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October 29, 2008

Closing Bell: Recession Era Fun in Brooklyn

green-wood-cemetery-1008.jpg
Earlier this week, we asked for suggestions Brooklyn-on-the-cheap activities. Here's a bit of what we got. More, anyone?
Free ferries: Always fun when you can drink on them.
Brooklyn Botanic Garden's free hours: Saturdays 10:00am - Noon.
Greenwood Cemetery: Drive or walk in (be prepared for a strenuous hilly walk). Get a map and look for notable New Yorkers final resting places. Sit by one of the 'lakes' surrounded by gorgeous mausoleums eating pre-packed Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches. Admission: free. Sandwiches: Cost of Jiffy, Smuckers and Wonder Bread.
Cobble Hill Cinemas: $6.50 nights at Cobble Hill Cinema, Tues & Thurs.
Transit Museum: $5 admission all the time.
Lefferts House: Free. Lots of activities for kids.
Brooklyn Museum: Suggested admission $8 (suggested means, pay what you want. If a buck is all you have, you will not be denied).
Fairway: Walk in and have a tea or coffee and sit by the water.
Photo by lostinbrooklyn.




Posted by lisa at 4:00 PM | Comments (26)
Categories: Closing Bell

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Comments

I like the movie thing. Didn't know that.

Posted by: KHuebbe at October 29, 2008 4:23 PM

free concerts and movies in brooklyn bridge park and prospect park

Posted by: pmmtenement at October 29, 2008 4:23 PM

BBG is also free on tuesdays.

Posted by: Frederick Law Homestead at October 29, 2008 4:25 PM

It may be getting cold, but with a warm jacket and gloves, a ferry ride to Govenors Island makes for a great afternoon. Once there you can rent bicycles (the old-school kind with foot breaks) and ride around with no car interference. It has some beautiful historic homes, some you can go inside, some are galleries. The food choices are just truck stuff, but tolerable.

Posted by: Susan Elkins at October 29, 2008 4:25 PM

Three of those are my suggestions...I'm so proud.

And that's a photo of one of the lakes at Greenwood.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 29, 2008 4:27 PM

Susan, that sounds interesting. From where does one catch the ferry?

Posted by: Biff Champion at October 29, 2008 4:28 PM

OK, I just realized that it's not in Brooklyn, but it is NEAR Brooklyn. "I can see Governors Island from my house."

Posted by: Susan Elkins at October 29, 2008 4:28 PM

How about walk along the Promenade and across the Brooklyn Bridge?

Posted by: Biff Champion at October 29, 2008 4:33 PM

Susan, there's no ferry from BK to Governors Island is there?

Posted by: alsawo at October 29, 2008 4:40 PM

Susan, there's no ferry from BK to Governors Island is there?

Posted by: alsawo at October 29, 2008 4:41 PM

No ferry from Brooklyn to Governors Island unfortunately. You get the ferry downtown Manhattan at the old terminal next to the Staten Island Ferry terminal.
http://www.govisland.com/Visit_the_Island/directions.asp

Posted by: Susan Elkins at October 29, 2008 4:44 PM

You can get the ferry to Governor's Island in Manhattan. The building next to Staten Island Ferry, not sure of the name, but it's the green cast iron one.

Check the schedule.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 29, 2008 4:45 PM

sorry, I hit post before I finished typing.

And I just noticed that susan E. posted the link, but check the schedule. I don't think they run the ferry in the winter.

Also, Biff, in the original post, I had already suggested walking the Brooklyn Bridge, get with it.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 29, 2008 4:47 PM

Yea! Green-Wood.

Beautiful this time of year, though quite chilly today.

BM will hassle you big time if you don't hand over the full 8 smakeroos.

Posted by: Action Jackson at October 29, 2008 5:00 PM

Here are all the shows that have $6.50 tix at Cobble Hill Cinema:

Tuesdays and Thursdays all seats $6.50 day and night except special engagements and holidays.

All seats $6.50 Mon-Fri up until 5pm Sat and Sun first show of the day up until 2pm all seats $6.50 except special engagements and holidays.

Posted by: Carol Gardens at October 29, 2008 5:01 PM

I mentioned this is the other thread but the Brooklyn Museum First Saturdays is free:

"At the Brooklyn Museum's Target First Saturdays, thousands of visitors enjoy free programs of art and entertainment each month from 5–11 p.m."

And don't let anyone hassle you are a "suggested admission". Same goes for the Museum of Natural History and The Met. I mean, if you really can't afford it. If you can, and are just being cheap, I don't have any sympathy!

"Most museums declaring “suggested admission” are members of the Cultural Institutions Group, a public-private partnership with the Department of Cultural Affairs. In exchange for direct subsidies and operating support from the government, the 34 participating institutions are required to provide “public access.” What kind of access they offer varies, but it usually takes the form of a suggested admission charge for the viewing of permanent collections, or free hours."

From a funny article about trying to pay a penny at various museums:

http://www.timeout.com/newyork/articles/i-new-york/30140/free-ride

Posted by: Carol Gardens at October 29, 2008 5:10 PM

Correction: "...hassle you about..."

Posted by: Carol Gardens at October 29, 2008 5:13 PM

BRG, as it happens I was away and didn't see the earlier thread so I didn't realize you already mentioned the Brooklyn Bridge. What do you think, that I sit around and read and post on Brownstoner all day long? Sheesh!

Posted by: Biff Champion at October 29, 2008 5:16 PM

Greenwood is my favorite. That was one of my suggestions. Maybe, I'll pack the sandwiches and head there on Saturday.

Sorry, Biff...I've been on you all day. Now I have to draft a super nice post to you.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 29, 2008 5:25 PM

BRG, it's all good. I was being facetious if it wasn't obvious. Speaking of which, spending a day on Brownstoner being facetious is also an amusing Brooklyn-on-the-cheap activity!

Posted by: Biff Champion at October 29, 2008 5:31 PM

Why don't y'all bag the Brooklyn Bridge, leave it for the tourists, and try the Manhattan Bridge!

Much better view, right over the water, almost have the place to yourself. Excellent and interesting ironwork.

Here's the view...
http://www.pbase.com/dentontay/image/82089545

Eat in Chinatown, buy some super-fresh and cheap fish, and walk back over the BB.

Posted by: denton at October 29, 2008 5:47 PM

Have to agree with Denton on the Manhattan Bridge.

Not in Brooklyn but the GW Bridge is a nice walk also...over 2 miles, and if you're daring enough to walk in Jersey,(lest the What flash you), once you get to the Jersey side, go left or right. If you go to the left and walk about 1/4 mile, there's a park, go into park, there's a great view of the bridge.
If you go to the right, up the stairs, walk along a path, it will lead you down to the water, maybe steep at some points. It is a marked trial.

Maybe Mr. B, you should do an 'Escape Brooklyn on the cheap'...things you can do only a train ride away.

Posted by: bayridgegirl at October 29, 2008 6:01 PM

Awww..why'd ya have to go telling everyone about the Cobble Hill Cinema's cheap nights?

BMA sucks since they put it on a spaceship and got a curator who thinks curating means throwing the whole collection up on the walls willy-nilly. They wrecked it. Ain't worth a penny anymore.

Posted by: Ppark at October 29, 2008 6:03 PM

At the Scholastic Store at 557 Broadway between Prince and Spring Street in the SoHo district of Manhattan:

1. Free story reading and craft events for children every Saturday!

2. $10 Halloween Party for kids on Thursday October 30th.

3. $5 per child drop-in craft events on weekdays.

4. Free storytime every Tuesday and Thursdays at 11am. Storytime en Espanol on Wednesdays at 11am.

5. Special Election Day Voting for kids from 10am to 7pm 11/4.

For details, call 212-343-6166.

Posted by: Bobby at October 29, 2008 7:41 PM

The text below is from a piece in todays AMNY Newspaper. After reading the comments above about visiting Green-Wood Cemetery, it seemed the perfect post. There is an unusual photo of the angel of death monument on the AMNY website along with this article.

New book traces Green-Wood's ghostly past
by Lauren Johnston

When it comes to ghostly haunts, Green-Wood Cemetery has an esteemed list of resident spirits. The gravesites of notable New Yorkers cover its 478 acres, including the likes of Peter Cooper, Charles Pfizer, “Boss” Tweed and artist Jean Michel Basquiat.

We talked to author Alexandra Kathryn Mosca, who is also a funeral director, about her new pictorial book, “Green-Wood Cemetery,” to learn more about its haunted history.

Q: What was your most surprising discovery while researching?
A: One of the people I found was Dr. August Renouard. When I was coming up as a funeral director, the old-timers would talk about him. He was considered the father of modern day embalming. To a funeral director, that was significant.

Q: Which gravesite is the spookiest?
A: There is a really strange gravestone. It belonged to [former mayor of Brooklyn] Charles Schieren. The mayor and his wife died a few days apart, they both had pneumonia. The monument is the angel of death. I think it’s one of the eeriest.

Q: You’ve written about many cemeteries, what makes Green-Wood special?
A: It’s almost a history – certainly of New York, but also of America as well. The people [buried there] are nationally known, names like Steinway, FAO Schwarz. Everybody knows these names.

Q: What new things will New Yorkers learn about Green-Wood from your book?
A: These names like [Horace] Greeley, Peter Cooper, we learn these as children and over the years, the accomplishments of these people become vague. I think this reacquaints them with the history of New York.

Q: How much time did you spend exploring the cemetery while writing?
A: I went there several days a week and walked the grounds and it was so amazing, even in the winter. You would just turn a corner and discover something.

Mosca will lead a cemetery trolley tour based on her book on Nov. 23 at 1 p.m., followed by an author Q & A, $20 for the tour, $30 for the tour and a copy of the book. “Green-Wood Cemetery,” Arcadia Publishing, $19.99.

Posted by: BrooklynBabe at October 29, 2008 11:07 PM

Starting in mid-November through March, BBG is free on all weekdays too.

Posted by: gideon8 at October 30, 2008 10:37 AM

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