NYC On The Cheap

It's vacation time! To be honest, given all of our new and recent costs I thought I wouldn't be able to get away to anyplace this summer... Except maybe to Puerto Backyardia*.

Happily, as fate would have it, my sister's traveling companion on an upcoming trip to New York City trip needed to cancel suddenly. Given the flexibility of my schedule, the fact that I haven't seen my globe-trotting sister in AGES, and the fact that my birthday's coming up soon, I get to be the lucky recipient of a some-expenses paid trip to the Big Apple.

(*Not a Kate original – thanks for this gem goes to a new acquaintance I met recently. Thanks Lisa!)

Personally, I've never been overly keen to go to NYC. I have nothing against the place, but aside from wanting to visit a few museums there, I've never really given much thought to what I would do if I went.

The magic of the interweb being what it is though, I put out a quick call for recommendations from friends, family and readers. This is the list of their top picks for the would-be traveler looking for things to do in NYC on the cheap.


Accommodation

We happened to luck out and get a hotel room on Central Park for a very reasonable rate by comparison shopping online more than three months ago. Ultimately, I believe the deal was found on a site called EasyClickTravel.com.

Myself, I like Hotwire.com (sells surplus hotel rooms online for discounted rates – you don't know where exactly you're staying until you've booked but you can get pretty specific about the amenities you're looking for), Kayak.com (an online travel website aggregator) and Travelzoo.com's weekly top 20 list which sometimes has some pretty great looking deals if you keeping your eyes open for them.

Other recommendations:

Consider staying at one of the YMCAs in the city. Around $100/night gets you a secure, air-conditioned room, access to shared bathrooms and full access to swimming and gym facilities. [YMCA of Greater New York.]

The person who recommends the YMCA to me visits New York more than anyone I know. He also says "Hampton Inns are becoming my cheap hotel of choice." He points out that the YMCA is a good option, cost wise, if you're traveling alone without anyone else (read: your employer?) picking up the tab. If you're splitting the room rate with another person though, a cheaper hotel is likely the more economical option. Room prices at Hampton Inns include a decent breakfast and staff is usually happy to provide breakfast to go if guests are not able to take advantage of the buffet being offered. "The Hampton Inns in NYC are no exception."


Getting around

A one-day fun pass ($8.50 USD) is good for unlimited subway and bus transportation until 3:00 a.m. These are sold at metro card vending machines and neighbourhood stores. Visit the Metropolitan Transportation Authority website for more information. (Seven and 14 day cards are also available.)

From John F. Kennedy airport, get downtown by taking the Airtrain to Jamaica station ($5.00) then take the E Train subway ($2.25) to Manhattan. Subway maps are available online ahead of time if you'd like to plan your trips in advance.

A faster but more expensive way to get downtown involves taking the Long Island Railroad from Jamaica Station to Penn Station.


Things to do for free (or close to it)

Staten Island Ferry
Although there isn't much to do on Staten Island, the free boat ride offers spectacular day and night views of lower Manhattan.

Central Park
Huge! Worth visiting more than once to check out different places at different times. Strawberry Fields is here, across from the apartment John Lennon and Yoko Ono shared in New York, along with castles, statues, a carousel, famous bridges you've no doubt seen in movies and on television, locations for free concerts and productions of Shakespeare http://shakespeareinthepark.org/ (though I'm told you need to be in the right place at the right time to get the free tickets), food and a lot more.

Lincoln Centre
Another good place to check out free outdoor concerts in the summer.

The High Line
The recently opened High Line park on Manhattan's West side runs from Gansevoort Street in the Meatpacking District to 34th Street, between 10th & 11th Avenues. The former rail track was used in the 1930s to move freight to warehouses in the area. As part of a plan and vision to keep this piece of industrial history intact, the structure has been converted to a garden park and walkway that includes areas to sunbathe, picnic, and check out work from artists.

MTA Transit Museum
A former subway station in Brooklyn, the museum houses photos of the subway system's construction, actual cars used over the past 100 years and advertising posters from each time period. Adult tickets are $5.00.

Brooklyn Bridge
Walk back to Manhattan on the Brooklyn Bridge using the pedestrian walk. Experienced walkers in the city tell me to bring a camera to take in the views of both Manhattan and Brooklyn, and also to be careful not to walk in the bike lane. Walking the bridge takes about one hour.



Cheap theatre and shows

There are more shows in this town than you can shake a stick at. In addition to checking out the TKTS Discount Booths in Times Square or at the South Street Seaport to get half price, same day tickets, the following are a few websites that might be helpful when searching for things to do:

• Playbill.com
• Theatre Mania
• The New York Times

Discounted admissions, sort of

Finally, although this isn't an offer I'll be pursuing (we're looking for a more laid-back experience), the New York Pass looked like it might be interesting for anyone driven to see as much as they can in a short period of time. At prices ranging from $75 a day to $165 for a week, these give passholders free access to a huge list of NYC attractions and some skip the line privileges. It's a neat idea, but run the math on things if you're interested in saving money – at roughly $55 a day (assuming you've purchased a two-day pass) you'd need to stop in at three different attractions each day to make the cost worthwhile.

Kate McCaffery is a freelance writer in Toronto, Ontario. Visit mccaffery.ca/kate2.0/ for more information.