A Quiet Place to Get Away - for only $40 a Year

If sharing the grass in Central or Prospect Park isn't enough solitude for you, think about joining the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. A single membership is only $40 a year (admission is $8), and it's the perfect place to sit alone or go for a run, especially for you Brooklynites. The card also has great benefits such as access to Wednesday's summer hours, when the gardens are open an extra two hours for members to watch the sun set, or have dinner in the Garden's Terrace Cafe. There are receptions for members only, two free guest passes, discounts on classes like bird-watching, and summer watercolors, not to mention discounts at many plant stores in Brooklyn, restaurants such as Lobo and Tom's Diner, as well as Brooklyn beauty salons and pilates classes. So, really, take a look at that picture and ask yourself, is there any reason not to throw down the 40 bucks? (And of course it's tax deductible!)