New York City. Tall buildings, crowded sidewalks, storefronts with designer clothes. Trendy little restaurants that can easily set you back a day’s wages. Cabbies, shows, museums galore. With so many options begging for your attention, is it possible to enjoy the city without going broke?
I recently spent a few days in Manhattan and found that there are a few money-saving ways to enjoy the city and still see things without spending extra money. Sure, there is a lot you won’t see if you aren’t prepared to open your pocketbook, but you can still enjoy the big city and use these tips to save your pennies for what you really want to see.
Shows: A visit to Manhattan isn’t complete without the experience of a on- or off-Broadway show. The most popular way of getting cheaper tickets is TKTS in Times Square, where you line up around 3pm to buy up to 50% off tickets for that night’s shows. Another way is to watch Groupon or Travelzoo ahead of time. They often have deals for certain shows offering 50% as well, and you can purchase the tickets and save the time of waiting in line. Some shows offer raffles but you have to get to their box office and put your name in when it opens, then come back for the drawing right before the show. The visitor center in Times Square can give you the rundown of all the shows and any special deals they have.
Getting around: Flying into JFK you can easily hop on the AirTrain and connect to the Subway for a minimal fee. Note that if you are planning to buy a $30 unlimited 7-day subway pass it will not apply to the $5 AirTrain fee. If you are only staying a couple days, do the math--the unlimited option may not be worth it. I highly recommend walking as much as possible. Wear some good shoes and you will find that a great feature of New York is the architecture and you will miss it all in the subway.
Plan ahead: If you schedule your visit so that you group sights in different neighborhoods you will save on travel time and get to see more. Look for the free museums such as MoMA on Friday nights. If you want to get really ambitious, find cheap restaurants in the areas you visit.
Utilize grocery: Manhattan has affordable groceries, believe it or not, including 3 Trader Joe’s which boast mostly the same prices as anywhere else in the US. Grab some bread and PB and pack lunches for your sightseeing days.
Other tricks: If you’re really tight on funds, don’t go out for drinks. Or at the very least, make sure it’s happy hour. If you put the Statue of Liberty on your list (affordable at $18/$21 for the pedestal/crown) make sure you have your picnic lunch beforehand as they don’t allow food in the statue and make you pay and extra $2 to leave it in a locker. Make sure you don’t have a backpack because it won’t go inside either. Security is worse than an airport on the island!
Manhattan is a great place to visit. Other free sights include numerous parks in addition to Central Park such as the Highline Park on the West side of midtown. I enjoyed my first visit and felt like I didn’t need to rob a bank for it to be successful.
i loved this post, was hoping you'd write about the trip a bit! :)
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