New York on a budget

Zoomer | January 1st, 2006

However you get to Manhattan, and no matter where you stay, the fact is that your money can move as fast as the Queen of Spades in a game of Three Card Monty. Virtually everything, from film for your camera to a pint of beer, is expensive in tourist New York. Stock up on any supplies you can before you leave, and after you’ve budgeted for the “must-do” part of your trip (a Broadway play, a dinner at a famous restaurant) blow the rest of your budget on the little things that make New York great.

First, take advantage of the many activities and sites that are absolutely free:

  • Concerts and dance performances at the Winter Garden of the World Financial Center
  • Tour the bustling New York Stock Exchange
  • See St. John the Divine, the world’s largest (when finished) Gothic Cathedral
  • Go to free or “pay what you wish” nights at many NYC museums
  • Visit the beautiful New York Public Library
  • Take a self-guided tour of Rockefeller Center

The possibilities in New York really are almost endless. Manhattan also offers many activities for under $10 US, including a trip to the top of the fabled Empire State Buildin a ferry ride to the wonderful immigration museum at Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, and the fascinating (you’ll spend a day) Museum of Television and Radio.