About Savvy Cities

Savvy Cities shares well-researched, current, and vetted information on fun things to do in several U.S. metro cities. Here you’ll find savvy tips for enjoying fun events, local attractions and activities. Regular readers and subscribers get the best price on tickets, take advantage of upgraded and premium seats, locate the best parking or viewing spots, enjoy insider information on the under-publicized pre-show or after-party, get updates on free city celebrations and annual events, and more.

Savvy Cities (so far) include:

Atlanta | Boston | Chicago | Dallas | Denver | Houston | Las Vegas | Los Angeles | Miami | Minneapolis | New York | Orlando | Phoenix | Portland | Philadelphia | San Diego | San Francisco | Seattle | Washington DC |

FAQ:

What’s this site all about? SavvyCities.com is about getting out more and having fun in the city. I give you the cheat sheets, or the CliffsNotes style version of how to enjoy local events with less effort, whether it’s a promo code for sports tickets, a heads up about free events or free museum days, ski lift ticket discounts, easy weekend getaways for less, great deals on Broadway show tickets, or coupons for family theme parks. I give you several choices of deal sources whenever possible, and send you to various savvy sources for more information to help you plan your activities.

Does Savvy Cities sell tickets, like a broker? No, I’m not a ticket broker. I don’t accept money, process payments, or sell anything. I simply scope out the best offers I can find and link to them, whether the offer is a special deal for Savvy Cities readers, or a ticket deal offered by another ticket seller, deal source, merchant, or competitor. Some pages are co-branded with a travel partner, but all ticket transactions take place somewhere else, from trusted ticket sources.

What if I have a problem with my tickets? The best thing to do is contact the ticket seller directly. You’ll find that info on your voucher or tickets. Since I don’t actually sell anything here, I can’t fix the problem, but I’m happy to help answer questions or forward your questions if you’re not sure which ticket source actually sold you the tickets.

I followed your link to a deal and it wasn’t listed. Are you trying to trick people? Please don’t shoot the messenger. Since I am not the end seller, I have no way of knowing the exact moment a merchant sells out of tickets (and they don’t bother to tell me since I don’t work for them). I check as often as possible and try to update readers as soon as I know. Also, sometimes these merchants add more tickets soon after the first batch of ticket deals sells out, so you might want to check back later.

Kathy Summers

Kathy Summers, Publisher of Savvy Cities

Who publishes this website? My name is Kathy Summers, and I have been a freelance writer for U.S. national magazines for 20 years. I started publishing Savvy Cities in my spare time in 2009, starting with things to do in San Francisco (Bay Area On The Cheap). The site’s popularity really took off, and as certain top events (with terrific ticket deals) toured the country, I followed them around and added more metro cities to the mix.

How do you get paid? Although I started this site as a labor of love, I now earn enough from the occasional ad placement and a several affiliate partnerships (commission based) to cover my time and expenses to keep the site going.

So, are your pages for sale? Absolutely not. There is no “pay for play” as they say. I don’t post events or offers unless I believe they are a good fit for the site. Savvy readers come first. In fact, I turn down more partner offers every day than I accept for inclusion on Savvy Cities.

Where do we list our event on Savvy Cities. Sorry, you don’t. I decide what gets posted on this site, and I write every word myself. Yes, I could really use a day off, but I digress.

Do you charge to list events? No charge, since I only post the events I think my readers are looking for. Mostly, readers want those special offers on event and attraction tickets. But if I hear about a really fun free event, I’ll write about it. For free. Just for fun. For example, free events like the Calistoga Lighted Tractor Parade near San Francisco, and the Pumpkin Launch at Cal State Fullerton’s Discovery Science Center in SoCal tickle my fancy. Even readers who don’t go to these events have fun reading about them and watching the videos.

So, will you list our event? Maybe, if I think it’s something I, or my savvy readers, want to read about. Is your event really fun, and is there a special offer or savvy way to better enjoy the experience? Then please send your event details via the SavvyCities contact page and I’ll take a look. But I get dozens of these every week, so it may take me a while to get back to you. The best way to get coverage is to sponsor a giveaway or buy a banner ad.

How do I find out more? You can contact me, Kathy Summers, with your questions or requests on the Contact Savvy Cities page. You can also find me on Google Plus, Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.

 

Local Love for SavvyCities.com:

  • While looking for things to do in San Francisco, I happened across SavvyCities …. and now I’m completely addicted. I can’t tell you how much fun I’ve had this summer going to all of the suggested festivals and museums on your site. Yes, there are other sites on the internet that offer “great things to do,” but they don’t even compare to yours. It’s user friendly to the max and I’m just so impressed (and grateful!) It has gotten me out of the house and into the fun of the Bay Area. You and your site are fantastic, so thank you. ~Renée K
  • I came upon your site fairly recently and it’s been wonderful getting updates regularly.  It’s so much fun digging through each section and just browsing around to see all of the possibilities out there.  Not only do you offer deals and offers to such a wide variety of things to do and see and shop….but I hear about things I would have never known about and for that I THANK YOU.  ~Michelle
  • You guys are amazing, always find something fun to do with help from the web site. Thanks for helping us get to know the bay. ~Sarah
  • Wow I really don’t know what I would do without you! You have definitely made my last year a he’ll of a lot more fun for me and my girl. Thank you!!! ~Graham
  • Awesome website you guys got there because in this tough economy any help around town for things to do is great. Thanks. ~Michele J
  • Hello & congratulations on your successful blog. I’m very grateful for all the info of local happenings on the cheap during these hard economic times. ~S. Andregg
  • Thanks so much for giving us some fun things to do without breaking my bank account! My friend told me about your website yesterday after me and 7 others went to the DeYoung yesterday! Yeah cheap fun outings! ~Jacquie L
  • Thanks for keeping my girlfriend and I involved with events in the Bay area. They’ve been fun and the last couple of months have saved me more than ever. Still need to watch Wicked though, but nevertheless, Happy anniversary! ~Samuel L
  • I found SavvyCities when looking for cheap tickets to see OVO. This site is great, listing all the options to save money. My husband and I are going to see OVO at half price in March! Thank you, BAOTC! Thank you. ~Heidi
  • I found your site a while ago and was really excited about all the possibilities of exploring new things in the bay area and look forward to years and years of many more treasures found there! Thank you! ~Varaxy Y
  • Love your webpage.  Great job of pulling the information from so many different sources! ~Sheila
  • LOVE the website. With three kids, we need to do stuff on the cheap! ~Alyssa P.
  • I just love giveaways and your website! As a frugal person new to the Bay Area, I’ve found so many amazing deals on here. I visit your site weekly to find even more great deals. ~Huong N
  • I love this site.  I just moved here and have been using it every day practically. Thank you! ~Lana N
  • Thanks for all the great, cheap inside scoops around the Bay Area! ~Hannah
  • I love the blog! Please keep it up for years to come! ~Erin
  • I Love BayAreaOnTheCheap [SavvyCities].  Great Idea. ~Linh TN
  • Your website has given me great ideas for my frugal bf. ~Deanna L
  • I love your website and have told all my friends about it too. Thanks! ~Anna L
  • Thanks so much for your website, it’s so helpful for a student on a budget!! ~ Yvonne Chou
  • I’ve only been using your website for a short time but i’ve gotten so many ideas from it. Thanks! ~Winnie
  • You guys are great!! :) Thank you!! Keep up the good work! ~Natalia H
  • Congratulations on a successful year of stellar bloggingness. Cheers to greater triumphs and further growth. ~Shannon
  • U’r doing a wonderful job out there.u r helping so many people plan their weekends, family fun, can’t thank u enough. ~Sangeeta
  • Thank you so much for sending us great emails about fun things to do for not a lot of money in the Bay Area. ~Amy
  • I love this website! Thanks for creating it! ~Ben N
  • Thank you so much for sending us such great information about things in the Bay Area! ~Anne C
  • BayAreaOnTheCheap [SavvyCities] is the best!  Keep up the good work. ~Sam T
  • I also wanted to Thank You(!) for such a great service, its a wonderful help in these tough times. ~AJ
  • Thanks for the great tips on discounts in the Bay! Love it! Happy 1st Anniversary, and keep doing what you do! ~Regina F
  • Congratulations on your 1st Anniversary of Bay Area on the Cheap [SavvyCities]! You have created a very useful website! ~Doreen
  • Happy Anniversary! I love your site, and visit it everyday! Thanks! ~Jennifer
  • Love your website!  It’s saved me lots of money :) Thank you!! ~Adrianne G
  • you rock!  and thanks. soooo many great things to do.  so little time…. ~dave g
  • I love seeing your email in my inbox.  I wish you many many more. ~Melissa Vega
  • Congrats on helping make the awesomeness that is the Bay area easier for us all to digest. ~GP
  • I think your email alerts and web site are great. Hope you celebrate many more anniversaries. ~Chris C
  • I’m so glad I found your website. This is such a great resource for families around the bay area! Thanks! ~Siubhan
  • I recently discovered your site while browsing for deals and bargains on the internet. I love what you’re doing! Thank you. ~Lisa W
  • Your site is awesome!  I check it frequently to see how I can enjoy the Bay Area on a tight budget.  Keep it up! ~Patrick
  • Thanks for the great site. ~Ed
  • Thank you for all the great information on things to do in the bay area, cheaply. ~Michael
  • Love your twitter feed, I always look forward to doing new things in San Francisco. If they are fun and cheap it’s all the better! Thanks, ~Mary
  • I have been enjoying your website for about six month now and I look forward to many more great deals. Keep up the great work/ Thanks. ~Thayton
  • Thank you so much for helping me save money on my Bay Area activities!  As a college student, it’s hard to go out with $0 in your wallet. ~Todd LG (Stanford Class of 2010)
  • My boyfriend and I moved to San Francisco last January and have used your email updates as a way to get to know the Bay Area and entertain ourselves on the cheap. Thanks and Happy Anniversary! ~Kathy D
  • I’m a big fan of your website. Not only is it a mainstay in my daily RSS readings, but over the last year it has truly shaped how I spend my time off, especially on weekends. Thanks for everything you do! ~Samik  B
  • Thank you so much for the GO passes I won a while back. My husband and I took turns taking our son into the City for adventures the last three days of spring break and had such a blast! AT&T Park, MOMA, Zeum, Exploratorium, aquarium, bay cruise and on and on… even the wax museum was a hoot! Thx for the oppt’y to win the passes and your awesome web site! ~Lara Starr, producer of Consumer Talk with Michael Finney on KGO Newstalk 810