Networking will set you free (literally)

Despite conventional thinking, the truly creative and outgoing can score free experiences in New York City.

I know what you’re thinking: How does one have an amazing and unique experience for no bones whatsoever?

There are a few simple answers, and I bet at least one of them is staring you in the face!

A great tool to score free tickets to NYC shows happens to be Twitter.

Follow your favorite musicians (like Amanda Palmer) and local venues/websites (like Free Williamsburg). I won tickets to shows from both of their Twitter accounts, and in the span of a single week to boot! Free Williamsburg even threw in a 45 EP from the headlining band. If you watch your Twitter feed like a hipster eyes crack, then I highly recommend this method.

If you’re more interested in imbibing for pennies, longtime local favorite My Open Bar should be your go-to guide. Some places offer their spirits for free, others ask for a cover fee and let you booze as much as you can handle. Obviously, large crowds are de rigueur at these events.

Have you ever been to a live television show taping? Most tickets to major network shows are free. I recommend “The Daily Show” or “The Colbert Report”, as their crowds are young and getting to their studios requires little hassle. “Late Night with David Letterman” and “Saturday Night Live” are great experiences as well. Keep in mind that tickets usually are reserved months in advance and go quick. Making friends with someone who works at a show makes it infinitely easier to go to a taping of your choosing.

If you’re more of a highbrow culture type, plenty of museums offer discounted or free admission on certain days. My personal favorite is the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as their adult admission ($20) is “recommended”, not “required”. And if you’ve always wanted to hit up the Chelsea art galleries, crash an opening. (NOTE: THIS REQUIRES SPECIAL CHUTZPAH AND FORTITUDE. NOT RECOMMENDED FOR BEGINNERS). Gallery openings often have free wine and lots of nibbles. Plus, maybe you’ll find the next big art thang. And then you have cool points, which are almost as good as currency.

The sneakiest method to getting free schwag is to become a member of the press. I wrote a dinky music blog and was the music editor for the alternative mag when I was in college. This was good enough for me to gain full press access to the first All Points West Music & Arts Festival, as well as score an interview with Amanda Palmer. I don’t recommend lying about being a journalist, because that’s easily verifiable. But if you write a blog or run a website, shoot an email to the press contact of the event you want to attend. Oftentimes, just asking for press access will land you on the list.

Besides the above info, the best advice I can offer to find free experiences is simply keep your ear to the ground. Strike up a conversation with who you meet, because you never know who they know. Read The Village Voice, The L Magazine, and Gothamist. The info is out there, comrades!