Best cheap (or free) things to do in NYC

[alabamagal]

My DS19 is going on a trip to NYC.  The trip is sponsored by his college Honors program.  Cost is $400 which includes travel and accomodations.  Since he is a poor college student, it is stretching his budget to go there.

So he has 2 days of planned school activities and 2 days to do whatever he wants.  Ideas on must sees, that are cheap, while he is there.

I'm thinking that there are lots of things that he should see, but not spend a lot of time at.  See the statue of liberty, ground zero, maybe top of the empire state building.  Any other ideas.

[happyscooter]

ride the ferry.

[Tiny]

Things to do that suck up time, don't cost a lot and can be fun to do...

Ride the Subway (don't call it the "L" New Yorkers get a little cranky when you call their subway an "L" -   LOL!  Good memories of joking with the conceierge at our hotel - cause he'd keep correcting me. and it was all in good fun!  .  to the Park where the Ferry for the Statue Of Liberty docks.  It's a nice park and I think there was a free museum of sorts there.

Go to Times Square in the day.  Go to Time Square at night.  Check out Broadway!   Lots of good people watching and photo opportunities and hustle and bustle. 

Go to Central Park.  I'd do some on-line research it's a REALLY big park and there are different areas that might interest the kids - there's places made
'famous' in movies and such.     Online research will also tell you which buildings are famous

The Empire State Building is cool if you aren't exposed to tall buildings (and Art Deco Architecture).   It is cool to have a picture from the observation area.

Check out the stores which ones are famous there Harrods?  Macy's?   Think old movies....

Visit Rockefeller Plaza.     The United Nations is there too... that can be interesting as well...

Go to one of the bridges... or ride (in a cab?) thru the tunnel.    It's not all that great if you are from a Big City - but I found it kinda cool from an architectural aspect.

Be prepared for 'sticker shock' on how much it costs to get into things - the Empire State Building, etc...

[Happy prose]

When is he going? If it's near the holidays, there's lots to see for free.

[midjd]

- Go to Governor's Island (ferry is free and it's a great place - very peaceful/open/green, but with wonderful views of downtown Manhattan/Brooklyn).
- Staten Island ferry (also free)
- Walk around Chinatown (or at least down Canal St.)
- Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
- Central Park - especially Belvedere Castle (79th St.) Great views and photo ops.

Except for Central Park, those are are around the same area and can be done in a day. He might want to schedule one day for downtown sights (Ground Zero, ferries) and another for midtown sights (Times Sq, Central Park, etc.) so he's not walking a marathon or spending all day on the subway/in cabs.

Not sure how much free time he'll have, but on Wednesdays the Bronx Zoo is admission by donation only. A few of the other museums have similar setups, but I'm not sure which days...

Tell him to wear comfortable shoes!

[mwcpa]

if you are here on sunday.... stand along first avenue and watch the marathon.... I used to live on the upper west side and I would go into the park (early) with a cup of coffee, a bagel and the New York Times and wait for the runners... great fun...

[Deleted]

Oct 28, 2013 19:36:38 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

My DS19 is going on a trip to NYC.  The trip is sponsored by his college Honors program.  Cost is $400 which includes travel and accomodations.  Since he is a poor college student, it is stretching his budget to go there.

So he has 2 days of planned school activities and 2 days to do whatever he wants.  Ideas on must sees, that are cheap, while he is there.

I'm thinking that there are lots of things that he should see, but not spend a lot of time at.  See the statue of liberty, ground zero, maybe top of the empire state building.  Any other ideas.

statue of liberty and top of the empire state building are not free nor cheap.

[alabamagal]

Well I'm thinking ride the ferry, where you can see the statue of liberty, but now spend much money.

On one of my trips to NYC we went to Chinatown and ate at a resturant.  Defintitely an experience.

DS grandfather grew up in Bronx new Yankee Stadium, but not thinking that is an experience he want to see.

Times square, walk around is definitely something to see.

[mmhmm]

You can always go to the stock market and watch the human equivalent of ants running in circles.

[dannylion]

The big museums (the Met, MOMA, etc.) are not free, but they are not too expensive (I think they're still $20), if he likes museums.  The Met has a cool Egyptian temple with a little moat with a stone crocodile.  Also lots of paintings by people he's probably heard of.  And usually some kind of special exhibits that's really worth taking the time to see.  (I love the Met). 

[Pants]

Walk from the top of central park to the bottom (or middle, or wherever you want to stop), wander around in there. Just walk around Chinatown, or Soho, or Chelsea, or wherever, and stop in wherever. That's the most fun!

[cael]

The High Line! www.thehighline.org/ really cool with great unique views of the city from a few stories up.

[Deleted]

Can you float him some cash?  What area is the hotel in?  Hopefully it is convenient to the subway

I like South Street Seaport for wandering around (real barrel pickles!).

St Patrick's Cathedral on 5th Avenue

FAO Schwarz on 5th Avenue

It is really a must do to go to the TKTS kiosk and see what Broadway or off Broadway shows there are discounted tickets for that night. You can go online to see what kind of tickets they have today to see if he's interested in any of those shows.  The booths are in Times Square and South Street Seaport.  

How much of the traveling group is girls? If he wants to hang with them, I'm pretty sure they'll be trekking around the garment district. He can window shop that experience & hang around telling the gals that nothing makes their butt look big.

The Met is $12 for student entrance.  If you don't have large museums where you live or he goes to school, it would be a shame to miss it (make sure he takes his student ID with him to get the student discounts)

The Subway is $2.75 per ride, but I don't know what methods of payment they take now, but I think its vending machine sales.  You can go on line and print a copy of the Subway map, which is handy to study before going out so you aren't gawking around.

Is the school giving them coaching on being safe & securing valuables while in NYC?  No jewelry at all - leave it home!  Cash in multiple locations on your person, never all in one pocket/bag. Wallet in your front pocket if you must carry one.  Don't look crazy people in the eye, they try to engage and follow you 

[skubikky]

Oct 28, 2013 19:50:36 GMT -5 Tiny said:

Go to Central Park.  Enter the park at 5th and Central Park South and walk by the zoo and onto the boat pond....lots to see and great people watching.



Check out the stores which ones are famous there Saks Fifth Avenue? At Christmas, Saks has beautiful dioramas in their window displays.  Radio City Music Hall

Visit Rockefeller Center.     The United Nations is there too... No, the UN is on East 46th Street by the East River.  There is a cool park next to the UN with a big statue of St. Georges Dragon

Take the subway to Chinatown, get a cheap lunch and walk around to see all the stuff for sale and the oddities.

Take a walk on the Highline  www.thehighline.org/

Union Square on Broadway from 14th to 17th Streets (hipster heaven)

[skubikky]

Oct 28, 2013 20:52:37 GMT -5 dannylion said:

The big museums (the Met, MOMA, etc.) are not free, but they are not too expensive (I think they're still $20), if he likes museums.  The Met has a cool Egyptian temple with a little moat with a stone crocodile.  Also lots of paintings by people he's probably heard of.  And usually some kind of special exhibits that's really worth taking the time to see.  (I love the Met). 

the admissions amounts are "recommended" for the Met and MOMA has free admissions on Fridays from 4-8pm

[reader79]

Met 'recommended' admission price policy may change, just something to keep an eye on. But for now you can give them any amount, even as little as a quarter. I have been following that guideline since my HS art teacher told us we didn't have to pay the suggested fee. I'd rather spend the money in the gift shop.

www.nytimes.com/2013/10/25/nyregion/city-amends-fee-policy-for-a-visit-to-the-met.html?_r=0

They just reopened Ellis Island this week, that may be worth a look. But Governor's Island is closed for the season after Labor Day. 

[mwcpa]

"don't call it the "L" New Yorkers get a little cranky when you call their subway an "L""

At one time the NYC subway, or a large part of it, had a large "elevated" portion, known as the "el"... today the elevated portions are in the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn and upper Manhattan as the rest of the service went underground.  Just do not call the subway by the color of the number or letter that distingshes the train lines.... as a New Yorker that peeves me... it's not the "green line".... it's the 6 or it could be the 4 or 5.... and all three end up in different places... and if you want to look really smart look up the original names used... the BMT, IRT, IND (there used to be multiple companies running the system) or some of the other long gone references to the various lines....

[sapphire12]

Check out travelzoo.com, enter New York. They are offering a normally $87 pass for $65 to see three attractions in NY. Obviously, the most bang for your buck are the more expensive places, relatively speaking.

I hope he has a good time.

[Tiny]

Thanks for fleshing out my "I ain't from New York" recommendations (and the story about the subway)!


As an Aside: the flu shot I got yesterday must be working! I'm not a Zombie today!

[kilroy]

Rats, I live here and all my suggestions have already been made, even the High Line, which I love. The museums are not horrendously expensive for one person, but he won't so much as scratch the surface of any of them in a day. I recommend getting a good guidebook from the library before he comes and spending time exploring, weather permitting. Times Square is a must both daytime and night. Central Park is great. I'll try to think about good inside stuff in case the weather's bad. Does he have particular interests?

[kilroy]

Oh, and the subway is $2.50 per ride and will get you just about anywhere. My only cautions are don't stand near the edge of the plaform, be aware of who's around and I wouldn't ride it alone after 10pm.

[alabamagal]

Oct 28, 2013 20:52:37 GMT -5 dannylion said:

The big museums (the Met, MOMA, etc.) are not free, but they are not too expensive (I think they're still $20), if he likes museums.  The Met has a cool Egyptian temple with a little moat with a stone crocodile.  Also lots of paintings by people he's probably heard of.  And usually some kind of special exhibits that's really worth taking the time to see.  (I love the Met). 

Well he is not a big museum fan, but his GF is going on the trip also, and she is an art major, so I'm sure there will be some art museums on the agenda.

And I think he should definitely go to the Empire State building.  When he was about 8 we went downtown in our city and he saw the 5 story library and said "Wow, that is a really tall building" - it is the tallest in our downtown.  I told him he really needs to get out more.  He has been to Atlanta and Miami, though.

[Deleted]

Oct 29, 2013 18:27:29 GMT -5 alabamagal said:

Oct 28, 2013 20:52:37 GMT -5 dannylion said:

The big museums (the Met, MOMA, etc.) are not free, but they are not too expensive (I think they're still $20), if he likes museums.  The Met has a cool Egyptian temple with a little moat with a stone crocodile.  Also lots of paintings by people he's probably heard of.  And usually some kind of special exhibits that's really worth taking the time to see.  (I love the Met). 

Well he is not a big museum fan, but his GF is going on the trip also, and she is an art major, so I'm sure there will be some art museums on the agenda.

And I think he should definitely go to the Empire State building.  When he was about 8 we went downtown in our city and he saw the 5 story library and said "Wow, that is a really tall building" - it is the tallest in our downtown.  I told him he really needs to get out more.  He has been to Atlanta and Miami, though.

it's $27 to go do the main deck (86th floor) only.  it's $55 to do the main deck and top deck (102nd floor). 

[swamp]

If he has a smartphone, there are some pretty good subway apps so you don't have to pull out the map and look like a dork. 

ETA. I think the one we used was "embarkNYC" and it was free