New York is home to more millionaires and billionaires than any other city on Earth, including London. The massive concentration of wealth has the effect of pushing prices up, making it an exclusive destination. People who go to NYC on holiday often report spending thousands on their visit, and often don’t quite understand where all the money went!
While the notion of doing New York on a shoestring might seem a little far-fetched, there are ways that you can get the price down enormously, while packing in all of the sightseeing you could want.
Don’t Stay On The Island Of Manhattan
While Manhattan might be the most glamorous of all of New York’s boroughs, it’s not the best place to stay if you’re trying to stick to a budget. The hotel prices here are much higher than those out of town because of the sheer level of demand.
New York, however, has a much better public transit system than many other American cities, making it possible to stay further out. Tunnels pass under the East River and Hudson River, connecting train lines to the heart of the city, making it accessible, no matter where you decide to stay.
Often, staying just the other side of the island of Manhattan on Long Island or New Jersey can slash the cost by more than two fifths, helping you keep your accommodation bill under control.
Visit Broadway During Working Hours
Seeing a Broadway show live is a dream for many. Some of the longest running Broadway shows have been performed for half a century or more.
Watching a live show isn’t always cheap. However, just like anything else, if you visit out of peak times, then you can often make substantial savings.
Friday and Saturday nights are, as you might expect, the most expensive. But Monday during the day can be surprisingly quiet and a great time to venture forth if you’re able to use your time however you like. Box offices will often offer discounts on tickets, especially if there are seats to fill.
Do All Of The Free Stuff The City Offers
While admission prices to some venues can be high in New York, there’s a lot that you can do in the city for free.
The most obvious is to visit Central Park. The square-shaped cut-out of wildlife is more than just a recreational area: it also plays host to daily events and shows. You can often find traveling entertainers as you wander around – which is excellent for the kids.
The Brooklyn Bridge is another free venue and is a lot of fun to walk across, especially on a day in the spring or summer. From the bridge, you can see the island of Manhattan with all its skyscrapers, as well as parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn itself.
Find Cheap Eats
There are plenty of inexpensive places to eat in New York, especially off the island of Manhattan. If you want to save money, do what the New Yorkers do, and order take out whenever possible.
This is a collaborative post.
Leave a Reply