NYC Basics From A to Z - New York City Free and Dirt Cheap - page 231

Smoking Laws New York's legendary tolerance does not extend to smokers. You can light up on the sidewalks,
but smoking on public transportation and in hotel lobbies, taxis, shops, and parks is prohibited. Most bars and
restaurants ban smoke as well, although their outdoor areas are generally exceptions. Buy cigarettes before you
hit the city: A pack will set you back around $13 now.
Telephone Service Several small companies have come into the New York phone market, significantly undercut-
ting AT&T and Verizon. Prices start low, but once the Man slaps on his $20 or so in monthly taxes and surcharges,
it may not seem quite so cheap. If you're already paying for broadband, you can get around the gummint by
signing up with a company like Vonage ( www.vonage.com ) . Monthly rates start low: $11.99 for basic (300 free
min. of local and long-distance), up to $24.99 for all-you-can-yak. Usually you can keep your existing number,
too. The next broadband telecommunications wave is to turn your PC into a phone. Skype ( www.skype.com )
will let you talk free with other Skype users worldwide. You'll need a mic and headphones, but those are cheap
enough, and the program downloads quickly. (For calls outside the Skype system, rates start at around 2.3¢ per
min., or 1.2¢ per min. with a subscription.) Yahoo! is another entrant into this field. Their rates start at nothing
(PC to PC via Yahoo! Messenger), and vary widely for PC to phone. Long-distance starts around 2¢ per minute.
For 60¢ a minute you can get caught up with your college buddies in Antarctica. Check www.voice.yahoo.com
for the latest offers. If you're only interested in long-distance savings by traditional means, compare rates online
at www.lowermy bills.com . (The site also offers rate comparisons on everything from cellphones to insurance to
mortgages.) Also, if you're still paying for directory assistance for businesses, stop. Google has a completely free
text service (send to GOOGL [46645]) for use with cellphones.
Tipping Despite the cheapness advocated on these pages, I consider good tipping to be essential for my financial
karma. Typically in New York, we leave 20% for our waiters/waitresses/waitrons (less for poor service), 10% for
food delivery guys (more if it's pouring or freezing), 10% for cabdrivers, 10% or so for bartenders, around 15%
for hairdressers, and $1 per bag for bellhops.
For Further Reading
The same era that's coined the words frugalista and recessionista has also spawned a host of cheap living material on the
interwebs. Our colleague Broke-AssStuart maintains a great website, with an army of columnists providing tips on how
to live more for less ( www.broke assstuart.com ). Cheapism ( www.cheapism.com ) is almost a ConsumerReports for the
price-conscious, with product overviews and sample costs. Coupon codes can be plucked from www.retailmenot.com ,
and group-rate specials are churned out daily at www.groupon.com . Locally, Brokelyn ( www.brokelyn.com ) runs a well-
researched and fun-to-read site about all things cheap in Brooklyn. To keep up with New York's music scene (free and
not free), check out BrooklynVegan ( www.brooklynvegan.com ) and OhMyRockness ( www.ohmyrockness.com ). Nifty
NYC ( www.niftynyc.com ) has a helpful website, as well as a meaty daily e-mail blast. Theskint ( www.theskint.com ) is
another excellent resource, with both daily e-mails and online listings. When I'm not toiling for Frommer's, I moonlight as
the NYC listings editor for BlackBook ( www.blackbookmag.com ) —check the website or free iPhone app for tons more on
New York City shops, bars, restaurants, and hotels.
Toilets For free public toilets, you can take advantage of the efforts of people with way too much time on their
hands by logging on to www.thebathroomdiaries.com and browsing the lists of facilities. Many city parks have
comfort stations, though they're usually not the cleanest. Bryant Park is an exception, with neat facilities in the
northeast corner of the park along 42nd, between Fifth and Sixth avenues. Transit hubs are good bets. The down-
stairs Dining Concourse at Grand Central recently added a second set of facilities on the west end. Until every-
one else figures it out, they're not nearly as crowded as the east end. Penn Station has public restrooms on the
Main Concourse near the ticket windows. Port Authority is not nearly as scary as it used to be, and restrooms are
located all over the terminal. The main restrooms, on the Main Concourse of the South Wing and on the second
floor between the North Wing and the South Wing, are clean enough and heavily trafficked by commuters. Book-
stores with cafes are almost always equipped with restrooms. Barnes & Noble has locations across the city. Oth-
er merchants worth noting are department stores and retailers like Old Navy, Kmart, and Bed Bath & Beyond.