On a recent trip home to New York from India, I was reminded that New York City is without a doubt one of the most expensive cities in the world. Rents are as high as the skyscrapers doting the island of Manhattan, Broadway shows cost an arm and a leg (guess you will have to leave dancing to the chorus) and the price of food can make you quickly lose your appetite.
The great thing about New York is that it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little bit of insider knowledge, you can make the most of your stay without having to remortgage your house.
- Museums are free…..well, sort of. Throughout the week, different cities open their doors and allow free entry. Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) and the Guggenheim are just a few of these top-notch establishments that make art accessible to the masses. (http://museumfreedays.com/city/New%20York%20City)
- Rush to the theater. A well-known trick of New Yorkers is to get rush-tickets to see their favorite shows. Rush tickets are generally available a few hours before the show from the box office and more and more theaters are offering digital rush tickets. Although you won’t find out until the day of the show whether or not you scored, isn’t that just part of the excitement? I recently scored a cheap ticket to Pretty Woman using the digital rush by going through the show’s website. The show may have sucked but at least the price was great.
- Cheap food does exist. You may just have to be prepared to eat A LOT of 99 cent pizza. NYC is known for having amazing pizza and, at least in my opinion, the 99 cent pizza stands don’t let you down. Drop your dollar on the counter, ask for your slice and load it up with however much garlic and chilli flakes you can handle. Still not satisfied, don’t be ashamed to go back for round two. We all do it……
- Cheap beer exists too. While sitting in a crowded dive bar drinking crappy beer may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it certainly is a lot easier on your wallet than drinking cocktails at The Carlyle. Rudy’s is far and away my favorite dive bar in the city and is centrally located at 44th St and 9th. You can’t miss it as the giant pig statue outside the door is always there to greet you. Another fave of mine is Jeremy’s Ale House down at the South Street Seaport. Don’t let the quaint cobblestone streets leading up to it fool you. This place is as local as they come. Beers are cheap and huge so you definitely get your money’s worth! If beer isn’t your thing, you can always pop over to Trader Joe’s on 14th St near Union Square. They have a separate wine shop that (usually) doesn’t have the same ridiculous lines as their big brother next door.
- Transportation is easy-peasy. The NYC subway runs 24 hours a day / 7 days a week and you can buy unlimited passes. Unlike many other cities, the price for all rides is the same which is awesome if you are covering long distances. Don’t even think of getting a taxi unless you want to blow most of your vacation budget on one ride. If you are really pressed for cash but are dying to check out the Statue of Liberty, you can also hop onto the Staten Island Ferry and wave hello to her as you are going by. You can also get a bird’s eye view of the city from the Roosevelt Island Tram. The elevated tram runs from 59th and 2nd to Roosevelt Island, a mini-suberb in the middle of the East River.
- Accommodation takes one of the biggest chunks out of most travel budgets. AirBnb is a great alternative but chances are you will either be stuck out in no man’s land or sleeping on a couch for anything less than $50. A better alternative are hostels. While many people turn their noses up about sharing a room, NYC is no place to be snobby. Grab some ear plugs and an eye mask and prepare to get friendly with roommates. Who knows? Maybe you will find someone awesome to hang out with!
