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| New York City is one of the most amazing--and expensive--cities in the world, but deals abound if you know where to look. (Times Square in New York City, photo: Terabass) |
A friend of mine from overseas will be coming to the New York
City area with her family for summer vacation. We talked about it over Facetime
(gotta love how Facetime can connect you with family and friends who are far away), and she told me her family wants to have a genuinely American
experience. She mentioned seeing an auto race as an example.
She also said she wanted to see a Broadway show. Then we
both said in unison, “But they're so expensive!”
And it’s true, they are.
But there are great deals out there if you know where to
look.
For example, one year I bought tickets for the family to see
Ovo by Cirque du Soleil, which is a great Cirque show. We sat only four rows
from the stage, and the tickets only cost us $40 each.
Today I bought tickets for Rebounderz in Edison, New Jersey.
This is an amazing indoor trampoline park that my family loves. Two tickets good
for 90 minutes each were just $23. That’s $11.50 per person! Not bad.
I've also bought coupons good for discounted merchandise from
some cool stores, discounted movie tickets, tickets to off-Broadway shows, like Stomp, and
more.
So I compiled this list of places to look for good entertainment
deals in the NYC area for my friend and her family, and I thought I’d share
them here with you.
After all, the only thing better than having a good time is
having a good time at a great price. (If you're coming from overseas, be aware
that you might need an American credit card to take advantage of many of these deals.)
Here's a short list of websites you should check out if you
looking for entertainment deals in the New York City area:
1. Groupon
Groupon works with Expedia to bring you travel deals based
on location. I bought those tickets to Rebounderz here, as well as movie
tickets. It's best to subscribe a couple of months in advance, because you
never know what you’re going to find.
2. Goldstar
Goldstar offers an eclectic
list of events, some of them FREE, and many of them half or more off. Current
examples are the Blue Man Group: Worldwide
Theatre Sensation at Astor Place Theatre for $43.00-56.60 instead of
$85.00 and Cirque
du Soleil’s Totem for $37.00-$78.00 instead of $55.00-115.00. We've bought
tickets to off-Broadway shows from Goldstar. You have to join the club to take
advantage of offers, but it's free, so why wouldn't you?
3. Living Social
Living Social deals are . . . interesting,
and even more eclectic than Goldstar's. They're worth checking, though, because
you never know what you're going to find: rock-climbing in Brooklyn for the
kids or a pirate boat cruise for adults, who knows? It could be fun.
4. Amazon Local
Did you know Amazon offers local deals? Well, now you do. There
are deals for local services, activities, and products. For example, right now
you can save 60% off a New York City ghost tour . . . if you
dare. I wonder if my friend’s family would like that?
5. School Tix
How does taking in a Broadway or off-Broadway show at a decent price sound?
School Tix has a nice selection of shows at discount prices,
and you generally don't have to come with a school-age child to get these deals.
Right now, for example, it’s offering Annie for $45.00-$85.00; Chicago for
$49.50-$88.00; and Peter and the Starcatcher for $49-$69.
6. Theater Mania
Theater Mania also offers tickets to a nice selection of
shows, on and off Broadway, at reduced prices.
7. Your Broadway Genius
Your Broadway Genius has discount tickets for Broadway and
off-Broadway shows, too. The selection is small, but interesting. And I was surprised
to see reduced tickets for The Ride: $50
instead of $69 (not including tips). I've always wanted to take The Ride, which
is part bus tour and part musical-variety show. You sit facing the windows,
while actors and entertainers perform on the sidewalks of New York City in front of your eyes. Now
I’m even more tempted.
8.
DealCatcher
No matter what you're looking for, DealCatcher is a great
place to check prices first. I usually go there to look for deals on products,
but they offer activities too. I’d be particularly tempted by the Improv and
comedy club offerings they have going now. (I love, love, love Improv and stand-up comedy.) DealCatcher catches deals from other websites, so if you find
something you like, you might want to follow the link to the other site to see
what else they have to offer.
9. SlickDeals
SlickDeals is a lot like DealCatcher, but not all of their
deals are the same. They're worth checking out too. And you might want to
subscribe to both newsletters so that you can be aware of new deals before they're
sold out.
10. TravelZoo
And finally, one of my favorite travel deal aggregators,
TravelZoo, also offers entertainment deals by area. Of course, their New York
City entertainment deals include Broadway, off-Broadway, and so much more,
including unusual tours of the city, sport events, and activities on the water.
TravelZoo is also a good place to look for travel deals near and not so near
New York City.
Oh, and I should include this one last website just for the
locals . . .
11. New York City Patch
I don't know if these exist around the country, but in this
area, most communities have a Patch website with local information, such as
news updates, classes, events, and much more. Here's a list of family events in
the New York City area over the next few days, and most of them are free:
__________________
I hope this helps my friend make the most of her family trip, and I hope it helps you
too.
This isn't a complete list by any means, so try searching on
your own. And let me know what you find. I always love learning about great
deals, particularly ones my family can enjoy close to home.
ADD ON: I realized after I wrote this that I completely forgot about AAA. If you have a membership--and you should if only for the roadside assistance should your car break down in the middle of nowhere for whatever reason--you're entitled to some great discounts at theme parks, restaurants, the movies, and lots more. Here's a link that should work if you can enter the site with your membership card: http://midatlantic.aaa.com/Store/Travel/AttractionandMovieTickets For example, Hersheypark tickets, which usually cost $58.80 are just $38.00 when preordered online and shipped to you (at no additional charge).
, all geeks are passionate about something: “The very definition of being a geek is that you love something just because you love it, not because someone is telling you you should, but in spite of them telling you you shouldn't. There's no greater love than geek love. If you're lucky, maybe someday you'll find it too.” 
