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New York City on a Budget

© Jeanne-Michele Vigna

Rated one of the top-ten most expensive places in the world, New York City can seem intimidating on the financial front- for tourists and locals. Though a slew of guidebooks exist on the subject, it only takes a quick step back to see that these books generally cater to two groups: those who want to do the stereotypical tourist thing and those who want to be in on the hip New Yorker inside. But not everybody wants cheap tickets to a hot Broadway show or to get a good table at Le Cirque. There are people who want to experience New York in the raw. To see New York the way a real New Yorker sees it-without any money. Many of New York's public buildings are free to enter such as The New York Stock Exchange or The New York Public Library. Even Carnegie Hall offers free tours. Most museums are free on certain nights and all art galleries are free to enter. The second Tuesday in June is Museum Mile Day in which all of the museums are free. It costs nothing to enter one of the many spectacular parks where you can do anything from join in on a pick-up game to playing chess to watching Shakespeare. Step one: stay away from overtly touristy things. Never eat in Times Square, the food costs too much and the quality is less than average. Step two: There is no need to pay a tour guide $35 to show you New York. Any decent map-reader can get around on the subways just fine and contrary to popular belief, New Yorkers will stop and give directions if asked. Step three: Anywhere you go, anything you see, and anything you walk into is going to be an experience regardless of what the guidebooks tell you. Take downtown Manhattan for example. In one day you can walk from South Street Seaport through Wall Street through China Town through Little Italy into Greenwich Village and feel like each step into a new area is like a new day in a different place. Where else can you get authentic Cantonese food and turn the corner to wash it down with a cannoli and cappuccino. The thing that is truly amazing about New York City is, that for being one of the most expensive cities in the world it has a lot to offer on the free and next to free side. New York reigns in street dinning. There is a cart or a stand for every possible variety of food on every corner. A hot dog will never cost more than $1.50, and if you go for a $5 pitcher of beer in Rudy's (9th between 44th and 45th,) the hot dogs are free. There are food stands for baked potatoes, soup, pretzels, roasted nuts, sausage and peppers, falafel, kebabs, and omelets, not to mention the numerous amounts of fruit and vegetable stands. In Times Square, when the weather gets nice, it is not unusual for someone to be handing out something for free such as juice, cereal, and gum, as well as baking soda, Pepto Bismal, and shampoo and conditioner.

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