The college ID is the gift that keeps on giving — whether it’s years past graduation and you’re milking the absence of an expiration date for all it’s worth, or you’ve actually returned to the classroom for that second chance. Whichever, your little chunk of plastic is a gateway to discounts galore in Brooklyn. And we’re not talking 5 percent-here and 5 percent-there, but some real savings worth dredging up the dorm-room memories for. So, dust off your ID, and take full advantage of what’s rightfully yours. After all, we know you’re still the spitting image of your freshman self. (more…)

Taiwan Cucumbers. Photos by Hannah Rosenblum.

Chinese supermarkets are chock-full of delicious, inexpensive stuff—that we know from many a past meal. Still, for the uninitiated, between the hustle and bustle (and often questionable English signage), the stores can seem like impenetrable fortresses. You know that fuzzy squash-looking thing is cheap, but… what to do with it? We decided to head to a couple of Sunset Park’s staple supermarkets and see what we could find, and how to use the stuff back at home. We compared the prices with those at a couple cheap non-Chinese spots (our local C-Town and Key Food). Here’s what we found: (more…)

Piper Theatre

If Shakespeare had only known how well he’d go over from a lawn chair. Theater in the park is one time-honored tradition you’re bound to find wherever summer high culture has a place. And, oh, does it have a place in Brooklyn. This summer, we’ve got all the outdoor drama we need, with the old Bard a-plenty in the wilds of Prospect, a strung-up beauty and some darkly comic nights in the Slope. And it’s all free. (more…)

Photo by Seuss.

It’s a couple… 234 years later, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do this thing right. Brooklyn has a hallowed place in our country’s early days. This July 4, take part in some historically (in)appropriate activities to celebrate our founding fathers, freedom and plain, old 18th century good times. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

1) Drive out your British neighbors… to pick up some Sam Adams, that is. (Who do you think we are?) (more…)

The Community Bookstore. Photo by Annie Wang.

Back in the day, you knew your neighborhood used bookstore. Some of us knew all three of them. Now, these dusty, quirky, often-malodorous treasure troves of recycled literature are a rare, but hearty, Brooklyn breed. But if you know where to look, you can still find a home—and even make a little cash—for your boxes of yellowed, dog-eared pages. Or you can pick up a few of someone else’s. Here’s our guide to Brooklyn’s used bookstores—from dust to dollar-value. (more…)

Believe it or not, the affordable big-screen movie isn’t dead. And by affordable, we mean FREE. This summer, Brooklyn’s home to at least a half dozen spots where you can take in a good-old cinematic experience without cracking the wallet. Check out these venues where you can get sticky seats, rowdy crowds… and a movie, no snack-smuggling or cash transaction required. (more…)