It’s that time of year again. Everyone knows New York City is an expensive town, especially around the holidays. To save some money, try out some of these tips for free things to do this December during your stay.

By Matt Stabile

CULTURE

1) BOOK READINGS

Where else in the world are you going to have the chance to see, up close, some of the biggest comics, actors, Broadway divas and Booker Prize winners in the world than in New York? In December alone, all for zero dollars, you have the chance to see the likes of Salman Rushdie, Denis Leary, Portia DiRossi, and Patti LuPone, all of whom will be doing free book readings during the month of December.

For dates, times and locations, click here.

2) FREE MUSEUM TOURS

Still one of the best deals and unkept secrets in New York, MoMA (or the Museum of Modern Art) is free every Friday from 4:00 p.m. until closing at 8:00 p.m. What’s even better now is that you can get a free tour of the museum, all for nothing. Head over to iTunes and download the new MoMA app for you iPhone that includes five tour options, an art index, and even background music to play while you browse.

Not to be outdone, if you find yourself at the Brooklyn Museum, they too have a free app.

For information about the MoMA app head here, and information about the Brooklyn Museum app visit here.

For a full list of free hours for all the museums in New York click here.

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Even though a walk around any of the famous sites in New York City show that tourist season is already in full swing, we’re offering up anyway some free ideas of things to do in a town where free is normally very hard to come by.

By Matt Stabile

1) Street Fairs

It’s guaranteed that whenever you’re in New York, there’s going to be a free street fair happening somewhere in one of the five boroughs, much to the consternation of the locals whose parking spots are taken over by vendors. There are neighborhood fairs, fairs for Bastille Day, Italian feast fairs — pretty much any excuse to get outside.

Time Out has this comprehensive list updated every week.

2) Live Music At South Street Seaport

New Yorkers avoid the outdoor mall/tourist trap that is South Street Seaport like the plague. But come summer, the pier hosts some of the best indie rock shows of the season, all for free. This year’s shows include performances from Bear in Heaven, Free Energy and YACHT, with others to be announced.

(Tip: Avoid the tourist-priced drinks at the show and buy a 32-ounce, portable Styrofoam cup from Jeremy’s Ale House nearby for a fraction of the price.)

The full list can be found at the River To River Festival’s page.

3) Shakespeare In The Park

Okay, this one’s not exactly a revelation. Shakespeare in the Park has been attracting crowds for over half a century, and a look at the number of people that line up every day is proof it’s as popular as ever. You could line up like everyone else at the theater in the morning, hoping to snag a couple of tickets as they’re given away at 1 p.m.

But, for those in the know, those days of line waiting are a distant memory. Now you can simply get in line virtually, signing up here on the day of the show. If you’re picked, you’ll get an e-mail telling you about your free pair of tickets. Not picked, just try again the next day. (more…)

Already broke your budget just staying in New York this holiday season? Try these 10 tips to enjoy the city for free.

By Matt Stabile

MUSEUMS

1) MoMA

Normally a steep $20, MoMA (Museum of Modern Art for you acronym-hating readers) is free every Friday from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. Just head to the front desk and pick up a free ticket for admission then check out Van Gogh’s Starry Night, Monet’s Water Lilies, and Dali’s The Persistence of Memory all for nothing.

TIP: If you plan to check out the Tim Burton exhibit going on right now, head there right at 4 p.m. due to the limited number of entries.

2) The New Museum

With its irregularly stacked white box frame, The New Museum is in fact, literally new (a $64 million renovation was completed in December 2007), and is free on Thursday from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

TIP: Grab you iPod and download these free podcasts for the heavily promoted Urs Fischer exhibit. This may help explain all those tongue advertisements you’ve been seeing on the subway.

3) The Metropolitan Museum of Art

They won’t actually tell you this right out in the open, but it’s true: admission here is only recommended. They ask for $20 for adults and $10 for students, but no one’s stopping you from forking over your pocket change. Stingy? Perhaps, but remember, they’re also working with one of the largest endowments for a museum in the world (well over $2 billion dollars). Want to really help? Hit up the gift shop on your way out or at one of the many stores around the city.

TIP: Ever wonder what graffiti looks like through the ages beginning from about 10 B.C.? Head to the reconstructed Temple of Dendur for a good overview. (more…)

Have you ever noticed how people who live in cold cities simply go nuts in the summer, taking advantage of every sunny day and spending as much time as possible outside in the coveted sunlight (two examples I can think of: Montreal and Stockholm)?

Well, New York somewhat has the same phenomena, but for New Yorkers, the desire to escape their closet-sized apartments exists all year round. Luckily, there are some great spots, many of them new, that are outside and offer a little summer-like experience in a land of pavement and concrete. Here’s a roundup by the Guardian of 10 of their favorite such spots.

There’s some familiar suggestions, like Coney Island at #2, and some new options that are just opening or have just recently opened up, like The High Line at #3 — a sprawling elevated park built on an old train line — and #4, Governors Island, a former military base just a stone’s throw away from Lower Manhattan.

My suggestion, grab your mountain bike, hiking shoes, and/or binoculars and head to Brooklyn’s Prospect Park where, in just a few minutes, you can escape urban life and find yourself completely immersed in dense forest and lush vegetation. And the best part? You can still rest assured that an incredible sushi joint or tapas brunch is still just a short walk away. The best of both worlds.