Remember a couple years back Oprah decided to offer up some free KFC and it almost sparked a riot? Get ready to make some more memories with the Colonel, because tomorrow there's gonna be free KFC original recipe chicken being doled out of a food truck courtesy of Country Music Television. Apparently it's to promote this show with a guy and his mobile food lab, which sounds sort of like Breaking Bad but without the meth. more ›

Although the brutal heat wave seems to have passed, there's still a long, sticky summer ahead, which can be legitimately dangerous for elderly and medically compromised people. To help beat the heat, the Sunset Park Redevelopment Committee, in partnership with Community Environmental Center, is offering free, energy efficient air conditioners to low-income, sick and elderly Brooklyn residents. more ›

Jon Landau said it best in 1974: "I have seen rock and roll's future and its name is Spotify." The enormously popular online music streaming service, which has been available in Europe for some time now, finally launched in the U.S. today. Everyone seems pretty pumped about the new service, which allows people to stream millions of songs at the click of a button for free. But is it worth all the hype? And will it be the final nail in the compact disc's coffin? more ›

A few months ago, we started hearing rumblings of a plan to introduce an East River Ferry service connecting Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Governors Island; and starting in just a few short days, that dream will officially become reality. more ›

Sorry Green Day fans, looks like there's been no headway on getting the band to play Central Park this summer, and your failure to make it happen has now left an opening for... the Black Eyed Peas. Yep, New York City's newest music educators will be performing a free concert on the Great Lawn on June 9th. more ›

Do you have romantic visions of meeting the man or woman of your dreams while walking through tall grasses with a dog-eared copy of Catcher in the Rye tucked under your courdory-clad arm? Well, here's your chance! Create the illusion that you are well-read with minimal effort this weekend at the High Line, where roaming book carts filled with classic lit will circle the path as part of the PEN World Voices of International Literature festival. more ›

The eagle-eyed Zoe Schlanger took to Twitter 20 minutes ago to let her group of followers know: "Van Leeuwen truck giving out free ice cream courtesy of Coach on 84th & Bway. Unannounced, no line." And with that, we say STORM THE TRUCK! (She also mentioned there's a earl grey black tea flavor, which sounds delightful.) more ›

Instead of holing up in your air conditioned apartment this week, why not embrace the heat and swelter under the sky while watching some classic flicks for free? Fresh Air Flicks has this week's full listings, and they're all totally worth melting for. Click through for details (and the original trailers) for our favorites. more ›

This morning Jake Bronstein distributed the first batch of his Fun List NYC books to unsuspecting New Yorkers. The bounded books are free, and actually act as check-lists for fun things to do around the city—it includes everything from going to sex clubs ("a great place to meet other perverts") to hipster bingo to cutting out a paper replica of Donald Trump's famous hair for photo shoots with strangers. A street team will be back out on the L, N and R trains tomorrow morning handing out the rest of their lot—but if you don't see them, you can download your own here. more ›

Starting today and through the weekend, New Yorkers can enjoy another kind of World Cup, as fencers invade NYC for the 2010 Federation Internationale D'Escrime World Cup. The competition will feature 367 world-class swordwielders from over 20 countries and three disciplines: men's sabre, women's sabre, and women's foil. more ›

With the Salute to Israel Day Parade occurring today (5th Avenue between 57th and 79th Streets; not to be confused with the Federation of Turkish Day Parade on Madison between 47th and 56th Streets, also today), a new NYC-product is celebrating its launch: Zohan Hummus, the "first squeezable hummus," will give out free hot dogs—with Zohan Hummus on top—to the first 500 people who visit their giveaway at 72nd Street and Broadway at 3 p.m. (Note: They could be set up at 73rd and Broadway; look for the hot dog truck.) The hummus is made in Williamsburg, Brooklyn "from a secret family recipe with all natural ingredients and no artificial flavoring." more ›

It's hard enough to motivate to go to the gym, nevermind trying to scam a free workout every time you need to feel the burn. 24-year-old Columbia Law student Julia Neyman (pictured) has dedicated herself to scoring a full year of free workouts, however—and of course, she's blogging about it. more ›

After sitting in jail for five years awaiting his trial, a Bronx man was cleared of all of the charges against him on Tuesday. Michael Ikoli, 22, had been behind bars at Rikers Island since 2004, when he was accused of being involved in the shooting outside a skating rink. more ›

The last dolphin spotting reported was off Staten Island this August, but today, just before 3 p.m., we got word that a dolphin was entangled in Queens — somewhere around Beach 87th and Beach Channel Drive. And some good news followed the original report: he or she is now free! We wonder if this is a straggler left behind from the massive dolphin invasion over the summer, or if all those dolphins are still lurking the New York waters... waiting. more ›

Do you want 14 residential units and 3 commercial units in beautiful Brooklyn for the low low price of: Free? The blogger at Hawthorne Street points to Prospect Lefferts' 205 Parkside Avenue, "an abandoned rathole" that has been vacant since 1979 and is now being advertised as free (though they doubt it's really free). There's even a Craigslist ad backing up the sign on the building. Any takers? UPDATE: The new rumor is that this is a prank. We still bet squatters could get in a few months of free rent, however. [via Curbed] more ›

Just a heads up that tomorrow the new Manhattan location of gelato and crepe chain Melt will be trying to set the world record for the most cups of gelato served in a single day. If you'd like to help the company achieve its goal, head over to Melt at 1053 2nd Avenue, between 55th and 56th Streets, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow. The lines for these kinds of giveaways can sometimes make one question whether its worth the time investment, but since Melt is going for the world record, maybe they'll be cranking out the gelato fast enough to keep things moving briskly? more ›

Who doesn't want free cookies from a complete stranger on an inflatable couch? If the idea doesn't freak you out, then bookmark this Twitter feed, where one seemingly good-intentioned fella updates his whereabouts. Why would you want to know where he is? Because he's going to give you a free homemade vegan cookie! He tells us, "I have been going out a couple times a week, inflating a green couch, giving out FREE COOKIES, and making friends. I'll be out today in Union Square around 4:00-6:00 p.m." If you miss him, you know where to find him next. His name is Scott Alexander, and according to this website, he's got a wife at home, is "a doorman by day and a musician by night." Another blogger recently encountered the cookie man, saying, "everyone knows chocolate chip cookies are a sure way to open hearts-even if they’re vegan. (These really were the best vegan treats I’ve had)." Sounds good to us, even if it is, what he calls, "a reverse promotional experiment" to spread his music. more ›

This summer two college kids, Nick and Katharine, were challenged to go see 50 free concerts in 50 days throughout the city. This of course was made more difficult by the never-ending rainy season, but they managed to reach their goal. You can read about the entire experience on their blog. Sounds fun right? Even if it is a rip-off of 100 Bands in 100 Days. more ›

"Superstar rapper 50 Cent is secretly planning to stage a free concert in a schoolyard near the Queens projects where he grew up," reports the NY Post, as they simultaneously destroy any secretive nature of said concert. The performance will be at P.S. 40 in Jamaica (August 30th, 5:30 p.m.), and will be open to anyone—one NYPD officer warning the paper it would be difficult for them to control the area. A worried local added, "Someone's gonna try to make a name for themselves. They're gonna take a shot at him, and they're either gonna hit him or they're gonna miss him and hit some poor, innocent kid or grandmother." But let's be real, grandmas probably won't be front row and center, right? more ›

When Red Hook residents were fighting to stop IKEA from opening up in their neighborhood, one of the deal-sweeteners offered by the Swedish retailer was a promise that locals (and all New Yorkers) would be able to take advantage of free Water Taxi service back and forth to Manhattan, even if they never spent a dime in the store. Well, it's been just over a year since the grand opening, and already the bait has been switched. The Brooklyn Paper reports that on weekdays the Water Taxi will start charging riders $5 each way, unless they spend $10 in IKEA. Manager Mike Baker says, "We have implemented this policy because our customers are using the Water Taxi service, but the cost is such that we cannot continue subsidizing it during the week as a commuter service for those who are not IKEA customers." Compare that with last summer, when an IKEA rep said, "We support mass transit, and if people are using our services and not going to IKEA, that's fine with us as well." Now they tell us the Water Taxi service will still be free on the weekends, but how can anyone ever trust Sweden again? more ›

Last year Patsy's—the one in East Harlem (which some pizza enthusiasts consider to be the only "real" Patsy's)—celebrated its 75th Anniversary by rolling back their prices to 1933 levels, and the result was a total mob scene (heh). So many hungry roustabouts amassed that police were summoned to control the crowd, which turned ugly when the kitchen closed earlier than expected. Well, the restaurant's doing it again this year. An email announcing the 76th Anniversary promises "90¢ steak, 60¢ pizza pies, 1¢ sodas. The NYPD and the FDNY will have a pizza-eating challenge. 118th Street and First Avenue will officially be renamed 'Patsy's Way,' and many other surprises." The email ends with an entreaty to "CALL TODAY (Limited Seating)," leading Slice to speculate that owners are trying to avoid a repeat of last year's pandemonium. But we called the restaurant and were told that's "definitely a mistake. We're not taking reservations. It's going to be the same as last year." [With the discounts for take-out only.] Yes! Notify the riot police; the big day is August 26th, with discounts from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. more ›

If you're by Columbus Circle today you can get some free food with Hair! The cast of the hit Broadway revival will be performing at 12:45 to launch NYC's summer Restaurant Week at The Shops at Columbus Circle in the Time Warner Center. And if a stirring rendition of the show's popular "Sodomy" ditty isn't enough to pique your interest, be advised that the free event also includes free lunch: Five NYC Restaurant Week eateries—Tribeca Grill, Porter House New York, Spice Market, Bice Ristorante and DB Bistro Moderne—will be offering free tastings from noon to 2 p.m. (Free Coca-Cola, too, people!) Reservations are now being taken for Restaurant Week, which takes place from July 12th through July 31st, excluding Saturdays. (Some restaurants offer the deal on Sundays.) Prices at participating restaurants are $24.07 for three-course prix-fixe lunches and $35 for three-course prix-fixe dinners (excluding beverage, tax and gratuity). Peruse the full list of restaurants here, and head on over to the Time Warner Center (Broadway at 60th Street) now to crack wise about finding hair in your food. (NYC GO has a handy Twitter feed, too.) more ›

New Yorkers have been taking full advantage of the freebies offered by those friendly Swedes in Red Hook, where the city's first IKEA location opened in 2008. Their free buses and Water Taxi service have long been enjoyed by the locals, many of whom use the services without even stepping foot in the store, just to get from the subway to their homes/methadone clinics. Another popular free service is IKEA's in-store daycare center, where you can unload any minor from 36 inches to 50 inches in height. The catch? You must collect them within 45 minutes on weekdays and 30 minutes on weekends. Staten Island mom Jean Taylor tells the Daily News, "I love it. I wish you could leave them here for two hours." The kids get the use of a ball pit and an arts and crafts station, while the parents get time to lounge around on the furniture in air-conditioned comfort. But those Swedes insist they're not chumps; IKEA spokeswoman Lorna Montalvo says, "The parents who come back over and over again know what's on sale." And surely they'll buy something someday? more ›

Since you subscribe to GothamList, our FREE daily events and deals newsletter, you already know about the two hours of free mojitos that will be poured out tonight at a certain Manhattan restaurant. And you probably also know that since today is National Brisket Day, another restaurant will be serving free Lone Star beer with every order of ultra-smoky brisket. But what about those poor, benighted souls whose inbox is not blessed by the money-saving tips brought by GothamList every weekday morning at cock crow? Should we just leave them for dead, senselessly throwing away their savings on overpriced cocktails and bad brisket? Probably. But as a gesture of good will, those savvy readers who have yet to subscribe to GothamList can do so now and get today's email newsletter (and mojito details) within minutes. Did we mention that it's free, just like Gothamist? Click here to get in the cut. more ›

The Times is tired of giving it up for free, and at a staff meeting yesterday executive editor Bill Keller revealed two possible scenarios that would force website readers to make an honest woman out of the Gray Lady. One scheme is a "meter system" which would kick in after a reader hits a predetermined limit of word-count or page views. At that point, the meter would start running and further content would come at a price. A second scenario could be a "membership" system akin to public television. Readers who pledge money to the site would be invited to join the cool kids in the "New York Times community" and get sweet merch like Times baseball caps, or tote bags, or plush Moose dolls. The Observer, which got the scoop on the announcement, also quotes Keller as saying—and this has got to be a joke, right?—that "he wouldn't even be opposed to offering a donor access to a Page One editorial meeting as long as it doesn't affect the paper competitively." Well, if that actually happens we are so ready to pay to join those meetings and finally get the Hipster Grifter above the fold where she belongs. more ›

Well, we had a good run. Today KFC has made the unsurprising decision to suspend its Oprah-backed grilled chicken giveaway. The overwhelming nationwide demand for free food had depleted KFC's chicken supply to such a degree that the company was actually going to run out of chicken before Mother's Day, which is said to be the chain's most lucrative business day. In this awkwardly upbeat video, KFC president Roger Eaton—who has the weirdest Kentucky accident we've ever heard—explains the crisis, now entering day three: more ›