7 Tips To Do New York On A Budget

New York City in general and Manhattan in particular has a reputation for being an expensive place to visit, and it is if you want it to be. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Earlier this week, for example, I spent two days in the Big Apple and spent less than $50 total for food and entertainment. Here are some tips to do New York on a budget.

1. Check local publications for days when local museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art, etc have free or reduced-rate fares. Posted “suggested donation” signs mean just that: it’s the suggested donation. You are free to donate as much or as little as you like, or nothing at all. That said, please try to donate at least something. These places aren’t cheap to keep open.

2. Consider purchasing a New York Pass if you plan on visiting more than two or three of the popular tourist attractions such as the Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, Guggenheim Museum, etc during your trip. One-day passes start as low as $69.00 and contain over $600 worth of entry coupons, though of course you’d be hard-pressed to use them all in just one day.  Luckily, 7-day passes go for just $135, a real bargain, and children’s passes are even cheaper.  The New York Pass can easily pay for itself after just four or five uses depending on what you’re most interested in doing.

3. Walk. Manhattan from Central Park all the way south to the financial district and battery is imminently walkable and covers less distance than you probably think. Save on subway trips ($2 one-way) by planning your day’s activities ahead of time and then do them in geographical order from north to south (or vice versa). Not only will you save money, you’ll get plenty of exercise to help burn off all those delicious street snacks you’ll be eating along the way. Besides, New York is a city that must be experienced on the ground to be truly appreciated. You’ll miss most of what the city has to offer if you’re busy hopping from site to site via taxi or subway the entire time. Take a stroll. Do some window shopping along the way. Take in the sights. Getting there is half the fun.

4. Since most of you will probably have to ride the subway anyway despite all the walking you’ll be doing, it might pay to purchase a multi-day pass. Passes come in 1, 7, 14, and 30 day periods and allow for unlimited subway and bus trips until expiration. If you ride a lot (maybe the weather isn’t conducive to walking), you could save a significant amount of money buying your trips in bulk.

5. People watch in Times Square or Rockefeller Center. Most of the people you’ll see in these areas are probably tourists from all over the world. New York is home to an astonishing variety of people from every nation or culture you could think of.  You could spend hours taking it all in. If you’re lucky, you might even see a naked cowboy.

6. Picnic in Central Park.  Pick up some cheap sandwich ingredients and head to Central Park where you can sit in the sun, people watch, and maybe even rent a row boat or two.

7. Go to the site of the former World Trade Center. While the lot itself is currently under development for the new Freedom Tower, the city has erected a moving tribute to those who died on 9/11 near the Port Authority Terminal. It’s free and is a must-see for every American.