Zip lining $ 🎓 💪💪

Take a long wire and attach one end higher than the other.  Put a wheel on the line, and slide down it.  That's zip lining.  You set it up in your own back yard for short distances, - like from a tree house to the ground, but to really enjoy it you get a professional to set it up with a lot of safety equipment from huge heights.  Then you can go over tree tops for large distances.  Often you have to walk up a lot of stairs or climb a mountain to get to the top.

It is on the cheap side and takes almost no skill to do - although you do need significant skill to set it up.   It does take some muscle, but if you can walk up a steep hill, you should be able to do it.  The amount and kind of equipment vary a lot.  For a backyard zip line you sometimes just hang onto the pulley.  For most of the long/high versions you have some kind of harness that you are strapped into. If you do it in the US, chances are they are going to take a lot of safety precautions.

Men and women both like to do this.  Kids enjoy it a lot. Seniors are welcome (and sometimes get a reduced rate).


I did it in South America, but you can do it almost anywhere.  There are places in New York, New, Jersey, and Massachusetts.  Sometimes they even set one up in street fairs.  Here's one in Vernon NJ: http://www.zoomziplines.com/en/usa/index.htm

Caving $ 🎓 💪💪

I've done a lot of caving, but mostly on tours.   They have climbing tours where you climb, floating tours where you float down an underground river, as well as the far more common walking tours.

Almost all caving tours are cheap - minimal equipment and training required.  Do NOT just go into a cave without a lot of training and safety equipment.  That way lies death.  Getting lost or hurt is easy without a guide, and human presence can dramatically affect the cave - your hand print leaves oil that will affect the wildlife that lives there.  Going on a tour doesn't take much skill, but without a guide, you need a lot of knowledge.  Basically, going without a guide is for experts, and if you are getting any information about caving from me, you are not an expert.

Everyone likes to check out caves - young and old, men and women.  You obviously need a flashlight.  If you are in a river cave, you will need a life jacket and possibly a wet suit.  You definitely want water shoes of some kind.  Tours should provide this.

Walking and floating tours require you to be in reasonable good shape, but not more than that.  Climbing tours are for the more advanced people.  They take more skill and muscle.

Of the tours I have taken, I liked the floating tour the best.   It was in Mexico, near Cozumel, at the Rio Secreto:
http://www.riosecreto.com/

Rock climbing $ 🎓 💪💪💪

Climbing a rock wall - real or artificial is a very athletic sport.  There are several  types - I have tried free climbing (with a safety rope), and bouldering (no safety rope, shorter heights, thicker pad to fall on).  There is also underwater climbing, solo climbing, and ice climbing, but I have not tried any of those - yet.

Most often people learn on artificial walls.   Typically they put multiple routes up a single wall, color coding them and classifying by color.

So if you go to such a wall, you have a choice.  The easiest route is ignore the colors and just climb up anything.  If you want something a little harder, look at the chart and select the 'easy' color.  Then climb using only the hand holds coded that color.   On that same wall you might pick the blue rocks, which could be the hardest route (there is no standard rule about which color means harder).

Rock Climbing is cheap, can be easy (assuming you take 'easy routes' up the wall), but takes a lot of muscle.  It's a real work out.    They offer classes, but you do not need to take them.


If going free climbing, you need someone to belay you.   If you take a class, that is a given.  If not, invite a friend as a partner and take turns.  One advantage of bouldering is that you don't need a partner to go with you., but you need to be more willing to trust your own strength, and withstand a short fall.


You need the right kind of shoes - flexible and thin  - to do this.  Many kinds of tennis shoes, but not all, work well.  A lot of places rent shoes.

 This is a fairly gender neutral sport and kids are welcome.  Not many people over 40 (heavy work out), it's a younger crowd.  But they take really young kids - 3 years old sometimes.  Kids like to climb.

I went bouldering at Steep Rock Bouldering:

http://www.srbnyc.com/

and free climbing at Manhattan Plaza Health Club (a gym but you don't have to join the gym to climb):

http://mphc.com/climbinggym/

Butter Churning $ 🎓 💪

This is not a euphemism,  It's remarkably easy to make butter.   Here are the steps:

1. Buy a  cartoon of heavy cream.  Open it up.  We want bacteria in there.  You can optionally add a bit of yogurt or cheese cultures.
2. Leave it on the counter for a day.  Yes, open to the air for the full day.
3. The next day, mix it up.  You can use an electric mixer/whisk for 3-10 minutes.  Or you can put it in a mason jar and shake it for 10-20 minutes. 
4. Strain out the liquid buttermilk, leaving the solid, sweet butter. 
5. Rinse with cold water removing any remains of the buttermilk
6. If desired, add any flavorings you want (salt, herbs, whatever fancy thing you like.) and refrigerate.

Anyone can do this, even the youngest of kids or the oldest of seniors.  Women are more likely to be interested.   

You don't need to go anywhere else or learn anything else to do it.  Just buy some heavy cream at the grocery store and go to your kitchen.  Or you could do some internet searches for desired flavorings.

Make your own Pop Up Card $ 🎓🎓 💪

It's fairly easy to make rather spectacular pop up greeting cards.  You don't even need to take a class, their are some free templates and lots of videos available.

You cut the strong paper (card paper works well) in the right way, fold along certain lines, tape certain things, then close it up and mail it to someone you like.   If you have a color printer you can even print out a design before you cut it, so it has color.

This is very cheap - free to start, takes a little bit of practice, particularly if you want more than a simple box, but takes no muscle.

It trends female, but men do it too.  Any kid old enough to handle scissors can learn how to do this.

 
I learned at a course offered by NYCResistor (https://www.nycresistor.com) but they no longer have one scheduled.

Instead I suggest trying one of these:

•  Youtube Videos for "Pop Up Card"
•  http://www.popupology.co.uk/
•  https://www.makepopupcards.com/free-pop-up-card-sign-up/

White Water Rafting $ 🎓 💪💪

Get in an air filled raft and head down the river.   You have a raft captain that needs to know what he is doing, but you can be clueless.   It's that simple.  The one thing you have to do is pick how strong a river you want.  There are six main levels (sometimes they use a - or + to indicate weaker/harder versions of the six main levels).

Class I, is mild, Class V is harder.   Even the youngest child can do a Class I or  II.  Teenagers should be able to handle Class III at the very least.

But if you are looking for excitement, then you want Class IV or Class V.    Don't try class V until you have had some experience on a class IV.

But wait, I said six levels, and V stands for five.   So yes, there is a Class VI.   It is the term for a river that that is too harsh to run.  For example, Niagra falls is a Class VI rapid.  Do some people go over it anyway?  Yes.  We call them suicidal.  Don't try this unless you are a) an experienced raft captain and b) not taking anyone else with you.

I have done Class IV rapids in Alaska.  It was a lot of fun, the wet suit kept me warm and dry.   I do like speed.

Note, price depend a lot on length of the trip as well as the class.  It's only cheap if you go for a short 4 hour or shorter trip.  If you go for much longer than that, it edges into expensive, especially if you are talking class IV or V.   If you go for a full on multi-day camping trip, expect to pay thousands.    While it takes  a lot of skill to captain the raft, you need no training to just do it.  While you don't have to be in good shape to do it, you should at the very least be able to swim.  If you can't swim, stick to Class I or II.

You will have to wear a life jacket even if you can swim.  A helmet is heavily recommended.  In colder locations, a wet suit (including shoes) is needed.

If you want a Class IV or V experience, you may be dependent on timing - rivers run faster when dams let water out or when snow melts.

White Water Rafting  is gender neutral.  They take kids as low as 4 years old (at least for the milder stuff).   Seniors are welcome, especially for the milder runs.

You can learn more about White Water Rafting here:
http://www.raftingamerica.com
 

Mold Casting $ 🎓 💪

This is the process of making a rubbery mold of something, then filling the mold with plaster or similar substance to make an exact duplicate.    How exact a duplicate?  If you make a plaster copy of your fingers, the fingerprints will match what's on your hand.  Depending on the material, their may be some shrinkage/expansion.  You can intentionally make smaller or larger versions, by careful selection of the material.  While the original shirnkage/expansion ratio is relatively small, you can use repeat the process to make something twice as big as in real life or half as small.

It's cheap, easy, and doesn't take a lot of muscle.

It's got a good mix of male and female.   It's not that hard to do, teenagers kids can easily do it, as can seniors.

Dress for a mess, both the mold making and the casting involve liquids that turn solid.

I took lessons and bought my materials at "The Complete Sculptor".  When I took it it was a class called "life casting" and focused on making casts of living things, such as your foot, hand, torso, head (with breathing tubes), etc. You can just as easily do it with other things - toys, cups, etc.
Now they have called it Rubber Resin and split into two classes - 1) mold and 2) casting.  It's basically the same thing, but cheaper because of the split.

http://www.sculpt.com/

Indoor Sky Diving $ 🎓 💪

Picture a multistory building with a glass tube in it, more than 5ft across.  At the bottom of the tube is a grill.  Underneath the grill is the biggest freaking fan you have ever seen - totally filling the tube.   This is a vertical wind tunnel that can let you fly like a bird.

When the fan is turned on, the wind is so strong that it literally BLOWS YOU UP INTO THE AIR.  You wear a special suit - that is loose and baggy to catch the wind, helmets, etc.  Sneakers are fine - but no loose shoes (flip flops).

You can use it to learn how to skydive - or just for the shear FUN of doing it.  If you do it often enough you can learn how to do tricks, but the first time you try it you will need an instructor to show you how to simply stay floating.  They will also show you some

It is very safe.   You can't fall very far even if the power is cut (the fans slow down gradually, bringing you down gently).  They say you don't have any trouble breathing in the wind, but I think they are underestimating that issue.  If you have allergies (runny nose), asthma, or similar issues you may have some issues breathing.   I would at the very least take any appropriate medication.  Basically, stick your head out of a car window at 55 MPH  If you can breathe fine while doing that, then you won't have problems.  But it is at the very least very annoying.  Do NOT do it if you are sick.

The cost for a simple try was reasonable - but they "get you with add-ons".   Anything besides the most basic experience costs more.  Want a 'high' flight?  Costs more.  Want a video?  Costs more.  Want to rent a nicer helmet - that makes it easier to breathe?  Costs more.  The training for your first flight also makes it more expensive than later ones.   Also, location and time will change the price - weekend premium.  They offer group pricing, which helps somewhat, as does bulk purchasing for one person.     If you are a teenager and fall in love with it, you could get a job doing it.

It is not that hard to do the basics, but it takes a while to learn to do the harder stuff.  It doesn't take any muscle - young children can do it.

While this is cheap, easy to learn and easy to do, it is not located near everyone.

It trends young and male, but there are women doing it.  Kids as young as 3 can do it.  There is no upper age limit.  They do have a weight limit.  But you can do it even if you are a paraplegic.   They do offer parties, if you have the money.


I did it twice, once in Vegas
 https://www.vegas.com/attractions/on-the-strip/vegas-indoor-skydiving/

and again with my niece and nephew while in Austin Texas  at a chain iFlyworld 
https://www.iflyworld.com/austin/

Public TV Broadcasting $ 🎓🎓🎓 💪

Public TV Broadcasting on the Manhattan Neighborhood Network is free.  That's the cheapest you can possibly get.  Anyone that lives in Manhattan can give them a recorded TV show to broadcast at no cost to you.  If you live in Manhattan you can also sign up for classes on how to use video and sound equipment - cameras, lights, microphones AND computer software to learn how to make a TV show.   Not only is putting your videos on live public TV free, but some classes are free as well.  Others cost a low price of only $25 for registration.  This is all for access to training that you could easily pay thousands of dollars for.  It is one of the BEST deals in New York City, but is not easy to do.   Once you are certified as passing the class, if you live in Manhattan, they will let you use their equipment to make your TV show, again for free. 

All of this is funded  by the cable companies.  In exchange for the legal right to offer cable to Manhattan residents, the cable companies pay a fee to the borough of Manhattan.  The city uses these fees to fund the program above.

While classes are basically free (aside from that registration fee) the classes are not easy.  It is hard work to put on a TV show and they are teaching you how to do, not doing it for you.  It doesn't take a lot of muscle, but expect to put in some real time and effort learning how to do stuff.

Also, if you watch public access cable TV, you know you can get some strange people - or at least people willing to say some really strange stuff on TV.  Be prepared to meet them.

You can do a one off show, or if you really like it, have a weekly show.

It's gender neutral, but the hard work makes it not the best for kids.  While they do have a youth program, (mainly for kids 16+) most of the real work will need to be done by adults.  This can however be a good joint project where the parent does the hard work and the kid is just the 'on air' talent.    

It's not easy to do - but it can be very sociable. You can really be a TV Producer and ask people appear on your real cable TV show.   You can do a talk show, make a sitcom, do whatever you want - except advertise.  That is a no-no, it is public access TV, not advertiser supported TV.


Ye, some people have used the program offered by MNN to springboard into a career.  Not easy to do, but it can be done. If you are poor, live in Manhattan, this is great resource.


Click here for information about the Manhattan Neighborhood Network:
http://www.mnn.org/


If you don't live in Manhattan, there are different rules.  Sorry Brooklynites.  There are similar program in other cities, so do some googling.  I know Boston has a Boston Neighborhood Network. (http://www.bnntv.org/)

Trapeze $ 🎓🎓 💪💪💪

There are two types of trapeze - the 'flying' one which involves multiple trapezes and large swings, and the static trapeze that is more acrobatic.  This post is mostly about the flying Trapeze.

The static trapeze is similar to doing yoga while in the air.   It's fun, but everything get's better when you start swinging.
 
Everyone knows about "The Daring Young Men on the Flying Trapeze".  You climb up a rope ladder, grab hold of a swing, swing out then get grabbed by a more experienced person, stronger person on another trapeze.  Then they let you go and you fall into a hammock like net.  I think of it as a more grown up version of the playground equipment.

They start you out with a safety harness.   In my opinion, it's safer than being driven somewhere in a NYC taxi.

It takes some muscle, takes a bit of work to learn how, but it is cheap - if still on the high side of cheap to try.  If you weigh more than 205 lbs or so, it becomes more problematic but not impossible to do.

It tends toward a younger crowd - mostly 20's and 30's.  They take kids as young as 6 - they even offer birthday parties.  It trends a bit more female than male, but there are plenty of men.

The scariest part is actually climbing up the ladder to the platform for the flying trapeze.  Once you actually get on the trapeze, everything happens so fast that you don't have time to be scared.  If you are nervous but not terrified of heights, this is a good intermediate step to cure you.  I came away with less fear of heights than I had after.

I had a lot of fun.

My first flying trapeze lessons were taken at:

http://newyork.trapezeschool.com/classes/trapeze.php
 They have schools in four other major cities, so check out the link even if you don't live in NYC.

Aerial Acrobatics $ 🎓 💪💪💪💪

Sometimes called Silk Work or Aerial Silks, this is really fun.     Take a giant 20 ft long, 2 ft wide silk scarf by the middle and tie it to a hook in the ceiling, 10 ft above your head.   Put a thick gymnastics mat - or two - underneath it, for safety.  Get some chalk on your hands and climb up the silk - using your hips and legs to push yourself up rather than your arms.   Get about 8 ft up there and wrap yourself in the silk - using a special technique.  Now let yourself fall a bit, perhaps spinning, allowing some but not all of the silk to unwind.  You come to a sudden stop, preferably someplace above the ground, caught by the silk.

This will hurt - and bruise you.  Even when you do it perfectly.    You may not have hit the floor, but you still came to a stop and all that energy went into stopping you hits your body where the silk caught you.  Because it is spread out over the silk (and over time), it isn't damaging, but it hurts.  It's also incredibly dramatic, beautiful, artistic and an adrenaline rush.   That's aerial acrobatics.

Aerial Acrobatics is the only activity that I gave four 💪 to.    It is the single most physically taxing experience I have ever tried.  It requires you to do heavy exercise for extended periods of time and if you reach your limit and relax at the wrong time, you fall eight feet and break your neck.   Even when you do it right, it bruises you.  I was honestly too old (and/or out of shape) to do this so while I enjoyed it, I decided to quit before I killed myself.

It is on the cheap side to try (they offer deals for the first lesson) and not hard to learn.  It does require flexibility.

If you are out of shape, you won't be good enough to get in serious trouble.  You can still try the basics at low altitude, but it's not easy to climb the 8 ft. If you are afraid of heights, you won't be able to do this either (but if you are slowly trying to overcome your fear, this is a good later step).

This class is almost entirely female.   Certain techniques are physically impossible for men to do safely (we have these delicate bits that stick out between our legs and that's where the silk wraps - remember the bruises happen where the silk touches you...)    There are some men that do it, but they are in the far minority.   I have seen people as old as 48 doing it professionally, but it is clearly for the young.  Most people taking this class seriously are in good shape and start before they are 30.  Teenagers are welcome. 

Clothing is important.  Bare skin means you get bloody scrapes rather than just bruises, so you need to wear tights/leotards or something similar.   No baggy clothing - the tighter the better.   Women may will need a good sports bra and men definitely need a 'dance belt' to keep those delicate bits in close and safe.  Dance belts are  ballet clothing for men.

If you are in good shape and like exercise, this is a great hobby.  If you are in OK shape and like exercise, this will get you into good shape.  If you need to lose some weight, you might try it, but the more advanced stuff will be very hard.

You can do it here:
http://www.aerialartsnyc.com/

Note, this location also teaches related arts, not just the silk stuff that I enjoyed so much.

Akido $ 🎓 💪💪

Akido is, in my opinon, the only martial art that anyone should learn.  There are at heart three kinds of martial arts - weapons, striking (kicks/punches), and wrestling.   Aikido is a mix of wrestling and weapons - in large part because striking doesn't work very well against someone using either weapons or wrestling.   Aikido concentrates on defense and relies heavily on  body mechanics.   For example they teach you to hold your opponents hands in a way that is easy for you to do - using major muscles - but is hard for them to escape - because their muscles have no leverage.  One of the more important things they teach is how to fall safely. Aikido is less than 100 years old and related to jujitsu.  At the dojo I took lessons in, weapons training was secondary to learning their grappling techniques.

It is relatively cheap compared to most martial arts.  They usually offer free or cheap intro classes, then require you to join the dojo and pay a monthly fee.    This helps ensure you to come often enough to actually learn.

It's is not extremely hard to do, but it does take a lot of practice to do it well.    Similarly, it does not require a lot of strength, but it does involve significant physical contact.

It is usually more male than female but does have women partaking.  As it doesn't require significant upper body strength, women are just as capable of becoming fantastic in it as men - don't be surprised if your teacher is female and throws you around like a rag doll.  Unlike most martial arts, it has significant older population.   They do accept teenagers, but tend not to have young children.  Because it avoids striking, it's not as violent as other martial arts.



I took classes here:

http://bondstreet.org/

Shoot a Gun $ 🎓 💪

In NYC your fire arms options are limited.  You need a license to fire any hand gun.  But rifles are another matter.  You can exercise your second amendment rights with a long gun fairly easily. 

Note, I believe that this general rule (if not the specifics of how it is created) is a good idea.   Almost all shooting deaths in America come from hand guns (Picture a mugging, a suicide, and a kid playing with a hand gun - compare what happens if you replace it with a long gun), while almost all legitimate uses of fire arms work BETTER with a long gun (hunting, walking safely through a crime ridden neighborhood, defending your home from an invading army).  If it were up to me, rifles, silencers, large clips, and even 'convertible rifles' (weapons that are easily modifiable into fully automatic versions) would all be easy to obtain with no little if any background checks - but hand guns would require a federal license to carry (but that license would by definition allow concealed carry).   Sorry about the political rant, back to my review.  Back to the fun.


Firing a gun is pretty easy for anyone to do  (hitting what you aim at is another matter).   It doesn't require much strength.  It is more of a male thing.  It can be a bit of a rush - definitely gets the adrenaline pumping.   Larger calibers have significant kickback - be prepared for it, or get hurt.  It also is loud - you will want hearing protection, but a good shooting range will provide it.

Kids are not OK - sorry, in NY, that's the rule.  There have been real cases in the US where the gun was too much for the kid and people got killed.   Wait till they are old and strong enough to handle it.

The price is at the high end of cheap, but still less than a night on the town.   Classes are reasonable, an if you love it, about the only real expense is purchasing the weapon, bullets are cheap.

I went to:
http://westsidepistolrange.com/rifle-class-signup/



Note, this link takes you directly to the rifle sign up page.   First time users pay $75 and get a safety class.  After that it costs less than $50 per visit to the range.


If you want more, you can also sign up for a class at Orvis for 'wing shooting.'  
http://www.orvis.com/adventures.   It's on my list, but I haven't gotten around to trying them out yet.

Cooking $ 🎓🎓 💪

Cooking is another great hobby that a lot of people love.  You don't have to take lessons, you can learn from cook books/the web.   But I have taken a lot of interesting cooking classes.

If you love to eat, then why not learn to make the food?  Eating is a major life activity, something you do multiple times a day, it makes sense to learn how to make the food worth eating.   And it's a great skill to show off for other people.


For most forms of cooking, you have already spent the required money on big ticket items  like a stove, refrigerator, etc.  Yes, you will have some extra costs, particularly if you take classes, but it tends to be a relatively cheap hobby.   It's not that physically demanding, people in wheel chairs can easily do it if their kitchen is set up correctly.

If you do take classes, Cooking, like dancing,  tends to be an equal opportunity event - you meet just as many women as men.  But there are exceptions to that rule - if you take a class on how to butcher a pig there will be more men than women.  Another advantage of cooking is that there is no age limit on either side.  Unlike dancing, Grandparents can easily do it with their grand-kids, no holds barred/.

In any major city there are a lot of classes you can take and we are not just restricted to the normal stuff.   'General' cooking classes are not my preference.   Instead I recommend focused, one shot workshops rather than a class you take every week for a month.  That makes them cheaper, easier, and you learn how to make one or two unusual things really well rather than a bunch of things acceptably.

There a lot of specialty classes available:   deserts, pies, sushi, dumplings, Vietnamese, Chinese, grilling, etc.  Good cook stores love to teach you these workshops cheaply because they usually get to sell you gear along with the lesson.   Obviously take a class on a food type you like to eat - because you may end up eating a lot of it.

Some of my favorite classes were Pizza, Cupcakes, Ice Cream and Molecular Gastronomy. 


Pizza making is relatively easy.  It's a simple food, mostly about making the dough.  The sauce and toppings tend to be simple to do.  The main problem is that it takes a long time to make it from scratch - hence people buy it more than make it. 

I enjoyed my class here:  http://pizzaschool.com/

Cupcakes are always a big hit.  They don't take too long to make (no dough rising), and are sweet. 

I took classes here: http://butterlane.com/classes/


Ice Cream is another big hit.  You get the flavors you desire and it's not that hard to make.  The main weakness is that it doesn't always travel well.  On the other hand, when you show up at a picnic with a cooler full of home made ice cream you get more bragging rights than with most stuff.   Particularly if you make "Bourbon Brown Sugar Ice Cream".  Can't get that at Baskin Robbins.  (Note you need to add other stuff and/or remove some sugar, to keep the ice cream solid if you want the alcohol to be more than just a flavor - take a class and learn how.)

The Brooklyn Brainery has a lot of good cooking classes, and that is where I learned how to make Ice cream:  http://brooklynbrainery.com/courses/ice-cream-how-to-make-your-own-history


Molecular Gastronomy is not as likely to be useful in your daily life.  But if you want to show off bacon flavored "caviar" on top of transparent ravioli can be very impressive.  The place that offered my Molecular Gastronomy class is no longer offering it, but you can find others.


One final place to check out is The Brooklyn Kitchen.  It has a lot of interesting classes, including that one on pig butchering I mentioned. http://www.thebrooklynkitchen.com/classes/pig-butchering-16062015901

Kayaking $ 🎓 💪

Take a small boat, one or two people, WITH a paddle, and welcome to the Hudson River.  Kayaking is a great, lazy out door sport.  Unless you are racing, you won't be burning many calories.

Kayaking is cheap and remarkably easy.  If you want to be more outdoorsy but don't want to overdo it, kayaking is for you.   It's cooling, you wear a bathing suit, and it's different - so it makes a great  summer date.  It's the only 'water sport" I tried that doesn't require any muscle so I said it isn't exercise. 

You need to be willing to get wet, you can do it even if your legs don't work, and in Manhattan at least, it's free, at Pier 26.  They even give free lessons and a free locker (please bring a lock).    It takes almost no effort, and requires minimal skills (besides swimming).

If you go to Pier 26,  you will want a bathing suit and a T shirt.  They provide a life jacket.  You must know how to swim.  Gender balance is fairly even and they take all ages.  Younger children must share a boat with an adult.  They have successfully accepted people weighing 400 lbs.  

I would wear water shoes, but they are not necessary.

Each session lasts 20 minutes, but if it isn't busy you can do more.  Weekend times are 9-5, and during the week they are open from 5 to 7:30.  (last boat enters water at 7:10).


From May 21 to Oct 10, Kayaking is free from Pier 26 at the Downtown Boathouse.  http://www.downtownboathouse.org/ 

If you like kayaking, you can buy a kayak and life jacket for relatively cheap, and go kayaking wherever and whenever you feel comfortable.   I have taken trips from one lake to another (only problem is bringing the kayak back to the car....).

Dance!

Dance has become one of my greatest loves.  It got me through some very dark times  - when I am poor, lonely, and depressed, I can always find solace in the arms of a young woman - even if it was only a "one night dance" so to speak.

(Note, Dance is more of a category than just one thing to do, so this first post is going to be a bit longer and different from future posts.)

Most dances and dances classes are surprisingly gender equal.  Just as likely to have more men than women as more women than men dancing.  But a few tend to be off balance - and men tend to get there early, while women tend to get there late (particularly in bad weather).  In NYC, you should be able to find LBGT friendly dances, but that may be a problem in smaller metropolitan areas.   Lots of dance styles have straight women dancing with each other and a few have straight men dancing with each other (Blues for example, sometimes does this.).  


When I was younger, I did not want to learn to dance.  I thought dance was for the popular people, those naturally good at it and old people taking boring classes.  I was wrong.   There are a lot of different kinds of dance, some look like that others don't.  Yes, if you take a class on the Fox Trot, you will be dancing with old people.  But you can also take a class on how to do hip hop moves and it will be full of young people.

I have tried a lot of different kinds and this post is going to talk about style have which advantages.  But dance is different in different parts of the country.  You will find a lot more country western dancing in Texas than in New York.  What I describe is what I have found in New York City, but you can expect similar events in other places - but some more crowded than less.


In general dance tends to be cheap, but does requires some work and some physical capabilities.  You don't have to be in fantastic shape, but if you have mobility issues, it's not going to be easy.

You do not have to spend big bucks on private lessons - some people get by by just going out dancing and learning on the dance floor.  But most people find that group lessons are money well spent, particularly for some dances.    I dislike chain schools (Fred Astaire, etc).  It's a little bit like going to a fast food place.  They tend to focus more on what they can automate and push out to the various schools than on finding good teachers and letting the teacher teach what they know best.  Look for a place that has a non-franchised name.

In general I advise taking group lessons - at least for the first month or so.  A single one hour private tends to cost as much as a whole month (1 hour class a week for four weeks) of group lessons.   Also, group lessons are more social, you meet new friends.

 A good way to find a dance school is to look for dances.  You don't want to learn tango from a place that doesn't offer a weekly tango dance.   At the very least it gives you a place to show off what you learned.

Another good idea is to find someplace CLOSE to where you work.  That way you can go there directly from work, before you get home.   If you try to do it on the weekend or far from where you work, there will come a day when you are just too busy/tired and miss a class.   Then next week you are lost, so you are more likely to give up.   Make it easy to go to class to help you do it consistently.

Dancing also tends to be a late night activity.   Some people get home at 3 AM after going dancing.  Obviously you don't want your teenager doing that.  That is not a necessity, one can arrange your schedule to be home by 9 PM, but that does requires some effort.

In New York City, the three big dances are Tango, Swing, and Salsa.   There are enough places offering those dance styles to go to a different place every day of the week.   I will also discuss less well known dances, such as Contra, Hip Hop and Blues.  Let's begin with the easier dances.

Don't try dancing with flipflops or any other shoe that comes off easily.

Contra Dancing:  $ 🎓 💪💪.
One of the easiest dances to do.  No lessons required, so it is very cheap.  If you can walk without pain, you can do this dance. Contra dancing is similar to English Country Dances seen in period movies.  They also look like a less western version of square dancing.  The key point is they have a "caller" yelling out what dance move to do, so you just have to do what he/she says.  They don't care about footwork or the 'count' that much. Sneakers are fine. 

Contra dances are often filled with lots of young people. Particularly near a college town, their average age can be 20's.  If you want to meet young people, this is a good choice.  Contra dancing is not a big dance, it can be harder to find.  Women may ask men to dance.

Look here for information about Contra dancing in Manhattan.
http://cdny.org/

Blues Dancing:  $ 🎓 💪💪.
Another easy dance.  Most people can pick it up in one or two lessons, so it is very cheap.  Basically this dance was created in the past 20 years by swing dancers that wanted something simpler and easier to do.  If you want to have fun and learn a couple of moves to not embarrass yourself, this is a great choice.  You can easily use what you learn at a club, wedding, or similar event.  In addition, learning this gives you good prep work for other dances.   This dance is slight bit more physical than Contra Dancing, as well mainly because you might get a good partner who could do a dip or similar harder steps.  Foot work is a bit more important here, but not a lot.  People usually don't track the 'count'.  Sneakers are fine. 

Like Contra dances Blues events trend young.    Average age is 20's.  If you want to meet young people, this is a good choice.   Blues dancing is not a a big dance and can be hard to find.  Women sometimes ask men to dance.

Look here for information about Blues dancing in Manhattan. 
http://www.gothamcityblues.org/
http://bluesdancenewyork.com/

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Salsa Swing and Tango are big dances and need more instructions.  I would check out the larger schools, which include DanceSport, Stepping Out, and You Should be Dancing.


Swing and Salsa Dancing:  $$ 🎓🎓 💪💪💪 
Swing and Salsa are similar.  Salsa is the most popular dance in New York - we have a significant hispanic population, Swing is about the third most popular.   The main difference is 'feel' plus a few traditional moves - if you are good at one, you can probably become good at the other.  They both are much more energetic, and generally require taking weekly classes.  You need to be on the right foot and getting off the count (beat) is much disastrous than with contra or blues. You need to learn patterns so that you will complete each six or eight count together.   Group lessons becomes essential - unless you were raised dancing.   Privates are NOT necessary unless you become addicted.  If you want to become really good, I suggest taking multiple group lessons a week.  You will sweat a lot dancing swing or salsa.  Some men bring extra shirts, particularly in hot locales.  Swing dancers tend use sneakers, salsa dancers tend to prefer fancier dance shoes. For Salsa, you can easily use what you learn at a club dancing, less so for swing.

Salsa and Swing dances trends towards 30 year olds.  You need enough time and money to learn to dance, but have to be young enough to take the lessons.  Salsa and Swing are popular dances and you should be able to find them in any large city.

Look here for information about Salsa dancing in Manhattan.
http://www.salsanewyork.com/other.htm




Tango Dancing:  $$ 🎓🎓 💪
Tango is probably the second most popular dance in NYC (circa 2016), after Salsa.    It is usually less energetic than other dances, but can be danced with extreme vigor.  I have seen people dance it with a cast on their leg.  (Total addicts won't stop even after they are hurt), but I would not recommend it.  Like Swing and Salsa you need a lot of group classes (you do not need privates) - and once again I suggest multiple group lessons a week to become good.    But unlike swing and salsa, the groups teach you how to lead and follow non-verbally, rather than concentrating on teaching you a set of moves.  That is, you do not have to learn a six or eight count step (even though some of the moves are taught that way).  Tango dancers are use dance shoes.   Unlike all the other dances I mentioned above, you usually dance with someone for at least 3 songs.

Tango is the most sensual of the dances.   In all dances there is a bit of sensuality, but tango really likes it, in part because you do less with the arms, so you spend more time in close embrace.    While you don't have to dance close embrace, many want to.  You are in effect hugging your partner.  This is why it was the original dirty dancing that mothers did not want their daughters doing.  It's also why some people do it - it can be a 10 minute love affair.

But Tango trends older.   40 and 50's are more common than 20's or 30s.  Many salsa and swing dancers switch to Tango as they get older because their body can't handle the more energetic dancing.   Note, you can still dance tango energetically, you just don't have to.

Look here for information about Tango dancing in Manhattan.
http://www.newyorktango.com/

Hip Hop/Club Dancing:  $$ 🎓🎓 💪💪
You can get lessons from people that are really good at club dancing. But Club/Hip Hop dancing does not have an established teaching method - no declared 'basic' moves.   So if you take a group class you tend to learn a set routine of whatever the teacher likes is good at.  Here I would consider getting private lessons.  They cost about 4x as much as a group class but you can concentrate on learning a set of moves really well, focusing on your strengths and overcoming your weaknesses.  Generally energetic, but not you don't have to be as energetic as swing or salsa (no dips for example).  Dress shoes are worn to ensure that you get into the clubs (bouncers check your feet - and won't bother to tell you why they don't let you in.)

Hip Hop/Club dancing tends younger - 20 year olds.   A lot of people are looking to hook up.  If you already know another dace style, Hip Hop is easier to learn.  Some people just use Salsa or Blues stuff at a Club and they get along fine for some songs, but they will not look like the best dancer in the house.


Other types of dancing. 
 There are a lot of other types of dancing - Hustle (Disco), variations on Swing (East Coast, Shag, etc.)   Country Western, Line Dancing, Fox Trot, Samba, variations on Salsa (Mambo, etc.).  Cost, physicality and difficulty will vary.  If something is popular in your area it can be a good choice, but if you don't have a choice of at LEAST two places to dance every week, there will be issues.     Even if you only want to go once a week, you want a choice of places to go.

Then there are the non-partner dances - things like Flamenco, ballet, pole dancing, belly dancing.  Those tend to be dominated by women, but some men (straight as well as gay) do take some classes.