Who knows more about bargains than New York actors? After all, they work in an incredibly competitive field in one of the most expensive cities in the world. That's why we went straight to the readers of Back Stage for our annual Bargain Hunters issue. Whether it's food, clothing, health care, entertainment, grooming, or some other category, you responded with a wealth of terrific tips for keeping budgets under control without sacrificing quality and style.
BOOKS
Need books for cheap? Try the Strand Book Store just below Union Square. It has 18 miles (yes, miles) of books, tons at half price, and many for only $1.
Now that's cheap, but you can go even cheaper if you have some time on your hands. Go over to Barnes & Noble, grab yourself a cup of joe and a copy of the drama book you've been wanting to read, and sit in the air-conditioned café while reading. There's no obligation to purchase the book and you'll have a relaxing learning experience for the price of a cup of coffee. Cheap? No, it's ingenious!
-- Louise Scotti
Strand Book Store has two locations in NYC: 95 Fulton Street, (212) 732-6070, and 828 Broadway (at East 12th Street), (212) 473-1452; www.strandbooks.com.
Barnes & Noble has various locations throughout NYC, including 1960 Broadway (at West 66th Street), (212) 595-6859, www.barnesandnoble.com.
CLOTHING AND ACCESSORIES
Conway stores have awesome accessories for that last-minute audition outfit.
-- Carrie Ethier
Conway has various locations throughout NYC, including 11 West 34th St., (212) 971-4607.
If you haven't experienced a New York winter, get ready for cold, raw weather. A great place to get winter clothing is Daffy's. Its prices are low. It also has shoes, accessories, and lots of Italian designer clothing, all at low prices.
-- Rick Poli
Daffy's has various locations throughout NYC, including 1311 Broadway (near West 35th Street), (212) 736-4477.
My brilliant friend has a clothing swap (yes, that's becoming a huge trend). We bring everything in our house that we want to get rid of, organize it around my friend's apartment, have lunch, and then swap stuff. We end up happily cleaning out our house, getting a few new items for free, and giving the rest to charity.
-- Tamar Kummel
Forever 21 (one in Herald Square, one in Union Square) makes long-lasting, extremely inexpensive tank tops (two for $9 was the going rate) that I love to stock up on.
Topbutton.com is a free service that sends you weekly reminders of all the sales going on around town. Mostly designer stuff, extremely discounted.
-- Sue-Kate Heaney
Forever 21 is located at 50 West 34th St., (212) 564-2346, and 40 East 14th St., (212) 228-0598.
The Salvation Army Thrift Stores in Brooklyn and Astoria have warehouses of inexpensive used clothes.
-- Gloria Harper
Salvation Army Thrift Stores have various locations throughout NYC, including 176 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, (718) 388-9249.
COSTUMES
Most nonprofit theatre companies are aware of the Theatre Development Fund. The TDF Costume Collection stocks a great deal of worse-for-wear but nonetheless gorgeous costumes from the Metropolitan Opera. They only rent to people with nonprofit umbrellas, but their deals are extraordinary. We dressed a whole troupe of Vikings for 10 days for $150, which could have cost over $1,000 at a standard rental house like Halloween Adventure or Abracadabra.
-- Sam Reich
The TDF Costume Collection is located at 601 West 26th St., 3rd floor, (212) 989-5855, www.tdf.org/costume.
DISCOUNTS
At Actors Connection, you can pick up a box of discount cards for around $11. These cards offer discounts for everything from the Drama Book Shop, photos, Reproductions, etc. It's so worth the little money you put out to save big on important things in the biz.
-- Carrie Ethier
Actors Connection is located at 630 Ninth Ave., Suite 1410, (212) 977-6666, www.actorsconnection.com.
Check out the NYC street fairs website at www.nycstreetfairs.com/sched.html to find out where and when the next fair is. At the street fair, you will find tons of stuff dirt-cheap! Besides, the food at the street fairs is always delish and very inexpensive.
-- Louise Scotti
If you register for a class at HB Studio, you get a 10% discount at the Biography Book Shop, Samuel French, Shakespeare & Co., and Capezio.
-- Ginger Rich
HB Studio is located at 120 Bank St., (212) 675-2370, www.hbstudio.org.
ENTERTAINMENT
Rent movies, dialect CDs, and plays on CD for free. I like to watch lots of movies for research and pleasure, but renting movies can get to be expensive. However, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has a whole selection of movies that you can rent for free. You can check out many recorded theatrical productions by various theatre companies across the U.S. in addition to an eclectic selection of classic and contemporary films. You can also rent all the Shakespeare plays and many other fully dramatized recordings on cassette tape or CD and listen to them on the subway or at the gym. In addition, you can check out dialect tapes or CDs with the booklet to follow along. They're the same ones that you can spend $20 on at the Drama Book Shop. And you get to keep everything for a week -- much longer than Blockbuster.
-- Laura Perloe
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts is located at 40 Lincoln Center Plaza, (212) 870-1630, www.nypl.org.
Academy Records has a large selection of new and mint-condition used CDs at low rates.
-- Rick Poli
Academy Records is located at 12 West 18th St., (212) 242-3000, www.academy-records.com.
The Times Square Information Center has theatre tickets for 50% off. Ask for the theatre coupon book at the info kiosk. You have about two months to cash the coupon in at your leisure. There is no waiting in line.
You can also go directly to many theatres on the day of the performance (usually two hours before curtain) and ask for low-cost "rush" tickets.
-- Carrie Ethier
The Times Square Information Center is located at 1560 Broadway (between West 46th and 47th streets), (212) 869-5480, www.timessquarenyc.org.
Students 29 and under with a valid student ID can get Metropolitan Opera tickets at a reduced rate for certain performances. Student tickets are $25 for weeknights and $35 for Friday and Saturday (limited to two).
-- Jennifer R. Williams
The Metropolitan Opera is located at Lincoln Center Plaza (at West 64th Street), (212) 362-6000, www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/.
Check out www.newyorkmetro.com/urban/guides/cheap/ushering for ushering jobs. You can usher for almost all Off- and Off-Off-Broadway shows and see the show for free.
-- Tamar Kummel
EXERCISE CLASSES/GYMS
Crunch Fitness has a deal in which if you pay for two years up front, your cost ends up being less than $50 per month. The best advice I can give is to negotiate with your membership person.
-- Sandi Hemmerlein
Crunch has various locations throughout NYC, including 54 East 13th St. (at Broadway), (212) 475-2018, www.crunch.com.
Most gyms these days have special deals for actors and models -- you just have to ask. The membership advisors won't volunteer the info to you. Find a gym with a fully loaded bathroom. The gym I go to comes complete with showers, steam room, dry sauna, shampoo, conditioner, razors, towels, lotion, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, hair dryers, hairspray, and unlimited use of towels. I haven't had to purchase toiletries such as razors, lotion, and mouthwash on a regular basis in about three years.
-- Daren Fleming
Gold's Gym on 54th Street is the best bang-for-your-buck gym in town. Tell them you're Equity or a student and you can get a membership for as low as $48 a month. I'm a natural bodybuilding world champion who needs the best equipment to keep as fit as possible. I used to train at the world-famous Gold's Gym Venice when I was competing in the sport of bodybuilding. When I came to New York to act in the Off-Broadway production of "Alice in Wonderland" at the Kirk Theatre, I found a home away from home. Now, New York is my home. With still the budget of a starving college boy, Gold's Gym offers a membership rate to actors that guarantees great equipment and a low monthly charge -- nearly half of that of other clubs that don't have the equipment to as great extent.
-- Travis Wojcik
Gold's Gym is located at 250 West 54th St., (212) 307-7760, www.goldsgym.com.
I have discovered the New York City Parks and Recreation facilities to be fantastic. Not only do they have cardio equipment, but a great weight room and huge pool. I work out at the East 54th Street and First Avenue location, which is clean and in a great neighborhood. The best part -- it's only $75 for the year! That's right, I said year. You can't even get that per month at most of the clubs in New York. The only downside is that you may have to wait to use some of the machines. But seriously, for what you pay, it's totally worth the wait. And there are tons of locations all over Manhattan and the outer boroughs.
-- Amy J. Albert
New York City Parks and Recreation facilities are located throughout NYC, including 348 East 54th St., (212) 754-5411, www.nycgovparks.org/sub_things_to_do/recreation_centers/rc_rc_by_borrough.html.
FOOD AND DRINK
At Healthy Choice Gourmet Deli, you can get two fried eggs on a roll with ketchup on one side and mayo on the other, plus a container of coffee, all for $1.75 plus 15 cents tax. Very good, filling, and fast service.
At Chinese Fast Wok, try the mixed vegetable and rice dinner with a can of Coke for $4.75 including tax. You get a huge portion of veggies and rice, very hot and very good. It took me over half an hour to wolf it all down, and I'm a fast eater.
Eighth Ave. Gourmet Market offers an enormous white tuna salad sandwich on a roll for $3.00 including tax, and a heavily buttered roll and container of coffee for $1.25.
-- Abe Mendel
Healthy Choice Gourmet Deli is located at 341 Seventh Ave. (at West 29th Street), (212) 279-9221.
Chinese Fast Wok is located at 230 Seventh Ave. (between West 23rd and 24th streets), (212) 645-6888.
Eighth Avenue Gourmet Market is located at 403 Eighth Ave. (at West 30th Street), (212) 290-2374.
I love eating Thai food because it never hurts my pockets and they give you enough so that you are full for a good while after eating. There have been times when I've had just $20 for the rest of the week and went to Spice in Greenwich Village because I just couldn't help myself. If I spend my last $20 there, I never feel bad, because the food is way worth it. You can make that $20 go a long way.
-- Artesia Balthrop
Spice is located at 60 University Place (at East 10th Street), (212) 982-3758.
Two Boots Pizzeria in the East Village has the best BBQ burger in the whole city. The pizza's not bad either.
-- Sam Reich
Two Boots Pizzeria is located at 42 Avenue A (at East Third Street), (212) 254-1919.
Mama's is a great Southern comfort diner in the Alphabet City area of the East Village, open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. If you're starvin' like Marvin, this is the place to go. They have a selection of meaty entrees and with two sides it will cost you only a whopping 10 bucks. The portions are enough to feed a family of four -- no kidding!
-- Christina Williams
Mama's Food Shop is located at 200 East Third St., (212) 777-4425.
Sam's Falafel serves up Mediterranean specialties for vegetarians (like me) and carnivores alike. A falafel sandwich is only $2 and a gyro is $3.50; in fact, nothing on the menu is over $5.50 (unless you are absolutely ravenous and order the whole grilled chicken -- that will set you back a mere $8.50). It's good, fast, and, most important, a bargain.
-- Candice Holdorf
Sam's Falafel is located at 231 Thompson St. (between West Third and Bleecker streets), (212) 777-2240.
Instead of buying cookbooks, I check www.foodnetwork.com. They have a huge resource for recipes. I also go to www.epicurious.com for free recipes.
-- Tamar Kummel
The best hamburger deal in town is The Burger Joint. $1 will get you a sirloin hamburger on a bun, with onions if you want. This is a clean, no-frills place.
-- Robert L. Haber
The Burger Joint is located at 241 Third Ave. (at East 20th Street), (212) 228-1219.
Dim sum restaurants offer a variety of foods (including several kinds of steamed or fried dumplings) served successively in small portions that are so cheap. So you can try a wide assortment of delicious foods all at a low cost. Be sure to bring many friends and family members because the more the merrier! Some Chinatown dim sum places include HSF Restaurant, Jing Fong Restaurant, and Sweet N Tart Café.
Also be sure to check out these Vietnamese restaurants that are super cheap and super good: Nha Trang Restaurant, Cong Ly Restaurant, and the Saigon Grill.
-- Theresa Ngo
HSF Restaurant is located at 46 Bowery (between Canal and Bayard streets), (212) 374-1319.
Jing Fong Restaurant is located at 20 Elizabeth St. (at Bayard Street), (212) 964-5256.
Sweet N Tart Café is located at 20 Mott St. #1 (at Canal Street), (212) 334-8088.
Nha Trang Restaurant is located at 87 Baxter St. (at Walker Street), (212) 233-5948.
Cong Ly Restaurant is located at 124 Hester St. (at Chrystie Street), (212) 343-1111.
Saigon Grill is located at 620 Amsterdam Ave. (at West 90th Street), (212) 875-9072.
You can get fabulous Mexican food in Manhattan very cheaply. The Upper West Side's Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana has a taco made with two tortillas for $2.50 that really is an entire meal. They also have incredible lemonade and excellent service.
La Paloma in Hell's Kitchen is another favorite place to eat Mexican and cheap. Their cactus tacos are amazing!
For fabulous late-night Thai food post-show and post-rehearsal, Yum Yum Bangkok Thai Restaurant, also in Hell's Kitchen, is sensational. And they have glasses of wine or beer for $3.
For the best customer service, go to Georgio's Country Grill. This place makes me homesick for California because they have such great service, reasonable prices, and good food.
-- Natasha Yannacañedo
Taqueria y Fonda la Mexicana is located at 968 Amsterdam Ave. (between West 107th and 108th streets), (212) 531-0383.
La Paloma is located at 359 West 45th St. (between Eighth and Ninth avenues), (212) 581-3844.
Yum Yum Bangkok Thai Restaurant is located at 650 Ninth Ave. (at West 45th Street), (212) 262-7244.
Georgio's Country Grill is located at 801 Ninth Ave. (at West 53rd Street), (212) 977-1150.
Chipotle is a new Mexican burrito chain. Big burritos start at $5.95 (veggie).
-- Rick Poli
Chipotle has $4 margaritas that are incredible.
-- Natasha Yannacañedo
Chipotle has various locations throughout NYC, including 19 St. Mark's Place (at Second Avenue), (212) 529-6655.
Tao is the place to go for lunch when you want to impress. From 11:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. all year round, you can get three excellent courses for $20.05.
-- Gloria Barnes
Tao is located at 42 East 58th St. (between Park and Madison avenues), (212) 888-2288, www.taorestaurant.com.
When you're in the theatre district, check out Rachel's, across from Manhattan Plaza apartments. They have a late happy hour (8 p.m. to close), so it's a great place to go if you have an early show, a dark night, or you're just in the neighborhood.
Over in Turtle Bay, Third and Long has $1 drafts of Budweiser and Bud Light all night on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Friend House, not far from Union Square, has great Chinese food and cheap lunch specials -- $5.50 entrees plus rice, soup or spring roll, and soda.
And at Pizza Mercato, an NYU favorite, you can get two slices and a soda for $3.50.
-- Sue-Kate Heaney
Rachel's is located at 608 Ninth Ave. (at West 43rd Street), (212) 957-9050.
Third and Long is located at 523 Third Ave. (at the corner of West 35th Street), (212) 725-9871.
Friend House is located at 105 Third Ave. (at East 13th Street), (212) 388-1838.
Pizza Mercato is located at 11 Waverly Place (at Mercer St.), (212) 420-8432.
It is so much better to be seen at a great brunch spot than at a bar. Sunday brunching is my favorite thing to do and I have done my research on the best spots to get more bang for your buck. When I say "bang," I mean free brunch liquor, like bloody marys and mimosas. Two spots come to mind: The first is O'Flanagan's on the Upper East Side. It's a prix fixe menu, which is $10.95, and that includes two huge drinks: mimosas in a pint glass -- huge. The food is decent and the service is so-so.
The next place is Chango, in the Gramercy Park area. They offer a "mariachi brunch" with unlimited -- yes, unlimited -- bloody marys and flavored mimosas. The brunch is a little more expensive at $14.95, I think, but it's really tasty and the service is great. They have a fabulous mariachi band playing. Perfect for when you have guests or just want to have a little buzz on a Sunday afternoon. But make sure you make a reservation.
-- Amy J. Albert
O'Flanagan's is located at 1215 First Ave. (between East 65th and 66th streets), (212) 439-0660.
Chango is located at 239 Park Ave. South (at East 19th Street), (212) 477-1500.
GIFTS AND MISCELLANEOUS
Freecycle NYC has free stuff for all and will also take your surplus away. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/freecyclenewyorkcity or www.freecycle.org.
-- Raymond B. Normandeau
For wedding gifts, go to Jean's Silversmith. You can get silver at the price Scully & Scully charges for silver plate.
-- Gloria Barnes
Jean's Silversmith is located at 16 West 45th St., (212) 575-0723.
Inexpensive exotic gifts and foods can be found at the Pearl River Mart.
-- Gloria Barnes
Pearl River Mart is located at 477 Broadway (just above Canal Street), (800) 878-2446 or (212) 431-4770, www.pearlriver.com.
HAIR, GROOMING, AND MAKEUP
My favorite place to go to get a free haircut is Bumble and Bumble, one of the trendiest and most expensive salons in the city. In this business, it is important to keep yourself looking your best. And, especially for women, a great haircut and color can cost over $100. What you do is go to www.bumbleandbumble.com and sign up to be a hair model. They will call you at some point when they need someone and you go in and someone cuts your hair. The stylists are great; even the ones still in training already have tons of experience just to be working there. You can't just get one millimeter of hair cut off, but they will do exactly what you want them to. It's not like they're just going to do whatever they want. Once you get to know the stylists, you can do style classes (where they don't cut your hair) in exchange for free B&B products. I have always been very pleased.
-- Laura Perloe
Bumble and Bumble works for men, too. Two young women analyzed my hair for a half-hour before giving me a pure razor experience. I came out looking even better than in my headshot. That's right, even better.
-- Sam Reich
Bumble and Bumble is located at 415 West 13th St., (212) 521-6500.
There are two places right across the street from each other where you can get a cheap manicure: 205 Nail Salon and Niu's Nail. Both are on East 26th Street between Second and Third avenues and both have manicures for $5, pedicures for $10. The work they do lasts a long time, they're nice, and they have great colors! (Plus you still get a leg or a hand massage for the low price.)
-- Sandi Hemmerlein
205 Nail Salon is located at 205 East 26th St., (212) 679-0272.
Niu's Nail is located at 212A East 26th St., (212) 481-7402.
Cosmetic Market has great deals and low prices on high-end makeup (Clinique, Bobbi Brown, Elizabeth Arden, MAC, etc.), skin care, makeup bags, hair care, and perfume.
Cosmetic Show has low prices on higher-end perfume and makeup, plus discounted drugstore and grocery products such as shampoo, conditioner, lotion, Vaseline, soap, toothpaste -- brands include Pond's, ThermaSilk, Finesse, and Suave. They also have great discounts on Conair and Revlon straightening irons, blow dryers, and curling irons.
-- Jennifer R. Williams
Cosmetic Market is located at 9 East 39th St. (at Fifth Avenue), (212) 725-3625.
Cosmetic Show is located at 150 East 55th St. (at Lexington Avenue), (212) 750-8418.
Hana Nails offers a $21 manicure and pedicure combo every day, so you don't have to break your neck getting there for a Monday-to-Wednesday deal.
-- Christina Williams
Hana Nails is located at 904 Second Ave. (at East 48th Street), (212) 826-5002.
For makeup, go to Consumer Expressions, where various makeups are provided for you to evaluate.
-- Gloria Barnes
Consumer Expressions is located at 575 Fifth Ave. (at West 47th Street), (212) 984-4164.
No working actor should be without the MAC Pro PPID card. You pay $35 a year, submit a headshot-résumé and a program, flyer, or business card from your last show, and you receive 30% off all products in MAC stores. With this card, you are also entitled to free makeup classes, samples, etc. Go to a MAC store and ask for your application. (It has to be an actual MAC store, not a Macy's makeup counter.) Most of my friends think I'm ridiculous with my theatrical makeup case for all occasions, but they just don't realize I got it all at a fraction of the cost. Go to MAC -- they're good to actors.
-- Daren Fleming
MAC stores are located throughout NYC, including 113 Spring St. in Soho, (212) 334-4641.
The L'Oréal Matrix technical salon needs hair models. You can have your hair dyed and styled for free, plus get free gifts. Just drop in and sign up to be on their list any Monday through Thursday from either 8 to 9 a.m. or 3 to 5 p.m. and say you heard about it from me. They especially need men. They don't do hair cutting but will do anything else you want as long as you're willing to be styled (nothing permanent needed). They'll do a little test patch on you that day. It takes a while to get through the initiation process, so start now.
-- Tamar Kummel
The L'Oréal Matrix technical salon is located at 575 Fifth Ave. (on the corner of 47th Street in the L'Oréal building). Go up the glass tube elevator to the 3rd floor and into the unmarked frosted door (it's the only one). No appointment is needed. For further info, call (212) 984-4926.
The Clairol test facility will color your hair for free. They use only Clairol products that are either already being sold or just about ready to be put on store shelves. Having been there a couple of times, I recommend this alternative salon in a pinch, such as when your regular salon is unaffordable that week or you don't have time to apply the hair color yourself.
-- Donna Bostany
The Clairol test facility is located at 345 Park Ave. (between East 51st and 52nd streets), lobby level, (646) 885-4200.
Fed up with Manhattan and outer-borough salons? Head yourself a tad east for a spectacular hair halo. There are cuts and colors galore at Nubest Salon and Spa. All year round on Tuesday nights (after 5:45 p.m.), there are free color and cut classes where you can get a haircut for $15, a single-process coloring job for $10, and highlights for $45. Many city salons will only do one process per visit, but Nubest will give you a double-header all in one sitting, even in the summertime.
-- Frances E. Scanlon
Nubest Salon and Spa is located at 1482 Northern Blvd., Manhasset, NY, (516) 627-9444 (salon), (516) 627-1010 (spa). Less than half an hour from Manhattan by train and a five-minute walk from the Long Island Rail Road Port Washington Line. You can also take the #7 subway train to the Main Street/Flushing-Roosevelt Avenue stop (the last stop), head upstairs and take the N20-21 Long Island bus (make a right on Roosevelt Avenue), which drops you off at Nubest's front door. The cost of the trip is one MetroCard fare.
At New Agnes Nails on the Upper West Side, you can get a combined manicure and pedicure for $20, which for that area is unthinkable.
-- Natasha Yannacañedo
New Agnes Nails is located at 130 West 72nd St. (at Columbus Avenue), 2nd floor, (212) 362-0890.
We've all wasted money on the wrong colors before. Well, Sephora is a great place to try on makeup. They seem to have testers of almost every product, so you are sure to buy exactly the right thing.
-- Sue-Kate Heaney
Sephora stores are located throughout NYC, including 119 Fifth Ave. (at East 17th Street), (212) 674-3570.
If you need a great bikini wax at a super-affordable price, I recommend Beauty & Youth Village Spa in the West Village. The staff is really nice and they get the job done. It's not super fancy-shmancy -- they don't offer a glass of wine to take the edge off -- but they do offer different "degrees" of wax, depending on how sensitive you are.
-- Amy J. Albert
Beauty & Youth Village Spa is located at 145 Seventh Ave. South (between West 11th and 12th streets), (212) 463-0246.
HEALTH CARE SERVICES
The Swedish Institute's massage therapy clinic in Chelsea is only $150 for 6 sessions (either shiatsu or Swedish). A doctor's note is required, and there's a waiting list.
-- Tamar Kummel
The Swedish Institute is located at 226 West 26th St., (212) 924-5900, www.swedishinstitute.org.
There are lower-cost health clinics and walk-in places such as DOCS.
I also use the NYU Medical Center's Skin and Cancer Unit.
There are cheap hearing tests at Long Island University's speech and hearing center.
The other great place I use is the SUNY State College of Optometry for full eye exams. It costs $80 and they also take insurance. I pay a $20 copay, but $80 is cheap for an extensive eye exam (not just for glasses).
-- Claudia Caruana
DOCS Physicians is located at 202 West 23rd St., or call (212) 352-2600 for a location near you.
The NYU Medical Center's Charles C. Harris Skin and Cancer Unit is located at 550 First Ave., (212) 263-5250, www.med.nyu.edu/sacu/.
Long Island University's Ladge Speech and Hearing Center is located on the C.W. Post Campus at 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville, NY, (516) 299-2436, www.cwpost.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/edu/speehear/general.html.
The State University of New York's State College of Optometry is located at 33 West 42nd St., (212) 780-4900, www.sunyopt.edu.
HOUSING
Government-subsidized apartments for working actors can be found at www.ci.nyc.ny.us/html/nycha. Recent listings have included a studio for $347 per month and a one-bedroom for $421 per month (including gas and electric).
-- Raymond B. Normandeau
INFORMATION SOURCES
For cheaper Internet access, get a wireless card for your laptop computer. There are places in the city called "hot spots," like small parks (Bryant Park is one) or Starbucks, where you can take your laptop and get online with the wireless card. It does cost money to go online in some hot spots, but it's only about $6 an hour, which is so much cheaper than Kinko's or many other cybercafés.
-- Laura Perloe
Easy Internet Café Times Square on 42nd Street is a place to go if you don't own a computer. It's $3.75 an hour or you can purchase a $5 card for up to four hours.
-- Carrie Ethier
Easy Internet Café Times Square is located at 234 West 42nd St. (at Seventh Avenue), (212) 398-0775.
The New York Public Library system offers lots of free Internet access, but the best place to go is the Science, Industry, and Business Library. It has a ton of free computers you can sign up to use for an hour, and a handful of computers you can just walk up to for quick 15-minute access. Plus, there's a full stock of magazines and newspapers, so you can check all the trades for casting notices while you wait for your computer.
-- Sandi Hemmerlein
The New York Public Library's Science, Industry, and Business Library is located at 188 Madison Ave., (212) 592-7000, www.nypl.org/research/sibl.
A great free place to meet professionals in the New York film biz is Shooting People (www.ny.shootingpeople.org). Many other websites make you pay for joining their list and using their Web space for your personal info, but at Shooting People you can create a profile and upload your headshots and resume for free. It also has a daily bulletin board with casting, current screenings, equipment for sale, Q&A, location info -- anything related to the film business. It's a great resource for directors, producers, writers, and technicians as well.
-- Candice Holdorf
There is a national list of free and cheap ISPs available at www.freedomlist.com.
-- Raymond B. Normandeau
Craigslist.com has more services than I can list here.
-- Sue-Kate Heaney
PHOTOGRAPHERS
For pictures, 8x10s, etc., ABC Pictures in Springfield, Mo., prints 500 black-and-white 8x10s for $90 and 1,000 for $120. They also do color, comp cards, postcards, and more. Safe, reliable, and inexpensive.
-- Gloria Barnes
ABC Pictures is located at 1867 East Florida St., Springfield, Mo. 65803-4583, (417) 869-3456, www.abcpictures.com.
PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
City Music Schools has great rates for voice lessons, or lessons in any instrument you might care to learn. You can buy four half-hour lessons for $74, seven half-hour lessons for $122.50, or four one-hour lessons for $140. All lessons are private.
The West Side Dance Project has great deals on dance classes. You can buy an eight-class card for $88, a one-month unlimited card for $93, or a two-month unlimited card for $179. That's a fantastic deal if you come more than twice a week.
-- Annemieke Farrow
City Music Schools is located at 357 West 36th St. (between Eighth and Ninth avenues), 3rd floor, (212) 563-6781, www.citymusicschools.com.
The West Side Dance Project is located at 357 West 36th St. (between Eighth and Ninth avenues), 3rd floor, (212) 563-6781, www.westsidedanceproject.com.
TELEPHONE
You can get cheap long-distance phone rates, as low as 1.9 cents per minute for the United States and Canada, from home, cell, or pay phones at www.onesuite.com. It works as a prepaid phone card. A PIN is not needed for calls from home or cell phones. Go to the website to compare the rates.
Don't be tricked into calling expensive numbers. Use Fone Finder at www.fonefinder.net to find out the location of a phone number and even the telephone company that services the area.
-- Raymond B. Normandeau
THEATRE/REHEARSAL SPACE
You can rehearse at the Producers' Club Theatres for only $12 per hour for a small studio or $20 per hour for a large studio.
-- Christina Williams
The Producers' Club Theatres are located at 358 West 44th St., (212) 315-4743.
Joria Productions rents rehearsal space at great rates, ranging from a music practice room for $8 per hour (perfect for warming up before an audition) to a large 30x30 foot space that can also be used as a theatre for $25 per hour.
-- Annemieke Farrow
Joria Productions is located at 357 West 36th St. (between Eighth and Ninth avenues), 3rd floor, (212) 563-6781, www.joriaproductions.com.
FlopNight at Manhattan Theatre Source is a great chance to put up a show. After graduating from NYU, I wanted to produce a show (and, of course, feature myself and fellow grads in it), but money was quite short. Manhattan Theatre Source, on Macdougal Street near West Eighth Street, has a great series called FlopNight. After we filled out an application (accessible on the website), our show was accepted for a three-night run on a Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. Manhattan Theatre Source provided the venue for free and helped with programs and Web advertising. But the slots fill up quick, so plan ahead of time. We got ours three months after they accepted our submission.
-- Candice Holdorf
Manhattan Theatre Source is located at 177 Macdougal St., (212) 260-4698.
TRANSPORTATION/TRAVEL
I use Expedia.com when I have to travel for auditions. I usually get four-star hotel rooms for less than $100 a night.
-- Jennifer R. Williams
Two websites offer cheap bus fares. To get to Philadelphia casting and agent offices, go to www.staticleap.com/chinatownbus/.
For bus fares to Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., and more that are half the price of Greyhound, go to www.chinatown-bus.com.
-- Raymond B. Normandeau
Some good advice: Never take a taxi. That seems really simple, but people will be late to things and figure a taxi is the best way to go. It's not. Get the monthly unlimited MetroCard for $76 and ride the subway and bus to your heart's content. Getting the unlimited card for the month will save you time and money.
-- Artesia Balthrop