The laid-off guide to NYC

Laughing Lotus

Federal Reserve Bank

LEARN SOMETHING While midtown monkeys scarf takeout at their desks (ha, pathetic souls!), you can indulge in 92YTribeca’s Noontime Talks. Topics run the gamut: On Wednesday 14, media writer Michael Wolff presents “Inside the Secret World of Rupert Murdoch”; on March 4, Nick Taylor, author of American Made: The Enduring Legacy of the WPA, discusses Franklin D. Roosevelt’s career-defining solution to the Great Depression. (Dear Mr. Obama: Please take notes.) 200 Hudson St between Canal and Desbrosses Sts (212-601-1000, 92ytribeca.org). Weekdays noon, $16.

FOLLOW THE MONEY Get a grip on what’s happening to our economy by visiting the Federal Reserve Bank. Learn about the history of moolah and the Fed’s role in maintaining interest rates, while touring the posh interior (high arches, metalwork). Don’t miss the impressive coin collection and the gold bars in the basement. FREE 33 Liberty St between Nassau and William Sts (212-720-6130). Mon–Fri 9:30, 10:30, 11:30am, 1:30, 2:30, 3:30pm. Reservations required.

Grace Church

Photo: Stephen Fuller

HIT BROADWAY Score cheap(ish) tickets to Chicago, starring The Office’s Melora Hardin as Roxie, through February 12. Your flexible schedule means you can be waiting in line when the box office opens at 10am. Ambassador Theater, 215 W 49th St between Broadway and Eighth Ave (212-239-6200, ). $31.50.

THINK ARTISTICALLY Visiting MoMA on a weekend can be nightmarish, but clever creatives pop in at midday—just long enough to catch the Brown Bag Lunch Lectures on modern and contemporary artists like Joan Miró (January 26) and Marlene Dumas (February 9 and 12). Museum of Modern Art, the Lewis B. and Dorothy Cullman Education and Research Building, 4 W 54 St at Fifth Ave (212-708-9400). Mon, Thu 12:30–1:15pm, $3–$5.

FREE YOUR MIND Reflect on where you are in life—and where you’d like to be—during the Bach at Noon meditation, led by organist Patrick Allen or artist-in-residence Stephen Tharp. FREE Grace Church, 802 Broadway at 10th St (212-254-2000). Tue–Fri 12:20–12:50pm.

Juilliard

Photo: Hiroyuki Ito

OPEN YOUR EARS Practice makes perfect for the Juilliard students who perform an instrumental concert every week during the school year. No tickets are required for Wednesdays at One—just show up and enjoy the show. FREE New York Society for Ethical Culture, 2 W 64 St at Central Park West (212-874-5210). Wed 1pm.

STREEEETCH Being out of work can take its toll on your psyche, but don’t let it do damage to your body. Laughing Lotus Yoga Center offers a by-donation community yogic class; whatever cash is collected benefits the charity Love Saves the Day. 59 W 19th St at Sixth Ave, third floor (212-414-2903, laughinglotus.com). Mon–Fri 2:30–3:45pm, minimum suggested donation $5.50.