What to do on Friday in New York City: 50 great ideas

Browse art and watch movies for free at MoMA

Duck out of work early and save $25 by visiting the Museum of Modern Art between 4 and 8pm on Fridays. Tickets for film screenings (the institution constantly books excellent retrospectives) are included. Naturally, lines form fast, but if you get there as the clock strikes four, you’ll be fine.

Do the monkey at Shakin’ All Over Under Sideways Down

Rock & roll DJ-impresario Mr. Jonathan Toubin is back at the helm of his weekly evening of soul, garage rock, girl-group material, glam, punk, rockabilly and more. He and guest spinners (many of them stars of the underground-rock scene) work the decks for a sweaty crowd until 4am. $5.

Slurp $1 oysters at Littleneck

Between 5 and 7pm, this tiny, dimly lit New England–style seafood joint (which TONY deemed one of the coolest places to work in 2012) serves fresh oysters for just a dollar each—and drafts of seasonal craft brews for $5 a pop.

Ride your steed at Critical Mass

Join other pedal pushers for a public bike ride, to assert your rights as a cyclist and your right to have an enjoyable cycle with a friendly crew. The Manhattan event happens the last Friday of every month at 7pm, and the more open, less traffic-clogged Brooklyn ride is on the second Friday of every month. Visit times-up.org for details.

Meet that special, geeky someone

Brainiacs unite at the monthly, mingling-friendly series Nerd Nite. Many evenings commence with a Nerd Nite Quizo Trivia challenge (7:30pm), at which you can flaunt your knowledge of Star Trek and Piers Anthony novels without incurring withering looks. Stick around for a trio of presentations (9:15pm) on topics such as video games, human limitations and tween phenoms. nyc.nerdnite.com. $14, presentations only $10.

Enjoy a high-end happy hour at Donna…

Make an early-evening beeline to Donna, the whitewashed South Williamsburg lounge that proved to be one of 2012’s hottest new bars. Before 7pm, the cocktails from bar manager Jeremy Oertel (Dram, Mayahuel) are $3 off, including the pleasingly bitter Artichoke Hold ($7), composed of Cynar, Smith & Cross rum, St. Germain, orgeat and lime juice; as well as the Manhattan-like Morgan Town ($7), a velvety mix of bourbon and amaro lightened with mole bitters and Dolin blanc vermouth.

...or Corkbuzz

Laura Maniec’s tony Union Square wine bar is known for both its eclectic selection of international vinos (there are 30 by the glass) and its weekly wine workshops and classes. Between 5 and 6pm, get a taste of both with a happy-hour special that offers a blind flight of three wines ($15), presented with a tasting grid to help you break down the flavors and figure out which wine is which (previous selections have included the dry Australian Pewsey Vale riesling and the plummy Argentine Catena malbec).

Watch a midnight movie

Convene with a revved-up late-night crowd for screenings of classics and cult flicks at IFC Center (323 Sixth Ave at 3rd St; 212-924-7771, ifccenter.com; $13.50), Landmark’s Sunshine Cinema (143 E Houston St between First and Second Aves; 212-777-FILM, ext 687; landmarktheatres.com; $10) and the booze-serving (read: bound to be rowdier) Nitehawk Cinema (136 Metropolitan Ave between Berry St and Wythe Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn; 718-384-3980, nitehawkcinema.com; $11).

Pay what you wish at the Whitney Museum of American Art

• Critics choice

From 6 to 9pm, admission is whatever the hell you choose at this architectural standout. Which is a bargain, considering that you can spend those hours staring at new exhibitions or the Whitney’s excellent permanent collection of modern art, which includes Edward Hopper’s entire estate.

...or the International Center of Photography

On Fridays between 5 and 8pm, ICP opens its doors so the cashless can peruse two floors’ worth of contemporary and historical photos and video exhibitions on the cheap.