After checking out cheap travel options to NYCincluding cheap airplane tickets,cheap deals,discounthotel rooms, discount traveldeals, and cheap vacation packages,you do not have to resign yourself to having to pay an arm and a leg oncethere.
Instead you can fill your days with no or low-cost activitiesincluding walking the beloved elevated rail turned urban park known as the HighLine, taking in the glorious views of Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty fromthe Staten Island Ferry and wandering through Central Park.
The following are budget friendly activities in NYCrecommended by Seth Kugel:
Manymuseums have free or pay what you wish hours. Line up early for the Museum of Modern Arts popular Friday free hours(from 4 to 8 pm) and take in MoMAs Pollocks, Picassos, Polkes, Miros, Matissesand Mitchells. Then around 6 pm take theF or M train ($2.75) to 14th Street and head to the Rubin Museum ofArt, which offers free admission from 6 to 10 on Friday nights.
Kayakthe Hudson. Head to the DowntownBoathouse at Pier 26 in TriBeCa and paddle down the Hudson River. The kayaks are beginner friendly and comewith an orientation and cost nothing more than your signature on a waiver.
Thereare plenty of cheap eats to choose from particularly when it comes to bagelsand pizza. Beware though of the 99 centsa slice pizza shops. Some of the bestpizza can be had for $2.75 a slice from Joes Pizza on Carmine Street inGreenwich Village, and Sal & Carmine Pizza on the Upper West Side. When it comes to bagels never buy one from aplace that does not make bagels on its own premises. Some of the best bagels can be found atMurrays Bagels and Pick a Bagel.
Whilesit down restaurants in Manhattan are pricey, a 20-minute ride away frommidtown to Jackson Heights is where you can find a delicious array of immigrantowned and run restaurants.
Dozensof shows film in New York City (including The Tonight Show, The Late Show, TheDaily Show, the Today Show, Good Morning America) and they are free. Be ready to deal with a bit of a rigamaroleto get tickets, there is a lot of waiting involved, but it is really worthit. Many shows make certain that theiraudiences have a fun time with pre-show entertainment. Go to the citys official tourism site for agreat guide on how to get tickets.
Thereare an astonishing number of seminars, lectures, and talks of a wide variety oftopics being offered by universities, bookstores, libraries, and museums acrossthe city. Many are free and open to thepublic, providing visitors a peak into New York City subculture. Thoughtgallery.org has listings that can befiltered for free events and the dates you are in town.
Bargainpinball has become popular. Think howmuch you would have paid in 1975 for two hours of unlimited 25 cent arcade andpinball games. Modern Pinball on ThirdAvenue charges $14.91 (equal to $3.30 in 1975 dollars). This entertainment establishment calls itselfan interactive museum and may be the most intergenerational friendly spot intown. It is a perfect place to showgrandchildren how it is done.
Freetours are available from the Big Apple Greeter with no tipping allowed. This service is offered by New Yorkerspassionate enough about the city that they are eager to share it with visitorsfor free. If interested, you need to putin a request a month in advance and name the dates you are available and the neighborhoodsyou are interested in seeing.
www.cheapfares.com