read this. Then read this five times faster after a speed reading class at Iris Reading. Choose between a one-day, five-hour class (a $199 value) or a two-day, ten-hour class (a $299 value) to break old reading habits across the knee with a spinning, backbreaking bookmark and replace them with more effective techniques.

With strategies for reading technical material and speed-reading techniques on the computer, Iris courses are perfect for business professionals. Iris's website says it has taught speed reading courses at Lehman Brothers, the former Wall Street investment bank, and HSBC, the world's largest banking group. If your business's leaders read faster than the Lehman Brothers, you can probably avoid a catastrophic fall from grace into a fiery, slow-reading bankruptcy inferno.

Speed reading is great for students who have heavy reading assignments, providing an excellent alternative to hauling massive books at wheelbarrow speed. Iris is currently working with several Chicago Public Schools to help students learn more efficient reading skills. And undergrads at University of Wisconsin-Madison and Ohio State University successfully used Iris to spend less time reading textbooks and more time speed-reading thousands of Facebook wall posts. Classes are held in a couple different locations on Saturdays and Sundays; click here for dates and times.

The average person in the United States reads about one Groupon per minute (150-250 words per minute). Most students finish the Iris Reading Program reading two to five times faster without losing comprehension. That means an exceptional student could end up reading five Groupons per minute.

Note: Materials are provided, but you're encouraged to bring your own reading material so that techniques can be applied to various types of reading.

Thursdays have an excellent track record for free-flowing booze. Here's one of many options for tomorrow night, via Thrillist:

Drink: Thrillist Reader Thursday at Jeremy Argyle
Thursday, 6-9pm
160 Spring St, btw W Broadway and Wooster; SoHo;
646.781.9050

To celebrate their latest model, the Canuck behind the premium button-downs' only boutique is whiskying Thrillist readers with three free flowing hours of Canadian Club Classic 12 while they browse a range of comfort and fitted styles, all featuring subtle deets like concealed logos, colorful collar/cuff binding details, and signature square cuff buttons, which think the colorful binding details might be high on the drugs. Scout out the lineup at JeremyArgyle.com

$.88 satay dishes?
$.88 margartitas?
$.88 vodka drinks?
$8.00 The Toxic Avenger Musical ticket?

Lately 8 coupons have been sending me emails about specials they have - and they kick ass. These particularly awesome ones are because they are 2 years old, soooo happy bday 8 coupons, and um, thanks for these gifts!

xoxo

$.88 Satay dishes
8.15.09 - KUTA, 88¢ cent Satay dishes, up to 8 per table ($5.95 per dish w/out text)
see flyer get coupon watch video

What: $.88 cent Satay dishes (up to 8 per table) on Saturday, 8/16/09 for the first 88 people* When: Saturday, 8/16/09 from 12-8pm
Where: KUTA - Satay House & Wine Bar 65 Rivington St, New York, NY 10002 (bet Allen & Eldrige)
How: Text yourself the special OCHO LOCO! offer from 8coupons.com and show your phone to redeem

$.88 margartitas
8.13.09 - Señor Swanky's, Unlimited 88¢ Margaritas ($11 per serving w/out text)
see flyer get coupon watch video

$.88 vodka drinks
8.12.09 - Time Out Lounge, unlimited 88¢ 360 premium vodka cocktails ($9 w/out text)
see flyer get coupon watch video

What: Unlimited $.88 cent 360 Vodka Cocktails ($9 w/out coupon)
When: Wednesday 8/12/09, between 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.
Where: New World Stages TimeOut New York Lounge at at 340 West 50th Street (646) 871-1730
Why: Enjoy the world's first Eco-Luxury Vodka at the TimeOut New York Lounge in New World stages for $.88 cents - unlimited, from 6:30- 7:30, right before you experience The Toxic Avenger Musical for $8
How: Text yourself the special OCHO LOCO! deal from 8coupons.com and show your phone to the bartender

$8.00 The Toxic Avenger Musical Ticket
8.12.09 - The Toxic Avenger Musical, $8 tickets ($85 w/out coupon)
see flyer get coupon

What: $8 tickets to The Toxic Avenger Musical on Wednesday, 8/12/09 ($85 w/out coupon) at the box, cash only.
When: Wednesday, 8/12/09, 8pm show One day only w/text coupon. Purchase tickets at the box office beginning 1 p.m. same day
Where: New World Stages at 340 West 50th Street (646) 871-1730
How: Text yourself the special OCHO LOCO! deal from 8coupons.com and show your phone at the box to redeem

So low on cash before payday you don't have $2.00 for a hotdog ? New York Hotdog & Coffee are your new savior. See if you can beat out NYU students and get there before they do.

Via Eater.com's dealfeed:

The Restaurant: New York Hot Dog & Coffee
The Deal: This Wednesday at 5, they'll be giving away 100 free spicy bulgogi ssams. They'll be doing the same thing with different menu items every week until the end of September.

When/Where: Aug, 12 at 5pm; 245 Bleecker St. 917-388-3742

Tonight you have an interesting free drink option, people.

From today's Gothamist, you can enjoy a lovely lecture on your favorite creepy crawly (SPIDERS) and sip free drinks:

LECTURE: Giant spiders, dense forests, and volcanic islands aren't just found in Lord of the Rings. Botanical scientist Dr. Susan Pell has encountered all of these things during her exploration of the Louisiade Archipelago, an island chain near Papua New Guinea's mainland. Dr. Pell is talking about her adventures there tonight at the Secret Science Club—where knowledge and cocktails collide—so stop by, listen in, and have a drink.

7:30 p.m. // The Bell House [149 7th St, Gowanus] // Free

Well Well Well! NYC DAILY DEALS published last night a very interesting development: $10 tickets to BYE BYE BIRDIE! Helloooooo John Stamos! They say:

Every seat for the first preview of "Bye Bye Birdie" on September 10th will be priced at $10.

The discounted tickets (limit of 2 per person) go on sale today @ noon at the Henry Miller Theatre box office (124 W. 43rd Street).

The show will star Uncle Jesse John Stamos and Gina Gershon.Good luck getting tix!

Free drinks is one thing, free food is...another. Get your free tapas! Found via RareDaily:

Free and beer and wine from 9 to midnight this Saturday! I'll drink in a random gym in BK for that. Saturday plans? DONE.

(BTW, don't let the Brooklyn Scare you - it's just one F stop into BK! Helloooo Hipsters! )

NEXTBOOK PRESS PRESENTS:
8/8 - Barney Ross Book Release Party @ World Famous Gleason's GymFeat. Soulico DJ's, LIVE Boxing Match, Special Guests Dmitriy Salita & author Douglas Century


FREE / 9PM – 12AM / OPEN BAR / 21+ /
77 Front St, 2nd Fl., Brooklyn


Since being opened in 1937, Gleason's has trained such American boxing standards as Larry Holmes, Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali. They've also trained Hollywood talent like Hilary Swank, Robert DeNiro, Jennifer Lopez, John Leguizamo and a lot more.
- Middle Eastern Hip-hop, dancehall and reggae from Israeli DJ's Soulico
- LIVE boxing match
- Connect with Dmitry Salita
- the Russian Jewish welterweight boxing champion,
- Hear from Barney Ross author Douglas Century

Free beer and wine all night! Entrance is first come, first served.

Barney Ross is now available for purchase on Nextbook.com and at your favorite book retailer. Available in paperback August 2009.


RSVP: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=99291711530&ref=ts

Did you know that Hertz offers the same service as Zipcar?

Get with it, people.

Why You Care: Today a caravan of Connect by Hertz cars will be driving from Wall Street to West 91st Street early Wednesday morning, to showcase the location spread of Connect by Hertz in Manhattan!

Anyone that manages to meet up with one of the cars as they’re driving along the route, and can show any valid car sharing membership card, is eligible for a $10 credit (up to the first 100 people). In addition, when the cars reach 23rd & 1st, consumers will be able to receive information on how to sign-up for Connect by Hertz and receive a credit towards $75 worth of driving.

Something Even Better: Those unable to attend on Wednesday are also able to sign up for membership at connectbyhertz.com and use the promo code CARAVAN to get the $75 credit.

WHERE: Caravan – Downtown to Uptown and back down again.
Informational area – 23rd and 1st

WHEN: Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Caravan will depart Wall Street @ 7 am
Informational area will be manned beginning at 8:30 am

Log on and sign up: www.connectbyhertz.com

Hertz is a client of my pr agency, but that makes them even cooler.

Katherine is back! This time she brings good word about CHEAP BEER. Katherine loves cheap beer. I mean, come on, everyone should love cheap beer.

Wicked Willy’s… Wicked Cheap Beer
by Katherine Epstein

After my shenanigans at Caffe Vivaldi open mic night last week, I stumbled upon something too good to be true on my way to Kenny Castaways…$1 Miller Light bottles all night at Wicked Willy’s in the West Village every Monday night.

Although the feel at Wicked Willy's is very collegesque, with drunken people (mainly from New Jersey) collapsing all over the places, taking jello shots, and playing beer pong, how could one resist?

Located at 149 Bleeker Street, Wicked Willy’s makes me think I will never again pay $5 for a bottled Miller Light, or any beer for that matter.

Cheers!

This guest blog comes from Bhavana Singh, who used to be my cubemate at work. We bonded over a shared love for palaak paneer, naan and intense sarcasm, so even though I have moved to another part of the office, we still exchange niceties.. and I'm so nice she has learned how to abuse me for free food. If you remember my potato lunch post, yes - that was cheapskate Bhavana snatching up my potato.

Today, she shares her tips on how to scam your friends (or me) into feeding you for free. (And yeah, I have no clue what Recession tips 1-735 are, so don't ask me. She's clearly holding out, that wench).

Got Soup?
By Bhavana Singh.

Here’s Recession Tip #736. For maximum efficacy, don’t skip any steps.

Step 1 - Plan a vice-filled weekend. Exhaust yourself completely. This will weaken your defenses and ensure that you get whatever bug is floating around town.

Step 2 - After you get said bug, lie in bed and whine that you’re sick. Note: Whining must only be done to super-sympathetic friend (SSF) or this whole exercise is pointless.

Step 3 – Show up to work looking wan. Your whining should have induced SSF above to get you a generous serving of homemade Rosemary Chicken, Escarole and Bean Soup. Free lunch, hello!

If Step 3 hasn’t happened, you’ve done something wrong. Go back to the beginning and try again. You may need to use a different SSF.

*Follow Bhavana on Twitter: www.twitter.com/thithali

It's 7:30. Where should you be at 8pm?

At Lolita, chugging PBR.

Time Out NY reports:

Last-minute plan: Tell Your Friends: Get drunk on Liam’s Birthday

When we asked alternative comedy show producer Liam McEneaney what he might get for his birthday tonight, he wouldn’t specify gifts. But he did tell us he was getting a boner just thinking about it. That and much more awaits you at tonight’s edition of Tell Your Friends! comedy show at Lolita (8pm, $5), where gratis PBR will be available for your drinking pleasure. “With free beer and some of my favorite acts, this will probably be as close to a frat party as I’ll likely ever see,” says McEneaney. “I understand from the movie Animal House that it will be fun.”

I came across this sick photoblog today, and while normally I don't think you'd really care, I think you might.

SCOUTING NEW YORK is a blog written by "Scout," a self-depreciating photographer who is hired by the feature film industry to find filming (duh) locations in NYC. Because of all the cool stuff Scout finds, they decided to keep a blog about it. Scout says:

What always amazes me about New York is how much there is to see if you pay attention. Every street has a hidden gem or two that go unseen by hundreds (if not thousands) of passersby daily who simply don’t have the time to look around them.

I love it when people are in love with NYC.

Anyway, the reason you should care is because you can submit your property to be "scouted"! How cool is that? You'd probably make money if they use your shiz for a film, obvi.

Submit Your Place To Be Scouted!
Want to submit your place (apartment/house/store/bar/etc.) for film consideration? Click here!

Oh hai, Oprah Book Club freebie!

Thanks to a tip from a fabulous Facebook friend, until August 5 (Wednesday!) you can download for free Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann.

Click here to download for free Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann.

Book description, via O, The Oprah Magazine:
It's 1974, and a man is dancing on a tightrope between the towers of the World Trade Center—risky business, but as Colum McCann reveals in Let the Great World Spin (Random House), so is simply living day to day. This novel, with its web of disparate but connected characters—including a God-battered Irish monk, a swashbuckling prostitute, an artist with a guilty secret, a mother grieving her war dead—is an act of pure bravado, dizzying proof that to keep your balance you need to know how to fall.

Send your SWAG BAG finds, events, open bar tips and other recession-friendly info to me nycrecessiondiary @ gmail . com!

Forget Summer Fridays.

Try Summer Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays on for size at Vintage Irving!

They're giving complimentary sangria and hors d'eouvres between 5pm-6pm Monday through Wednesday. Just RSVP at vintageRSVP@yourpartyplanning.com.

Vintage Irving
(917) 338-2805
120 E 15th St (at Irving Place)
New York, NY 10003

Yelp profile: http://newyork.citysearch.com/profile/47189756/new_york_ny/vintage_irving.html