10.  Batting Cages.  The Baseball Center NYC, 202 West 74th Street and the Field House at Chelsea Piers, between Piers 61 & 62 at 23rd Street & Hudson River Park.  The Field House is closed from 9:00am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday, June 21 – September 3 due to the Chelsea Piers Summer Sports Camp.

9.  Golf Driving Range.  Practice your golf swing in the city at  New York Golf Center, 131 West 35th Street and Chelsea Piers Golf Club, 59 Chelsea Piers., or Randall’s Island Golf Center, 1 Randalls Island.

8.  Kayaking.  Yes you can kayak in New York City.  For free kayaking, visit the Downtown Boathouse, a non-profit organization renting free kayaks at Pier 40, Pier 96, and 72nd Street on the Hudson River.

7.  Swimming.  Swimming is one of the best low impact exercises for men and women.  Even babies can begin swimming at just a few months old.  In New York City you can choose between 54 outdoor public pools, indoor public pools at recreation centers, or private indoor swimming.  Most outdoor pools are public, crowded and full of kids so not expect to be able to do laps.  If you want to perform laps, I recommend joining a gym like New York Sports Club or the YMCA or becoming a member of an indoor public pool ($75 dollar annual membership).  Most indoor pools require a swimming cap and I highly encourage you to wear flip-flops in order to avoid walking barefoot on the moist flooring, especially in the locker room.  Outdoor public pools close September 6th.  See www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/pools for a list of public pools.

6.  Basketball Courts.  Courts are located all over New York City.  Visit www.nycgovparks.org/facilities/basketball for basketball court locations.  Rucker Park at 155th Street and Frederick Douglass Boulevard across the road from the Polo Grounds site is famous for producing a number of NBA players including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Vince Carter, Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving, and Ron Artest.  See: NYC’s 10 Best NBA & Street Ball Basketball Legends

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Saturday, August 28th

10:00 AM to 6:00 PM – Friends of Dag Hammarskjold Festival.  2nd Ave between 45th and 57th Street.  Street fair of 400 vendors (food, crafts, and clothing) and live entertainment with over 80,000 in attendance.

12:00 PM – J&R Musicfest & Tech Expo.  Across from City Hall Park at 23 Park Row, Downtown.  Free concert series and expo.  Thursday includes the tech expo with live performances Friday and Saturday.  Saturday’s concert features Marcus Johnson, Eli Paperboy Reed, and Leela James.

3:00 PM to 7:00 PM – Charlie Parker Jazz Festival.  Marcus Garvey Park, east of Lenox Avenue between 120th & 124th Street.  Top jazz musicians today in merge to honor jazz great Charlie Parker.  This jazz concert location was chosen to reflect where Charlie Parker lived and worked.

8:00 PM – Summer HD Festival presents Tosca.  Jose Robertson Plaza at the Lincoln Center, Upper West Side.  A screening of the opera composed by Giacomo Puccini.  2,800 free seats available, no tickets required.

8:00 PM – Central Park Conservancy Film Festival presents Manhattan (1979).   Movies shown nightly from August 24th to August 28th in Central Park’s landscape, just north of the Great Lawn behind Mineral Springs.  Space opens 6:30 PM, bring a picnic.  No alcohol allowed and bags subject to search.  This night see Woody Allen’s famous Manhattan also staring Diane Keaton and Michael Murphy.

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Monday, August 23

5:00 PM (movie starts at sunset) – HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival – Bonnie and Clyde.  Bryant Park.  Lawn opens 5:00 PM and the movie starts at sunset.  Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, and Gene Hackman are gangsters on the run.

6:00 PM to 7:00 PM – Clinton Concert Series with Stephen Beasley Project.  Hudson River Park’s Pier 84 at 44th Street.  A combination of soul, funk, world music, and rock sounds.

7:30 PM – Caribbean Night with Sean Paul The King of Calypso and the Mighty Sparrow.  Wingate Park, Brooklyn.  Jamaican dancehall reggae superstar Sean Paul performs with special guests.

10:00 PM – Nasty Mondays at the Gallery at Le Poisson Rouge.  158 Bleecker Street, between Thompson Street & Sullivan Street.  A well known Barcelona scene comes to Manhattan.  Features DJ mixes from the 50s, 80s, 90s, and today.  Open vodka bar from 10:00 PM to 11:00 PM.

Tuesday, August 24

11:00 AM to 7:00 PM -  Live evian Photo Shoot with Maria Sharapova.  OpenHouse Gallery, 201 Mulberry Street. Live photo shoot with Maria Sharapova.  US Open tickets and t shirts available for select attendees.

8:00 PM – Central Park Conservancy Film Festival presents Fame (1980).   Movies shown nightly from August 24th to August 28th in Central Park’s landscape, just north of the Great Lawn behind Mineral Springs.  Space opens 6:30 PM, bring a picnic.  No alcohol allowed and bags subject to search.  A classic 80s flick about students at the New York City High School for the Performing Arts.

Wednesday, August 25

8:00 PM – Central Park Conservancy Film Festival presents Taking of Pelham 123 (2009).   Movies shown nightly from August 24th to August 28th in Central Park’s landscape, just north of the Great Lawn behind Mineral Springs.  Space opens 6:30 PM, bring a picnic.  No alcohol allowed and bags subject to search.  A remake of the classic 70s film starring Denzel Washington and John Travolta where a subway train is hijacked for ransom.

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Saturday, August 21st

7:00 AM to 1:00 PM – Summer Streets 2010.  Uptown Rest Stop – Park Avenue & 51st Street.  Dumpster Pools – Park Avenue and 40th Street.  Midtown Rest Stop – 24th Street between Park & Madison Avenue.  SoHo Rest Stop – Lafayette Street between Kenmare & Spring Streets.  Foley Square Rest Stop – Centre Street between Reade & Worth Streets.  Enjoy the summer with free bike rides, running, dance lessons, exercise classes, swimming, musical performances and more.

9:00 AM to 6:00 PM – Kayaking on the Hudson.  Pier 40, West of Houston Street.  Free kayaks available until 5:30 PM.  Be sure to arrive in your swimsuit or shorts.  Changing rooms, lockers, and showers available.

10:00 AM to 7:00 PM – Barney New York Warehouse Sale.  55 West 17th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenue.  Discount designer clothing at 50% to 75% off.  See: New York City’s 10 Best Discount Designer Clothing Stores & Outlets

11:00 AM to 7:00 PM – Bryant Park Ping Pong.  Bryant Park, near 42nd Street and 6th Avenue.  Two top notch tables where you can come to test your ping pong skills.  You must sign up on site to reserve a time slot.

1:00 PM to 6:00 PM – Red Hooked: BWAC’s Summer Art Show.  499 Van Brunt Street, Brooklyn.  Last weekend to see 800 pieces of artwork (paintings, photography, graffiti, and sculptures) from 200 artists in a 25,000 square foot building built around the Civil War.

3:00 PM to 7:00 PM – Central Park SummerStage with Chrisette Michele, Mario and Tamia.  Central Park Mainstage, Rumsey Playfield, East side Central Park (use 72nd Street entrance).  Soul and R&B music with 6 time Grammy winner Tamia as the headliner.  See: NYC’s 10 Best Attractions & Things to Do in Central Park

8:00 PM – Goodbar by Bambï & Waterwell at East River Park SummerStage.  East River Park, enter at Delancey Street bridge over the FDR Drive and walk south.  Local New York City rock band Bambï comes together with the Waterwell theater company to perform their version of the 70s novel and film Looking For Mr. Goodbar.  Explore independence and sexuality in this controversial show.

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Monday, August 16

5:00 PM (movie begins at sunset) – HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival – 12 Angry Men.  Bryant Park.  Lawn opens at 5:00 PM, movie starts at sunset.  Henry Fonda stars in this 1957 classic as a jury member in a murder trial during the heat of the summer in New York City.  95 minutes.

7:30 PM – Gospel Night BeBe & Cece Winans, with Fred Hammond.  Martin Luther King, Jr. Concert Series.  Brooklyn Avenue, Wingate Field (entrance at Winthrop St. & Rutland Rd.)

12:00 PM to 2 :00 PM (Aug 16th to 20th) – 29th Annual Downtown Dance Festival.  One New York Plaza, just east of Battery Park.  Various performances celebrating dance with national and international dancers including India and Japan.  Many dance styles featured.

Tuesday, August 17

7:00 PM – Summerstage Concert with Alexandra and Daniel Moncion.  Highbridge Park, West 174th Street & Amsterdam Avenue.  Dominican musicians known for their bachata and salsa music blend.

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10.  Barneys New York Warehouse Sale.  255 West 17th Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues.  August 19 to September 6, 10 am to 9 pm weekdays and 10 am to 7 pm weekends.  50 to 70 percent off the best designer clothing, shoes, and accessories for both men and women.  Sale items also includes houseware.  See: New York City’s 10 Best Department Stores & Shopping

9.  The Central Park Conservancy Film Festival.  Location – On landscape north of Sheep Meadow, behind Mineral Springs, mid-Park at 69th Street.  Enter Central Park at 72nd Street.  All movies are free and start at 8:00 pm rain or shine.  Go to www.centralparknyc.org for more details.  See: NYC’s 10 Best Cheap Movie Theater Tickets and 10 Best Movie Theaters in NYC

The Central Park Conservancy Film Festival schedule for August:
August 24 – Tuesday – Fame (1980)
August 25 – Wednesday – The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3 (2009)
August 26 – Thursday – Saturday Night Fever (1977)
August 27 – Friday – King Kong (1933)
August 28 – Saturday – TBD.  Will be either Manhattan (1979) or Serendipity (2001) based on voting

8.  2010 NBC Today Show Free Concerts.  Rockefeller Center Plaza.  If you are willing to wake up early you can watch a free concert in Rockefeller Center of today’s hottest pop artists.  See: 10 Best New York City TV Shows to Be an Audience Member

2010 NBC Today Show Free Concerts schedule for August:
August 6 – Friday, 7:00 AM – Train
August 13 – Friday, 7:00 AM – KeSha
August 20 – Friday, 7:00 AM – Keith Urban
August 27 – Friday, 7:00 AM – Katy Perry

7.  2010 Good Morning America Free Concert Series.  Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, near the park entrance at 5th Avenue and East 69th Street. As usual this free concert series gets crowded fast so come at least an hour early.  I would even come earlier for Rihanna on August 20th.  See: 10 Best New York City TV Shows to Be an Audience Member

2010 Good Morning America Free Concert Series schedule for August:
August 6 – Friday, 7:00 AM – To Be Announced
August 13 – Friday, 7:00 AM – Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, Camp Rock 2
August 20 – Friday, 7:00 AM – Rihanna
August 27 – Friday, 7:00 AM – Lady Antebellum

6.  The Charlie Parker Jazz Festival.  Marcus Garvey Park, August 28th & Tompkins Square Park, August 29th.  Part of City Park Foundations SummerStage, this jazz festival brings together the top jazz musicians today in appreciation of Charlie Parker.  The concert locations were choosen to reflect where Charlie Parker lived and worked.  Each concert is free.  3 pm to 7 pm.  See: 10 Best Jazz Bars & Clubs in Manhattan, New York City

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10. Nautica New York City Triathalon.  Upper West Side & Central Park.  Sunday, July 18th.  See 3000 of the best endurance athletes race to complete a 1500 meter swim, 40k bicycle ride, and a 10k run.  Yes, the competitors actually swim in the Hudson.  The run and finish area is in Central Park.

9.  Broadway2Battery: Antibalas Music at Castle Clinton.  River to River Festival, Castle Clinton, Battery Park at State Street.  July 22nd, 7:00 pm.  Brooklyn based Afrobeat orchestra known for their energetic music.  Free tickets handed out first come first serve starting at 5:00 pm.

8. Burning Spear.  River to River Festival.  Rockefeller Park, Downtown.  July 21st at 7:00 pm.  Rastafarian roots reggae artist performs.

Click here to view the embedded video.

7. Summer Film Festival in Bryant Park.  The Lawn at Bryant Park, 40th to 42nd Streets, between 5th & 6th Avenue, Midtown.  Each Monday a classic movie is shown on a giant outdoor screen at Bryant Park for free.  Come early, bring a blanket, and some food and drink and settle in for a night at the movies.  The Lawn opens at 5:00 pm.

Bryant Park Summer Film Festival Movie List for July:

• July 5th – French Connection
• July 12th – My Man Godfrey
• July 19th – The China Syndrome
• July 26th – Monty Python and the Holy Grail

See:  New York City’s 10 Best Film Festivals

6. Broadway2Battery: Broadway Danny Rose Movie Nights on the Elevated Acre: Classic New York Features Paired with Independent Shorts.  River to River Festival, The Elevated Acre at 55 Water Street. A few short films followed by Woody Allen’s 1984 film, Broadway Danny Rose.  Broadway Danny Rose co-stars Mia Farrow and follows a man named Danny Rose who falls in love and gets tangled up with the mob.  A classic Woody Allen Film.  See:  10 NYC Best Movies & 10 More Best NYC Movies

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10.  Kaufman Astoria Studios. 34-12 36th Street, Astoria, NY. The Kaufman Astoria Studios are famous for television shows such as Sesame Street, The Cosby Show and large motion pictures including Hair and Carlito’s Way.  The studio does not give tours to the public, but tourists can visit the Studio Cafe.  This famous Queens television and film studio has walls filled with photos of famous celebrities such as Al Pacino, Bill Cosby and Diana Ross that have walked the grounds and worked at the studio.  Located near other Queens attractions such as our #9 pick.

9.  Museum of Moving Images. 35th Avenue & 37th Street, Astoria, Queens, New York. This museum gives the public an understanding and appreciation of the history, art, technology and technique of film, television, and digital media.  Tourists and locals are provided access to moving-image related artifacts through multimedia exhibitions, among other artworks and interactive experiences.  A one-of-a-kind museum, unlike any other in New York City.  See other related articles on NYC museums.

8.  Home of 2 Large Airports – JFK International Airport & LaGuardia Airport. Queens is home to two of the three commercial airports in the NY metropolitan area.  JFK and LaGuardia are most popular because of their central location and proximity to Manhattan; LaGuardia only 8 miles from midtown Manhattan.  They are huge contributors for Queens’ employment and huge benefactors in their economic impact for the city of New York.

7.  P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center. 22-25 Jackson Avenue, Queens. An affiliate to The Museum of Modern Art, P.S. 1 is one of the largest and oldest contemporary art museums in the United States.  If you cannot get enough of MoMA, P.S. 1 will give you plenty more contemporary art exhibits to see from famous artists as well as up and coming talents.  Some exhibits are quite graphic, so be aware if you bring along your children.  The museum is free, but the suggested donation is $5.

6.  Citi Field & New York Mets baseball team. 126th Street & Roosevelt Avenue, Flushing, Queens. The Citi Field park was completed in 2009 and has been an entertainment venue that has featured shows by Paul McCartney and the Dave Matthews Band, as well as being the home to the Major League Baseball team New York Mets.  During the NY Mets’ history, they have won two World Series titles (1969 and 1986), four National League pennants (1969, 1973, 1986, 2000), and five National League East titles (1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 2006).  Among many more, several famous Mets players are Mike Piazza, David Wright, Jose Reyes, Johan Santana, and Carlos Beltran.  A great attraction for any baseball lover.  See: NYC Sports

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10. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.  World Financial Center Winter Garden, 220 Vesey Street. Daily April 1st to April 18th at 7:00 pm.  A new way to perform Shakespeare that spans the indoor space of the World Financial Center.  The audience must follow the performers through the 3.5 acre space.  Presented by New York Classical Theatre.  Audience members meet outside Starbucks at the World Financial Center Courtyard.

9. Immigrant Heritage Week.  All boroughs, New York City.  April 15th to the 21st. 100s of free events from art exhibitions to NYC walking tours and other celebrations of immigrants and their history with New York City.  Visit Immigrant Heritage Week Calendar for a full event listing, times, and location.

8. Earth Day NY 2010 at Grand Central Terminal – Main Concourse & Vanderbilt Hall.  15 Vanderbilt Avenue.  April 19th to the 25th.  See Giant Earth Images projected on columns in the concourse, including pictures and quotes from famous artisits like Andy Warhol.  See: NYC GREEN

7 & 6. The Danvilles & The Royal Chains Concert at The Studio at Webster Hall. 125 East 11th Street, East Village. These two alternative, pop, rock bands will be performing for free on Monday night at the intimate Studio at Webster Hall.  Chill, good alternative music.  No cover, doors open at 8 pm on Monday, April 12th.

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10.  Gen Art Film Festival. The 15th Anniversary Gen Art Film Festival is a fun week of 7 nights of film premieres and after-parties at exclusive nightspots highlighting emerging filmmakers from April 7 through the 13th.  Tickets start at $30, and provide access to both the premiere and the after-party.  Celebrities love this festival as well. For tickets, call 212-255-7300.  See:  NYC Art & Exhibits, NYC’s 10 Best Film Festivals, NYC Bars, Lounges & Nightlife

9.  Spring Spa Week. Treat yourself at one of New York City’s most popular spas at a discount during Spring Spa Week, April 12-18.  See: NYC Health, Fashion & Beauty

8.  Hands on New York Day. During the National Volunteer Week (April 18-24), New York Cares will be hosting their annual spring day of service, known as Hands on New York Day, on Saturday, April 24th.  Thousands of volunteers gather on this day to clean and garden New York City parks in preparation for the spring.  A great way to meet people and clean up the city.  April 24th, 9:30 am – 3:00 pm.  For more information on volunteering, visit handsonnewyorkday.org.  See: NYC Parks & Recreation , NYC GREEN

7.  New York City International Auto Show. Jacob Javits Convention Center, 11th Avenue, Hell’s Kitchen. During April 2nd through the 11th, the NYC International Auto Show will be displaying the car of the year, alternative fuel and debut hot new cars. General admission tickets are $14.

6.  Fat Cat Big Band.  Smalls Jazz Club, 183 West 10th Street, West Village. See this passionate, acclaimed jazz group composed of eleven members performing on April 1st.  A tradition group with original music that has been praised throughout the music industry.  A top pick for any music lover.  The Fat Cat Big Band is performing at the Smalls Jazz Club on April 1st, 7:30 pm for only $20 a ticket.  See:  NYC Bars, Lounges & Nightlife

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