Free (or almost) and Fun for the NYC family - Episode II

Rain, rain go away – Please please go away! Episode 2 of Free (or almost) and Fun for the NYC family, the in-people have been just calling it FOAAFFTNYCF and I feel a big responsibility to deliver something great for families that have had to spend the last week locked up at home. So my research has been vast, I’ve pleaded with Fun businesses to give me special fun events for my families only, but alas, no specials, just the following three amazing treats for you guys!

3. Free Tennis Lessons Tuesday and Thursday @ CityParks Foundation

We’re sporties here at TheGramercyPark so no wonder this week’s first free activity is this tennis clinic run by CityParks and sponsored by Chase. I’m pretty well known throughout the Carolinas and Lower Manhattan as the ‘Ace”Machine – so fear me and prepare your 5-16 year old from the get-go by showing up early to any of the many locations offered on the CityParks website. Show up for example at:

Central Park Tennis Center
West Drive @ 96th St
Tues & Thurs 1-4PM

2. Two Amazing Sunday Events – Choose Wisely

Fort Greene, Brooklyn, Reading? Go to Fort Greene Park at 1 pm on Sunday for an amazing reading of The Giving Tree, followed by an organized nature walk through Fort Greene Park, maybe take a little picnic and have a nice little fam day in a beautiful park? Maybe not, I don’t make your decisions ☺

Upper Manhattan, Bronx, Music? Go to Van Cortland Park in the South Bronx and check out the amazing Bronx Art Ensemble. Van Cortland’s also an amazingly beautiful park, and guess what, they’re telling people to bring the little picnic and blanket. So its not my suggestion anymore is it? You take that picnic, and take it good!

1. Friday Opera in the Park

East River Park (Manhattan)
Friday, July 31, 2009 at 7 p.m.
Joyce El-Khoury, soprano
Keith Miller, bass
Vlad Iftinca, pianist

Beautiful operatic backgrounds while you enjoy drinks and cheeses on your blanket in the park! What? Why would I be suggesting this? No no no, all wrong, you get to a Clearview Cinema early next Thursday morning to watch a 10:30 showing of a free movie at their Kid’s Club screenings. And wait, there’s more, this Thursday the Clearview on 1st and 62nd street is showing Alvin and the Chipmunks. You get there, you get there early and you wear a red garbage bag dress with a huge A on it. Not that Scarlet letter, a greenish-yellow A on your red garbage dress please.

Enjoy the Summer week with your family, and lets hope it doesn’t rain so much!

Check out that Mike Klonsky gave me a shout out on his SmallTalk blog.. awesome!