1. Plan Ahead
It’s a rule of thumb you can apply to travelling no matter where you go, but when it comes to New York it’s particularly useful. Known as one of the most expensive cities in the world, a few handy hints and tips will help you keep your budget under control, while enjoying the best the city has to offer.
Planning ahead helps you tailor-make your trip to suit not only your budget, but your interests. One of the first steps you can take in planning your NYC trip is picking the right time to go. In autumn and spring the city bursts into colour, whether it’s the trees losing their leaves in a whorl of changing hues, or the budding and blooming of new life. Although New York is always bustling, these seasons tend to swell the crowds, causing hotels to hike up their prices. The humidity of summer and the winter sleet make the weather less than ideal, but the crowds thin out and bargains are easier to come by.
Once you’ve picked your season, pick your preferences. You don’t have to visit the places others do – stick to what interests you. This will further tailor-make your trip. When you’ve decided which sites you want to see, group them together by neighbourhood, helping you make the most of your time, while saving money on transport.
Another timing aspect to consider is days of the week. Going places on weekdays will mean better rates, whether it’s for accommodation or entry fees. Planning ahead might seem like a logical step, but when you’re caught up in the excitement of new faces and places, logic can fly out the window, leading to reckless impulse and pricey indulgence.
2. Find Freebies
The best way to spend as little as possible in New York is not to spend at all. From concerts and poetry readings to parks and museums, there are plenty of events and attractions across the city that charge no entry – all you have to do is find them. A few examples include Times Square, City Hall, Battery Park, Bronx Museum of the Arts, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Rockefeller Centre, Federal Hall, Schomburg Centre for Research in Black Culture, Socrates Sculpture Park, National Museum of the American Indian, the Fashion Institute of Technology Museum, African Burial Ground National Monument and, of course, Central Park.
Art aficionados will find an endless line of galleries in Chelsea, many of which are free to enter. A few of them even include wine tastings, so if you’re a connoisseur, find those! Public art and cultural events are a popular feature in New York and a great place to check them out is the High Line. Created from an abandoned stretch of elevated railroad track, it also boasts magnificent views of the Hudson River.
For a history lesson, you can visit the General Grant National Memorial, or Grant’s Tomb. It holds the remains of the 18th president, and is the largest mausoleum in the U.S. At Green-Wood Cemetery, you will find Brooklyn’s highest point at Battle Hill, which is a site from the Revolutionary War. Walking through a cemetery may seem like a macabre idea, but its leafiness gives the area a green serenity, as well as its name.
Bookworms will fall in love with the New York Public Library. Situated east of Times Square and watched over by marble lions named Patience and Fortitude, your jaw will drop at the astounding Rose Main Reading Room big enough for hundreds of people to sit back with a good book. There are even tours and exhibits in the library, giving you the chance to sneak a peek at a copy of the original Declaration of Independence and a Gutenberg Bible.
3. Ask Away
Of course, not everything is for free, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay an arm and a leg. Many places provide reduced rates and specials, or even free entry, at certain hours. All you have to do is ask. Some attractions even employ a “suggested” price, where you can offer to pay what you can afford, or are willing to dish out. This means you can suggest $0 – whether or not your “offer” is accepted is another matter, but if you don’t ask, you’ll never know.
A night at the theatre is particularly special in New York, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. The best thing to do is head to the box office a few hours before shows start to find out if there are any leftover tickets being sold at a reduced rate. In summer, you can attend Free Shakespeare in the Park; and if you’re more of a movie buff, you can catch free screenings in Bryant Park.
For reduced rates and freebies at certain hours you can also pop into the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Guggenheim, Bronx Zoo, the Studio Museum of Harlem, New York Botanical Garden, the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of the Moving Image. Bear in mind that, free or not, it’s New York and it’s going to be busy, so always try to book.
4. Hit the Deck
The Statue of Liberty inevitably finds its way onto any New York traveller’s wish list of things to see. Entry fees are no laughing matter, but with the Staten Island Ferry you can get more than an eyeful of the famous sculpture, as well as the New York Bay and the Manhattan skyline – and the ride is absolutely free! In fact, it’s cheaper than it used to be, because back in 1817 it cost 25c.
Another ferry giving free rides is the one that travels to Governor’s Island. These are only at certain times, but even when you have to pay for a pass, the rate is reasonable. It’s well worth a visit, because there’s no end to the things you can see and do on the island, including cycling, picnicking, concerts, festivals and military attractions like Admiral’s House.
Keeping to the water, you can go kayaking for free. Non-profit organisations such as the Downtown Boathouse and Long Island Community Boathouse in Queens make this possible.
5. Take to the Streets
No matter where you go, walking will always give you the opportunity to see and do more – while giving you chance to burn off any holiday calories. Although with the amount of delicious food street available, it might defeat that particular purpose. But as food forms such an integral part of travel, you can’t pass up on any delectable fare.
Restaurant Week gives you even more to choose from. It’s an annual event held in the city, where certain restaurants offer meals at half the price in order to give you a taste of the culinary culture of NYC.
New York #African #Restaurant Week starts TOMORROW! Ready? | http://t.co/uDUfiL9clb @PanlaUSA #NYARW #food #event pic.twitter.com/krDCpNvTce
— B. T. Pleasants (@missbespoke) May 31, 2015
6. Take Alternative Action
Invest in a city pass. This is particularly useful for longer trips, as it will save you money in the long run. Cards like the New York Pass grant free or cheaper entry to several attractions, and even let you skip long lines. A MetroCard, meanwhile, can buy you enough rides to last the length of your trip and will cost you less than buying a ticket every time you need to take the subway or a bus.
When it comes to accommodation you will obviously find cheaper options than the Ritz or the Four Seasons; but if you want to spend nothing at all, and meet interesting people while you’re at it, why not try CouchSurfing?
Another important rule to keep in mind to ensure you spend less: know where you are going and learn to navigate. Once you’ve tackled the streets of New York, travelling to any other city will feel like a breeze, because like Frank Sinatra sang in the homage to New York: “if I can make it there, I’ll make it anywhere.”
(Feature image: (vincent desjardins))
