New York City > Reviews > How to enjoy New York on a budget

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Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Family Friendly

Advantages:	Greatest city in the world, lots to do, great food
Disadvantages:	Never want to leave

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yes

Full review

Most people who visit New York love the experience, but their wallets love the experience less so. Having experienced the charme of New York as both a tourist and a 'local', I would like to give some suggestions of fun things to do in New York without having to remortage your house at the end of your vacation.

This is a review in progress. I attempted to include as much as possible, but intend to add on from time to time.

ATTRACTIONS - MANHATTAN VIEW FROM THE WATER

New York offers several tourist attractions by which Manhattan can be viewed from the water, such as the Circle Line (3 hour trip around Manhattan island) and the Ellis Island Ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The downside to this is the price.

If you are on a budget and are not desperate to stand on the same soil as the Statue of Liberty but are nonetheless keen on seeing downtown Manhattan from the water, I suggest a trip on the Staaten Island Ferry. This will cost you no more than a subway/bus ride!

Make your way down to Battery Park and to the ferry terminal. Ferries leave approximately every 30 minutes. There are no lengthy queues, you will be able to board the next available ferry.

From the ferry, you will have a beautiful view of Manhattan island (mainly downtown) and a distant view of the statue of liberty.

When you get to Staaten Island, do not exit the boat. Just stay aboard and wait for it to return to Manhattan. On the way back make sure to stand outside on deck with your camera to take some snapshots of the skyscrapers.

This trip will take you about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

ATTRACTIONS - BROOKLYN BRIDGE

Another free thing to do while in New York is a visit to the Brooklyn Bridge. You can take the No.6 train to Brooklyn Bridge and then take a lovely stroll from Brooklyn to Manhattan. On your way you will be able to see not only downtown Manhattan, but also the other bridges to Manhattan. If you look closely, you will also be able to see the statue of liberty in the far distance.

This is a great thing to do at night - and even better if you happen to be in New York on New Year's Eve with a partner. It's just terribly romantic up here when all the lights are lit up. And who knows - maybe you will be able to see some fireworks as well (although they were banned in recent years - so you better double check a local newspaper to save disappointment).

MUSEUMS

Few tourists are aware of this fact, but museums do not cost what they seem to cost. Most museums in New York, especially those on 5th avenue, list their price and label it a 'suggested donation'. This means that you DO NOT have to pay the price listed.

I personally never had the guts to do it myself, but when I visited the Metropolitan Museum with a friend, she actually paid only 1$ for the two of us and we were let in!

Naturally, some would disagree with such a practice, as money paid to the museum goes towards the preservation of art and museums. But if , for example, you are a student on a budget, you may want to just pay a little less.

ENTERTAINMENT - WASHINGTON SQUARE PARK - Music and other entertainers

So they are not big names that will ever enter the charts, but some of the musicians you can find in New York City are very talented and you can listen to them for free!

Once you find yourself in Washington Square Park, you may have to circulate a little before you find someone worth listening to. If you do find someone, just sit down and relax or even request a song.

Other entertainers also come to the park, for example a group of very athletic guys will twist their bodies into the most unbelievable shapes and forms or perform massive jumps over the heads over volunteer members from the audience.

SPORTS

Tennis

If you happen to be in New York in late August and have an interest in tennis, Flushing Meadows offers you the greatest bargain. The week before the US Open commences (Tuesday through Sunday), the qualifying rounds take place at the USTA National Tennis Center. Here you can watch good tennis matches between up-and-coming players and, occassionally, players that may be remembered from the past. In addition, you may be able to spot current top ranked players practicing out on the courts. The USTA makes every effort to give tennis nuts something to make the trip worthwhile. On Court No. 2 and Court No. 3 you can regualarly see the big names hit balls together. In the past I have spotted the likes of Sampras, Agassi, Ivanisevic, Kournikova, Capriati and Hingis out there. And the best thing is that it won't cost you a penny!

How to get there? Take the No.7 train (purple) from Grand Central Station on 42nd Street to Shea Stadium. Follow the signs to Arthur Ashe Stadium - you can't miss it.

Make sure to bring water and sun tan lotion, though, you are liable to be grilled out here!

SHOPPING - CLOTHES ON 34TH STREET

Okay - so shopping is not exactly New York on a budget. But if you are keen to shop and you do not want to spend much, I suggest taking a trip down to 34th Street.

Start at 34th street and 5th avenue and make your way westwards,

Here you will find your Macy's, your GAP, your Victoria's Secret - at normal to high prices. But you will also find cheaper shops. For one - there are show shops galore. And if you look hard and long enough, you may well get a bargain deal. One of my favorites is Parade of shoes - you will find two outlets here.

There is also H&M and while we have this in the UK as well, the prices are generally a lot better and the stuff is a bit different from the UK merchandise.

If you go past Macy's, however, you may get some better treats even. On both sides of the road you will see little non-desript clothes shops. They usually have real bargains in there. If you do not need designer labels and want to stock up on various tops and skirts, you should definitely pop in. Prices can be as low as $4 for a nice top. Estimate between $4 and $10.

Also in the area are various branches of Conway. This store is strictly no thrills, but if you want to stock up on some basic clothing items, this may well be the place for you. There is one on Broadway and 35th street (this has the best selection of all outlets).

Just below 34th Street around 6th Avenue and Broadway, you will find the Fashion District. When you continue down 6th Avenue up until about 26th street, you will see all these wholesale stores. They mainly sell bags on 6th Avenue, but if you take a peak into the side streets, you will also see places that sell things like underwear and socks and ridiculously cheap prices. We bought about 50 pairs of socks and 12 pairs of boxers in one of these places for approximately £20! Some of the stores only sell to retailers with Tax ID, but this is usually clearly marked in the window.

RESTAURANTS

Do not be fooled into the tourist traps - unless you really do want to experience the likes of Hard Rock Cafe New York, Harley Davidson Cafe, Planet Hollywood or TGI Friday's. If you are keen on spending money on attractions and not so set on food, find the places average salaried New Yorkers would eat at.

There are many places to go, but one good example is Third Avenue in New York between about 30th street and 26th street. On this stretch you will find moderately priced and good Oriental cuisine. There is Thai and Vietamese primarily. There is also a branch of 'Sotto Cinque', which offers moderately priced Italian food. You will be able to have a meal there for under 15$ (unless you are big on the booze).

Another excellent Chinese place is Ollie's, just off Times Square (200W 44th Street). Here you can dine for around 10$ and 15$ and walk away very satisfied. Tip: Their shrimp dumplings are awesome!

If you are really on the cheap - why not settle for a slice of New York pizza? If the weather is nice, you should get a can of fizzy drink and a large slice of New York style pizza anywhere for about 5$. Take it to the park and enjoy!

CONCLUSION

While this is not a traditional New York holiday, this review has attempted to suggest some things to do to save. I realise that the suggestions may not be suited for everyone - but do hope that you will find at least one thing of interest!

Thanks for reading!