Here’s a great deal if you live or work in the NYC area.

Once you register for this deal site, you’ll have access to 50% off discount coupons to New York City restaurants and shops next time you plan to head into the City.

Almost 1/3 MILLION people have subscribed for this deal site already and the sheer scale of the list brings in great “real” deals every day.

Some recent deals?

A full 60 Minute facial at a New York City Spa for only $25.00.

382 people jumped on the deal for 50% certificates to Wine Bar in the East Village Manhattan.

Or how about 50% off a dozen stuffed cannolis for $9.00.  Yup.  It’s a small splurge, but a big bargain.

This LivingSocial Daily Deal site is much like the members-only RueLaLa sample sale site, but for restaurants and other personal service treats around New York City.  And these deals are limited, but also they are available for 1 day at a time.

Of course it is free to get on the list.

A cold sweat had started to form on my forehead.

Shortness of breath was coming on quick.

So much time spent circling…spinning almost. I was moving, and all I wanted to do was stop.

No, I wasn’t having a nightmare, just trying to find a parking spot around Park Slope in Brooklyn. Then I heard my phone- probably a text from my girlfriend yelling at me for being late again- and it hit me like an angry meter-maid on an expired meter: all I needed in order to find a spot was a simple text message.

I pulled to the side of the road, ignoring my girlfriend for the moment, and instead sent a text to Roadify’s PAM (ParkingAroundMe), the community-powered parking platform that matches people leaving spots with those (like me) looking to get one. Sure enough, within seconds I was sent a quick list of available spaces, one of which was right down the street.

I could finally breathe again.

No-Park Slope, as residents call it, is considered the worst neighborhood for parking around New York City. On average it takes 27 minutes of circling the block to find a spot, which creates even more congestion on the streets. This leads to more gas usage, time lost, increased air pollution, and inefficient transportation overall.

Roadify offers a simple solution: communication between drivers on the road in the same neighborshood. The way it works is that when a user is heading to their car, they text a GIVE to 95495.  Simply text “GIVE” with the cross streets where they are leaving from and roughly when they’ll be leaving (e.g “GIVE 4th st btwn 7/8 ave 5 min.”) The location of that spot is then entered into an online database.

People looking for spots will then simply text “GET” to the same number and are provided with the open spots others just gave.

Users can also GIVE and GET by direct messaging Roadify’s Twitter account: @roadify.

The guys at Roadify wanted to make parking easier for each other in NYC.  The system is the first “social transportation” service ever developed and is completely free to users (besides the obvious standard text messaging rates). Roadify was founded upon the belief that neighbors want to help neighbors – all they need is a way to do it. Roadify is one easy way.

There are plans to implement similar programs across the transportation spectrum. Get ready for a solution to late buses: BAM (BusesAroundMe) coming later this month.  Users will GIVE and GET more accurate bus information then the rarely-correct MTA schedule.For more information:www.roadify.comand www.twitter.com/roadify

During the rest of the year, there might be times that you need to find the right space to book an event for a meeting, seminar, etc.  Whether it’s for 20 people or 200 people and beyond, there’s a couple of resources that help you find the right space for your event.

Venfino.com is a neat site where you can submit the requirements of your event, even budget and then the site filters the ones that meet your criteria.  Don’t forget to look at non-traditional spaces like studios which can be set-up to accomodate different tables/chairs configurations, even if you dont’ normally associate the type of space with what you’re planning.  Once you open up the possibilities, the rates can be surprisingly affordable!

Here’s your chance to get into the city and catch a show for free. In fact, you can bring a friend.

Nokia is sponsoring a contest for TWO FREE TICKETS to any show in September at the Nokia Theatre NYC, LA or TX.

There’s a bunch of shows coming up, so don’t miss this super-easy contest over at www.essistme.com.

All you have to do is leave a comment on the contest posting on essistme.com stating your cell phone and the featuer you use most and then just sign-up for the list. That’s it!

Good luck!