Summertime! And the Livin' is Easy.

Ah! The lazy, hazy, crazy, days of summer. It's a time in NYC when the fire hydrants are opened up and the pristine city water cascades across the sizzling blacktop. Delighting children of all sizes and vexing passing cars..a little dramatic, I know, but it's all we had as kids! Well, that, and the ice cream truck. Now that I'm grown, I realize there are many great beaches that are only a train ride away! Coney Island, Rockaway Beach, Jones Beach, Manhattan Beach in Brooklyn. There are even several nude beaches for those of you into that (you know who you are). The beaches here are very clean and the water is clear...as long as you don't go to the beach after a rain storm, as the storm drains empty in the the ocean, other than that, Awesome!

Check it OUT!

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15 Seconds of Fame in Times Square!

If you haven't been to Times Square in a while, you may be surprised that there are several billboards where you can see yourself up on the big screen! Everyday when I'm out there I see people waving at themselves and jumping up and down! Lol. I must admit to doing it myself!  There are several to chose from including Forever 21, The Dunk Tank billboard, which is an interactive billboard that lets you use twitter to vote for the Strong Man or the Pinup Girl to be dunked. There's also a virtual beach ball the crowd gets to smack into a target to dunk the victim. But the BEST is having you and your family prominently displayed on the giant billboard at American Eagle Outfitters. If you purchase anything in the store they'll take your picture and put it up on the screen, twice for 15 seconds! Smile! You're Famous!

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Got PRIDE?

If you ever wanted to show your true colors, this is the weekend to do it! Saturday is the annual Mermaid Parade on Coney Island. It's an ocean themed Mardi Gras with wild costumes (or lack of) and cleverly designed floats. Fun for most ages! And on Sunday is the Pride Parade! The day that the LGBT community remembers the 1969 riots at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, which launched the modern Gay Rights Movement. Hundreds of floats and dancers, Drag Queens galore! Millions of spectators gather every year to witness this NYC spectacle! Join in the fun, and bring some Skittles. 

More HERE

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Museum of Modern Art: Free Fridays!

MOMA is one of the greatest museums in NYC. I'd like to say THE greatest, but that would be a tough to back up since there are so many world class museums in greatest city in the world! Most museums ask for a suggested donation between $10 and $20 but every Friday Night MOMA is FREE! You can see the work of Vincent Van Gogh, Jackson Pollok and Pablo Picasso as well a many other contemporary art works in a space that will blow your mind! Don't take my word for it! Check it out this Friday from 4pm to 8pm.

Click HERE

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Discover Central Park

Since I'm a walking tour guide in NYC, I know the best way to see ANY site is through the eyes of a knowledgeable guide! Central Park has several tours that will cater to every taste. From Nature lovers to Art lovers and everything in between! Even Geological studies into Central Parks ancient past. Did you know that Manhattans first community of African American property owners had land that is now Central Park? Take the Road less Traveled and explore NYC's most famous landscape.

Click HERE!

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Music on the High Line!

There's a free concert tomorrow, Monday June 18 on The High Line! From Noon to 1pm, members of the Chelsea Music Festival will be performing in this wonderful open air space. The Chelsea Music Festival will be having more than 20 events from now till June 23. They're free to the public and worth checking out!

Click HERE

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Drink your Dad Under the Table this Father's Day!

Did you inherit your Fathers hollow leg? Well prove it!! This Sunday is Father's Day and The Village Pourhouse is offering a FREE beer to your dad for every drink you buy! There are over 100 brews on tap so there should be something for everyone. Just make sure you hail a cab home!

Check out the details HERE

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Play Musical Chairs with 400 people in Bryant Park!

The world record for largest number of people playing musical chair is 8238 in Singapore in 1989.

Be part of this New York City record breaking musical chair event held in Bryant Park this coming Wednesday.  Registration is required.

Bryant park is next to Grand Central Terminal and New York Public Library and hosts many free outdoor activities from Yoga to hula hoops to evening movies on the lawn.

It's all FREE!!!

NYC can be daunting at times, Financially speaking. Hotels prices are the third highest in the world, Broadway will cost you $500 minimum for a family of four, forget about a Yankees Game! But there are MANY wonderful things that are free of charge! Central Park, the Staten Island Ferry come to mind, but many other things as well. Check out the list below, you and your family can thank me later!

Click HERE for more free things to do

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Museum Mile Festival June 12, 2012

This Tuesday, there will be a massive block party on 5th Avenue! Every year they close down 5th Ave between 82nd and 105th street for the Museum Mile Festival. Some of the best museums in the city are on this famous thoroughfare and, on this day every year, they are FREE to the public. The MET, the Guggenheim, El Museo del Barrio, and the Museum of the City of New York are among the highlights. Native New Yorkers should take the time to see a museum they've never seen before. It won't cost a thing and you can enjoy the street fare as well. Bring the kiddies!!

Click Here

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Musical on 34th Street!

Well, sort of! The 34th Street Partnership has created Herald Hour: A Musical Lunch. Every Friday during the summer, Herald Square Park will host a free 1 hour concert from 12:30pm to 1:30pm featuring musicians from a variety of  backgrounds and styles. Take a break from from shopping at Macy's, grab a sammie, and sit and relax. Unless a fire truck comes by! Herald Square Park is between 35th street and 34th street on Broadway.

Check it out HERE

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Watch the Tony Awards in Times Square!

What better place to enjoy the Tony Awards than in the place where it all happens! The show will be simulcast on a big screen in Duffy Square, 46th and Broadway, Sunday, June 10 from 6pm to 11pm. They do this every year and it's quite the event. It's free and open to the public but you better get there early. The cast of Avenue Q will be there!!...I hope they don't don't bring the Muppets.

Click HERE for more info

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Floyd Bennett Field. NYCs Birthplace of Aviation

Floyd Bennett Field is a beautiful park in Brooklyn now run by the National Parks Service. Built in 1930, it was the first municipal airport in NYC and was the starting point of some of the most epic and historic flights ever made. Records of all kinds from Wiley Post, Amelia Earhart, Howard Hughes and John Glenn, to name a few. Aviation enthusiasts, Art Deco lovers and people who just love the great outdoors, come out this weekend. There's a Native American festival going on! I'm gonna explore my Cherokee roots!

Click HERE

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