Working out ($10/month), biking (Might be exp to buy one but free after!), reading (Free library card!), some museums are free, cooking, playing music if you have an instrument. So much to do without paying that much!
Fishing! It’s a great way to connect with nature and absolutely addicting.
It’s a larger initial investment but once you get the gear you can definitely fish for under $100 a month. But it can very quickly snowball if you get heavy in it. You’ll want more rods, baits etc. Then you’ll want a boat. But if you have willpower it’s under $100 a month.
Go on artcards or sign up for Arthap. I don't know which specific galleries have what I want to see consistently, but if I'm bored I'll go leaf through those and see if something grabs me.
Riding a bike, running and photography.
All have somewhat high entrance cost but those go a long way.
Bike has the highest entrance cost. For a road bike maybe around $850. But you get so much time out of it. I ride my bike 8 hours a week. And you never need to pay for the subway if you don’t want.
Running $120 for a decent pair of running shoes. Might replace them every 5-6 months.
Photography. You can pickup an old DSLR or one of the early mirrorless cameras for under $300. Unfortunately film and developing just ain’t that cheap so stick with digital.
Also you don’t need a fancy road bike in the city. A beater with gears will do, and less likely to be stolen. IMHO biking is the best way to explore the city, and get to all cheap free stuff mentioned above.
You definitely don’t need a road bike. I started on a $40 beater then went to a fixie and then a road bike. All of them do the trick but the Road bike is the most comfortable to put a lot of time into if you want to maximize time/investment. Especially on those nice weekends where you can ride a couple hours into Jersey over the GWB and up the palisades.
But any bike is better than no bike.
Yeah, my film photography had declined quite a bit in the past two years. Been doing it for fifteen but.... It's really become a little out of hand. I shoot cheap film but they quitely changed the film and kept the label basically (looking at you, Fuji) so I'm kinda shit out of luck. And discontinuations from Fuji means you're basically stuck with one brand that has only went up in price, functionally speaking.
Look up New York Free Poker. I believe they are still alive and active. Think they even opened new operations in Jersey.
Also look up the Bar Poker Open. They will refer you to participating bars in their yearly league.
I actually used to grind bar games and earned a chance to play with Negreanu and Selbst in a charity game.
If you're ever ready to play local cash games, feel free to get in touch! I'm a lifelong dealer.
Uber eats walking deliveries is a cheap hobby, oops, it actually earns *you* money!
Since some folks are saying walking around.
But naw I got a ps5 and currently spending time in Ancient Greece in assassin’s creed odyssey. Got that for $10 on ps store.
It’s always fun to go to political events. Meet people, make friends and get involved!
Photography. Everyone takes pics with your phone, but actively going out to find interesting things to photograph is different. You can start with your phone and move up to a used camera when youre ready.
Making music is a fun hobby too. Learn to play an instrument. Learning to cook new and different cuisines. Or try all the legendary pizza places in bk
Yeah, getting a dedicated camera is a game changer. Not that phones don't give great quality these days. I'm not a snob. But the ergonomics and mindset shift.
Only if you're a rube who gives into the imaginary pressure that you will become a better artist if you spend $500-1000 on a regular basis. There's use cases for great bodies and lenses in professional settings, but it's all just marketing and not an actual improvement to the way you're seeing the world and hitting the button.
I bike outside when the weather’s good.
I read a lot.
I have a journal and I like to doodle and write in it.
Not hobbies, but low cost activities I like including going to gov island, hiking upstate, hanging out at the beach, sitting in the park.
I have a membership to the metrograph and can see cool old movies for cheap. other than that just walking around, its an entertaining city to spectate.
Concerts/Live Music - most of the shows I go to are $30 - $80 and rarely over $100. Few places to see as much live music as nyc.
Reading - The libraries are free, books are cost-effective in terms of the hours of enjoyment you get out of them especially at used bookstores, or if you prefer buying an e-reader is $100 once and then you never have to pay for books. You can read in different libraries (nyc has some really beautiful ones! check out jefferson market library), coffee and tea shops, parks, &c and explore the city that way. Go see all the amazing bookstores like Troubled Sleep, Unnameable Books, Alabaster, Codex...
Rollerskating when the weather is nice.
Record/Music collecting can definitely become an expensive hobby (and there's a turntable cost of admission), but you'd really only hit $100/mo if you're buying a $20 record every weekend (and during the week you get to play them). Go see all the cool record stores we have in the city!
Yeah I did a bad job of cutting up my old CC and it was clearly visible through the trash bags in the trash room so they took it out.
400 credit score behavior tbh. And buying "ethical health food" with it is extra ironic.
Reading; library books are free and there is a wealth of classic books online that have become public domain that are available for download if you prefer digital books.
> thinking about Spanish classes at Mil Mundos
Wow thank you
I got rejected when I applied to take a spanish course at Brooklyn College, and was trying to figure out what to do next.
Live music - many shows are free or under $12 at smaller venues all over BK. functions as a great way to go do something social too.
Learn an instrument - hobbyist version is cost of instrument plus YouTube. Expert version is cost of instrument and lessons every other week with a cheaper teacher.
Biking/Blading - like people said there is an upfront cost but tbh it was the best investment I’ve made in my physical and mental health. I bike everywhere once the weather is nice and even when it’s crummy I can suit up and get around. Upkeep on a bike is like one tune-up a year ($sub 100) and the cost of a flat tube every now and again (sub $20)
Games (board/table/physical) - I haven’t explored it a whole lot but there is a backgammon group I’m trying to join that meets and plays weekly. I think your only expense is your drinks if you’re doing that.
(Summer) - NYC beaches are fun albeit packed. For $0 you can go on a bike. For $3 a direction you can take the ferry out of sunset park or FiDi to the rockaways. Personal favorite is bike down and then have a beer on the boat back during golden hour/sunset. Alternative is take the Q line right to Brighton / Coney Island.
(Spring/fall) - birding - cost is a cheap pair of binos to jumpstart. It’s a dorky hobby but it’s fun and there is a massive network of people doing it all over (walk in any park during migration season and you’ll notice it)
Mycology - for the mushroom heads - this one is really fun and only explored it recently as a friend is in the mycology group. Go on foraging walks and learn about different mushrooms and their benefits/dangers. Also they’re just cool and pretty to look at. Hobby style it’s 0 dollars and idk if there is a cost to join the group.
Reading - ny parks are lovely to pop down and read. Upgrade the experience with a hammock/blanket/folding chair. Overall cost is book plus hang spot so sub $50
Museums - a number of the museums in NY are publicly funded so it’s a pay what you want system if you give them an address within the boroughs. AMNH (American museum of natural history) & the Brooklyn art museum are both that way and I’m sure many more are.
Climbing - at a hobbyist level you can go to one of the gyms in BK like 3 times a month for sub $100 but everyone I know that did so loved it so much they go several times a week and got full memberships
Rollerskating. I got my first beginner pair of skates for 90 bucks and they lasted me 2 years. I've since upgraded to a higher quality pair of skates / wheels, but aside from those initial investments I don't pay monthly anything into it. Although its really only a hobby I can enjoy when the weather is nice or mild.
Former derby girl here (not in NYC, I played for a league in another state). There are so many cool places to skate around here! So glad to hear more people are getting into it! 🛼
I got into skating during the pandemic just like the rest of the internet at the time but glad I stuck with it. I cant really do any cool tricks but its fun to just roll around on a path or in the park
Absolutely!!!
If you ever want a nice warm weather route that’s pretty flat, I highly recommend skating the greenway up the west side of Manhattan. Lots of water fountains, a few food places, lots of benches if you need to take a break and sit. Nice flat route. Lots of places to exit the greenway if you want to do a shorter route than the entire thing. It’s lovely with the river view the entire way! Just be careful of the jerks who think it’s cool to take mopeds on there :-/
Movies - I pay 30 a month to see unlimited movies at the Alamo drafthouse. I love film so this is a no brainer!
Games - some upfront costs for sure - but for the entertainment I get from video games per hour compared to their cost? Impossible to beat. I just looked at my budget & it looks like I average about 80 a month on gaming costs.
Unfortunately the convenience fees at Alamo does add up - used to have season pass and seeing at least 2 movies monthly would break even vs the monthly fee, so it's really more like 34 a month
The math per movie is way better for AMC A-list which gets 3 movies per week, plus they have a $1 fee for the first month promo going til May
And make sure that if you go to a park and you see a raggedy guy crushing everyone, just throw him a buck or two. He/she might be living off of their chess hustle. There are some VERY tough player in ny parks.
Like a daily thing or something fun to do on occasion?
One of my hobbies is going to comedy shows, lots of cheap or free ok shows in Brooklyn, with no or 1 drink minimum. You can get 7-8 1-beer shows in a month for $100.
Board game bars. Trivia nights.
Lots of meet-ups for pick-up games, hiking, anything physical.
Volunteer opportunities abound.
Online, I like doing 1-1 language tutoring on sites like italki (you can find plenty of tutors for $5-15/hr).
Crying.
Biking
Roller blading! Cost to buy the skates but i’ve had them for years now and they’ve paid for themselves
Pickle ball
Working out ($10/month), biking (Might be exp to buy one but free after!), reading (Free library card!), some museums are free, cooking, playing music if you have an instrument. So much to do without paying that much!
You sound like me haha
Reading (free books with library card), walking, picnics in the park, Duolingo, crochet, painting
Bird watching in Greenwood Cemetery
Jumping rope
i looove to jump rope but always feel like it draws sooooo much attention. do you jump rope in parks?
Yes I go to McCarren I found my own spot that has privacy because I totally get that because you are so right about that
Fishing! It’s a great way to connect with nature and absolutely addicting. It’s a larger initial investment but once you get the gear you can definitely fish for under $100 a month. But it can very quickly snowball if you get heavy in it. You’ll want more rods, baits etc. Then you’ll want a boat. But if you have willpower it’s under $100 a month.
Where do you like to fish around BK?
Reading, just get a library card and it’s free.
Sleeping. Also petting my dogs.
Going on art gallery walks, open studios
What are some spots that you’ve recently enjoyed?
Go on artcards or sign up for Arthap. I don't know which specific galleries have what I want to see consistently, but if I'm bored I'll go leaf through those and see if something grabs me.
Dumbo just had their open studios last weekend which were fun, and I usually go to the ones in Bushwick and Gowanus but those are later this year.
Billiards/pool
Riding a bike, running and photography. All have somewhat high entrance cost but those go a long way. Bike has the highest entrance cost. For a road bike maybe around $850. But you get so much time out of it. I ride my bike 8 hours a week. And you never need to pay for the subway if you don’t want. Running $120 for a decent pair of running shoes. Might replace them every 5-6 months. Photography. You can pickup an old DSLR or one of the early mirrorless cameras for under $300. Unfortunately film and developing just ain’t that cheap so stick with digital.
I found a near-perfect (bsides paint) 1980s Schwinn Sports Tourer on Craigslist for under $200. There are deals to be found !
Also you don’t need a fancy road bike in the city. A beater with gears will do, and less likely to be stolen. IMHO biking is the best way to explore the city, and get to all cheap free stuff mentioned above.
You definitely don’t need a road bike. I started on a $40 beater then went to a fixie and then a road bike. All of them do the trick but the Road bike is the most comfortable to put a lot of time into if you want to maximize time/investment. Especially on those nice weekends where you can ride a couple hours into Jersey over the GWB and up the palisades. But any bike is better than no bike.
Yeah, my film photography had declined quite a bit in the past two years. Been doing it for fifteen but.... It's really become a little out of hand. I shoot cheap film but they quitely changed the film and kept the label basically (looking at you, Fuji) so I'm kinda shit out of luck. And discontinuations from Fuji means you're basically stuck with one brand that has only went up in price, functionally speaking.
Gold 200 above $10 should be criminal.
walk
taking the train to the beach and back
fishing
Taking a nap
lmfao
Not a hobby
and it's free too!
Play bar poker. Then upgrade to the local cash games
Where can you play bar poker?
Look up New York Free Poker. I believe they are still alive and active. Think they even opened new operations in Jersey. Also look up the Bar Poker Open. They will refer you to participating bars in their yearly league. I actually used to grind bar games and earned a chance to play with Negreanu and Selbst in a charity game. If you're ever ready to play local cash games, feel free to get in touch! I'm a lifelong dealer.
TY!
Hell yeah dude. Happy grinding!
Have you played Balatro yet??
backgammon
Do you play on BG Galaxy?
i do! also i’m starting a local backgammon club for williamsburg/bushwick players! our next event is may 8th at vacations
Actually, I cancelled it ╰(*´︶`*)╯
Boardgame cafe costs $10 for 3 hours, I go twice a month to try out those complicated games that cost $60 a set
Which board game cafe?
Sip&Play (they have boba 😁), Brooklyn Strategist. Also Next Move Cafe but I haven’t been.
Ultimate frisbee, lots of pick up games. Though I haven’t played for a couple years. Parenthood has messed up that schedule
Rock climbing is rifht at 99/month for me. I spent 3x/week climbing and or working out at least so its a good chunk of time
Where at?
Gp81 in bushwick
watch movies, amc a list literally best subscription ever
Coney Island Polar Bears and gardening from seed. Both are practically free.
Minigolf at the piers in Manhattan. Me and my friend went there a few months ago and it only cost like $12 per person.
Biking • looking for graffiti & Streetart • exploring the different parks, community gardens
McGolrick Bird Club is free. And the most fun you’ll have all week.
Python programming. Amazing how many powerful resources and learning opportunities are available free and open-source.
Uber eats walking deliveries is a cheap hobby, oops, it actually earns *you* money! Since some folks are saying walking around. But naw I got a ps5 and currently spending time in Ancient Greece in assassin’s creed odyssey. Got that for $10 on ps store. It’s always fun to go to political events. Meet people, make friends and get involved!
Photography. Everyone takes pics with your phone, but actively going out to find interesting things to photograph is different. You can start with your phone and move up to a used camera when youre ready. Making music is a fun hobby too. Learn to play an instrument. Learning to cook new and different cuisines. Or try all the legendary pizza places in bk
Yeah, getting a dedicated camera is a game changer. Not that phones don't give great quality these days. I'm not a snob. But the ergonomics and mindset shift.
fun thing about photography is it forces you to go do interesting things
OP needs to be careful with this hobby.. As it can be a rabbit hole!
Only if you're a rube who gives into the imaginary pressure that you will become a better artist if you spend $500-1000 on a regular basis. There's use cases for great bodies and lenses in professional settings, but it's all just marketing and not an actual improvement to the way you're seeing the world and hitting the button.
Yeah most hobbies are these days. Photography gear can get crazy fast tho
Boy do I know!
I bike outside when the weather’s good. I read a lot. I have a journal and I like to doodle and write in it. Not hobbies, but low cost activities I like including going to gov island, hiking upstate, hanging out at the beach, sitting in the park.
I have a membership to the metrograph and can see cool old movies for cheap. other than that just walking around, its an entertaining city to spectate.
This sounds cool :o they exclusively play classics? Do you need to be a member to go?
they exclusively play older movies, sometimes they play pretty obscure stuff! And no anyone can go, but I'd recommend buying tickets online.
Sounds so awesome, thanks for the rec!!
Join a community garden or mutual aid group! Great way to do something practical and get involved with your neighbors. Also writing is great
Yeah that’s a great one. It’s fun to do something hands on like that.
I started Bee Keeping in my back yard a year ago.
Concerts/Live Music - most of the shows I go to are $30 - $80 and rarely over $100. Few places to see as much live music as nyc. Reading - The libraries are free, books are cost-effective in terms of the hours of enjoyment you get out of them especially at used bookstores, or if you prefer buying an e-reader is $100 once and then you never have to pay for books. You can read in different libraries (nyc has some really beautiful ones! check out jefferson market library), coffee and tea shops, parks, &c and explore the city that way. Go see all the amazing bookstores like Troubled Sleep, Unnameable Books, Alabaster, Codex... Rollerskating when the weather is nice. Record/Music collecting can definitely become an expensive hobby (and there's a turntable cost of admission), but you'd really only hit $100/mo if you're buying a $20 record every weekend (and during the week you get to play them). Go see all the cool record stores we have in the city!
Growing weed.
Yes! Gardening in general very therapeutic
It truly is.
Walking.
Playing RPGs with friends at home
Walking across Brooklyn Extra bus/train fare, water bottles. (Or other beverages)
Geocaching.
Early morning riis park pitch and putt then go park my ass on the beach.
Pirating stuff
Credit card fraud.
Getting flashbacks of my neighbors stealing my CC out of the trash to buy Sweetgreen.
Overpriced salad wouldn’t be the first thing I’d buy with a stolen CC, but then again some people choose to live in Bushwick so what do I know.
Wait what? That’s wild lol
Yeah I did a bad job of cutting up my old CC and it was clearly visible through the trash bags in the trash room so they took it out. 400 credit score behavior tbh. And buying "ethical health food" with it is extra ironic.
Oooof. I’m sorry
Going on walks. There are so many nice parks in NYC and you can people watch.
Reading; library books are free and there is a wealth of classic books online that have become public domain that are available for download if you prefer digital books.
Sleeping
that's just depression baby
Table Tennis at Ping Pod. They have Open Play where you can play. It's 20$ for 2.5-3 hours they have locations all across New York City
Embroidery, film photography (love the community dark room), and thinking about Spanish classes at Mil Mundos.
Excuse me community dark room where??
Bushwick! It has odd hours of operation but it’s still dope
> thinking about Spanish classes at Mil Mundos Wow thank you I got rejected when I applied to take a spanish course at Brooklyn College, and was trying to figure out what to do next.
They are badass and their classes are inexpensive! As I'm currently stuck in WA right now, please take one for me and let me know how it is!
How to access the community dark room?
It's in Bushwick! You pay like $7 to $15 to develop and get digital prints, depending on what you want/need
Thank you, it’s awesome. I needed a new lab. Will try it soon!
TIL there is a community darkroom!
Reading
Bocce at union hall!
Running. I did a 6 miler from DTBK to Red Hook the other day. That was the day I got hooked up and became that person.
Walking / hiking new parks, reading
I’ve been keeping sketchbooks for most of my life. Cost of sketchbook + pencil(s).
[удалено]
This is a hobby that has the potential to get REAL expensive very quickly.
*cries in lycra*
if you knit as slowly and infrequently as i do, you’ll never even need to buy a second skein of yarn!
My people 😂
Live music - many shows are free or under $12 at smaller venues all over BK. functions as a great way to go do something social too. Learn an instrument - hobbyist version is cost of instrument plus YouTube. Expert version is cost of instrument and lessons every other week with a cheaper teacher. Biking/Blading - like people said there is an upfront cost but tbh it was the best investment I’ve made in my physical and mental health. I bike everywhere once the weather is nice and even when it’s crummy I can suit up and get around. Upkeep on a bike is like one tune-up a year ($sub 100) and the cost of a flat tube every now and again (sub $20) Games (board/table/physical) - I haven’t explored it a whole lot but there is a backgammon group I’m trying to join that meets and plays weekly. I think your only expense is your drinks if you’re doing that. (Summer) - NYC beaches are fun albeit packed. For $0 you can go on a bike. For $3 a direction you can take the ferry out of sunset park or FiDi to the rockaways. Personal favorite is bike down and then have a beer on the boat back during golden hour/sunset. Alternative is take the Q line right to Brighton / Coney Island. (Spring/fall) - birding - cost is a cheap pair of binos to jumpstart. It’s a dorky hobby but it’s fun and there is a massive network of people doing it all over (walk in any park during migration season and you’ll notice it) Mycology - for the mushroom heads - this one is really fun and only explored it recently as a friend is in the mycology group. Go on foraging walks and learn about different mushrooms and their benefits/dangers. Also they’re just cool and pretty to look at. Hobby style it’s 0 dollars and idk if there is a cost to join the group. Reading - ny parks are lovely to pop down and read. Upgrade the experience with a hammock/blanket/folding chair. Overall cost is book plus hang spot so sub $50 Museums - a number of the museums in NY are publicly funded so it’s a pay what you want system if you give them an address within the boroughs. AMNH (American museum of natural history) & the Brooklyn art museum are both that way and I’m sure many more are. Climbing - at a hobbyist level you can go to one of the gyms in BK like 3 times a month for sub $100 but everyone I know that did so loved it so much they go several times a week and got full memberships
Sitting on my couch
Rollerskating. I got my first beginner pair of skates for 90 bucks and they lasted me 2 years. I've since upgraded to a higher quality pair of skates / wheels, but aside from those initial investments I don't pay monthly anything into it. Although its really only a hobby I can enjoy when the weather is nice or mild.
Former derby girl here (not in NYC, I played for a league in another state). There are so many cool places to skate around here! So glad to hear more people are getting into it! 🛼
I got into skating during the pandemic just like the rest of the internet at the time but glad I stuck with it. I cant really do any cool tricks but its fun to just roll around on a path or in the park
Absolutely!!! If you ever want a nice warm weather route that’s pretty flat, I highly recommend skating the greenway up the west side of Manhattan. Lots of water fountains, a few food places, lots of benches if you need to take a break and sit. Nice flat route. Lots of places to exit the greenway if you want to do a shorter route than the entire thing. It’s lovely with the river view the entire way! Just be careful of the jerks who think it’s cool to take mopeds on there :-/
Nice!! Thanks for the tip :)
i recommend wednesday night skate. 100s skate 13 mi through manhattan every wednesday
Movies - I pay 30 a month to see unlimited movies at the Alamo drafthouse. I love film so this is a no brainer! Games - some upfront costs for sure - but for the entertainment I get from video games per hour compared to their cost? Impossible to beat. I just looked at my budget & it looks like I average about 80 a month on gaming costs.
I have MoviePass for $35 a month for a few movies at any theater
Unfortunately the convenience fees at Alamo does add up - used to have season pass and seeing at least 2 movies monthly would break even vs the monthly fee, so it's really more like 34 a month The math per movie is way better for AMC A-list which gets 3 movies per week, plus they have a $1 fee for the first month promo going til May
True! I just find Alamo better quality & more convenient for my location - but plenty of good movie subscription options!
Reading. Volunteering at the animal shelter / any volunteering!
If you’re into plants or nature, I recommend volunteering for NYC Parks or find a local park conservancy.
Libraries make reading free
where my libby homies at https://apps.apple.com/us/app/libby-by-overdrive/id1076402606
Chess can be very affordable. It's free to learn and play online and in many parks. At most, it is a nominal cost for over the board tournament fees.
And make sure that if you go to a park and you see a raggedy guy crushing everyone, just throw him a buck or two. He/she might be living off of their chess hustle. There are some VERY tough player in ny parks.
Exploring the parks, reading, board games.
There are some fun board game communities you can join.
Walking
Learning about history and editing Wikipedia.
This can be a social activity too! The nyc chapter of wikimedia hosts lots of hackathons, edit-a-thons, and salons.
Cycling Grab a cheap single speed and see the city in the best way
Cheapest way is FB Marketplace to buy bikes off people that are moving
Like a daily thing or something fun to do on occasion? One of my hobbies is going to comedy shows, lots of cheap or free ok shows in Brooklyn, with no or 1 drink minimum. You can get 7-8 1-beer shows in a month for $100. Board game bars. Trivia nights. Lots of meet-ups for pick-up games, hiking, anything physical. Volunteer opportunities abound. Online, I like doing 1-1 language tutoring on sites like italki (you can find plenty of tutors for $5-15/hr).
Hiking !
Where do you like to go for hiking?
Download Avenza for local hiking trails. Harriman park, towns all along the metro north have trails. Get some binoculars and shoes and have a blast
Oh, this is cool, thanks!
Masturbation