How to get free stuff in NYC

Freeloader No. 1
David Ellenbogen, 32, musician, skinflint concertgoer

“The crowd at a free concert is such a great cross section of people. I usually search particular venues for their concerts—the Performing Arts Library, Celebrate Brooklyn. I’ll make a list of 20 I want to go to and end up going to five, maybe ten. There are so many possibilities, you end up feeling oppressed by the freedom.”

Plenty of free concerts right here:
• Free Summer Concerts in NYC
• Go out for cheap

Freeloader No. 2
Courtney Scott, 27, marketing consultant, grocery-store sampler (www.abroadrview.blogspot.com)

“I started an experiment where I’d only eat free food for a week…and there was so much that I extended it to two weeks. You have to be cheeky and not worry too much about lingering until they unveil the food—it takes a little bit of courage and a little bit of sass.”

Courtney’s freeloader food spots
• Trader Joe’s
• Gourmet Garage
• Whole Foods
• Pure Dark
• Murray’s Cheese
• Wine Store on 8th Street (free pasta with any bottle)
• In Vino

Freeloader No. 3
Elise Corujo, 22, intern at ABC Carpet & Home, trusting hair model for Bumble & Bumble

“I had to sort of audition [to be a model]; they have calls twice a month. I go about every three months, and sometimes in addition to that for demos on coloring or something else. It can take up to three hours, but in these economic times it’s worth it.”

Freeloader No. 4
Katharine Ricci, 25, publicist, all-around freeloader (nycrecessiondiary.blogspot.com)

“I go to three to five events a week. The best search terms are free New York City and open bar New York City.”

Katharine’s top free sites
• freenyc
• thrillist
• urbandaddy

Freeloader No. 5
Dawn Jones, 38, freelance children’s entertainer, obsessive theater usher

“My husband, Carson, and I probably see 50 free shows a year. We’re in everybody’s good graces—we’re good ushers. You can only do it at nonunion theaters—almost all the Broadway theaters have union ushers—but there are so many Off-Broadway theaters to usher at.”

Dawn and Carson’s ushering spots
• Signature Theatre
• Second Stage
• Atlantic Theater Company
• Joyce Theater
• Playwrights Horizon
• Roundabout Theatre Company (they have 3 stages - American AirlinesTheatre, Laura Pels, and Studio 54)
• The York
• Manhattan Theatre Club

Freeloader No. 6
Tyler Coleman, 37, wine educator at NYU, wine-tasting zealot (drvino.com)

“There are two ways to taste wine: at bars where it’s expensive, or at shops, where it’s free. Look for events with lots of producers bringing their own wines—that’s where the good stuff will be.”

—Reported by Lisa Selin Davis

INDEX Free things to do
And you thought the city was expensive.