Some could say that previous New York MOOKS Reporter, Unemployed Lloyd is what you call a ”genius.” Genius in the sense that he has managed to get by for the past ten years, in one of the most expensive cities in the world, on little to no money. If you’ve ever been to New York City and seen the price of housing for anywhere remotely considered not in the sticks, you’ll realize that this in itself is a fine art.

In addition to this, Unemployed Lloyd is one of the biggest party monsters known to man. How he manages to line up tequila shots in the extravagant manner he does on all of five dollars, we’ll never know. So not only is the master blogger, tweeter (during his last stint at the Miami Winter Music Conference, Diplo’s Mad Decent label declared, “Everybody needs to follow @lloydunemployed just for the last three hours of genius (and he’s the best anyway), killing so hard today”), DJ, and all round popular party guy getting by, he’s going for broke. In the most literal of senses.

So without further ado, we bring to you, Unemployed Lloyd’s Top Five Tips To Get By In NYC On The Cheap:

1. Eating good is expensive. I can appreciate a good steak, but when you can eat one dollar dumplings (Vanessa’s Dumpling House, 118 Eldridge St b/w Grand and Broome, New York NY, 10002) in the Lower East Side and ten cent wings (Croxley Ales, 28 Avenue B b/w 2nd and 3rd, New York, NY 10009) in East Village, eating steak just seems foolish.

2. For cheap drinks, get to know your local bartenders and failing that, don’t be above bringing a flask (I do it all the time). Alibi (242 Dekalb Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217) in Fort Greene where I live does a $3 happy hour before 7pm and right around the corner from the dumpling spot, Home Sweet Home (131 Chrystie St b/w Broome and Grand, New York, NY 10002) does a similar deal. If you’re really down and out, the last time I was there Brooklyn Brewery (79 North 11th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211) did tours of the brewery and they gave you a free beer at the end.

3. However hip riding a bike may be, living in New York it’s also a practical form of transportation. Plus you get to see parts of the city that you can’t when you’re underground in the subway. If you haven’t already got a bike, you can buy them cheap from your local flea market or check out Craigslist.

4. When you don’t have a lot of money in the bank, there’s ten dollar ATMs with one dollar surcharges spread around the city. Not so many in Manhattan, but in Brooklyn there are hundreds to choose from. Go read about my favourites here.

5. If you’re looking for a place to party, hook up, dance, drink or mingle with no cover and good music, head to Tandem (236 Troutman St b/w Wilson and Knickerbocker, Brooklyn, NY 11237) in hipsters’ second-favourite (next to Williamsburg) area,  Bushwick. It’s a bit out of the way from the usual, but worth the trip. Once a month you might even catch me DJing in the back room. Make sure you say hello.

More at www.theunemployedlloyd.com.




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