New York City Affordable Places

Today, August 14 through August 17th, singers from the New York City Opera will be performing free concerts in Bryant Park. Take your lunch outside and lose yourself in the sounds of Rossini’s Barber of Seville and Bizet’s Carmen. Bryant Park, Sixth Avenue and 42nd Street.

Craving authentic Mexican? Got a hankering for a Salvadoran pupusa hot off the griddle? Then get your culo to the Red Hook ball fields, where vendors sell Latin American delicacies for infititesimal prices. The ball fields are located at the intersection of Clinton and Bay streets, and are a short walk from the subway stop at Smith and 9th, accessible by the G or F trains. Once you reach the ball fields you will see rows of colorful tarps. Here, families from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador, and Ecuador prepare authentic dishes from their home countries, and very few are above $2.50. The Salvadoran pupusas–hot cornmeal cakes with your choice of cheese, bean, or pork filling–are the freshest, crispiest, and hottest (read: best) I’ve ever tasted. They are served with a side of pickled cabbage and hot sauce, which, when alternated with bites of grilled sweet plaintain, is shockingly satisfying. The Mexican flautas with fresh pico de gallo and sour cream burst with flavor. Wash it down with a cup of fresh squeezed fruit juice. Among the various juices are lemon, melon, and tamarind, but the lime with its bright verdant glow and robust wheels of sliced limes is especially refreshing. If you do go to the ball fields, bring friends, because there is a lot more to try.

Bergdorf Goodman is having a summer sale–up to 65% off. That means shoes by Blahnik and Valentino which normally sell for $700 are marked down to $450. Also save on jewelry, accessories, dresses and handbags. You still have to be pretty well off to take advantage of this sale; Bergdorf doesn’t cater to girls on budgets. But if you can swizz an old man into lending you his credit card for the weekend, have a blast!

TTYL,

Roxie