Comments on: Cheap NYC fun

Question: Cheap NYC fun

HotPatatta — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:43:20 -0800

The Staten Island Ferry is said to be "one of the best values in New York City" because it's free and offers great views of the city. What are other "best values" in NYC, including shopping, food, activities, and anything else that's surprisingly inexpensive.

I'll be moving to the City later this summer I need to not blow my nestegg.

By: hooray

hooray — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:52:57 -0800

FreeNYC is a good source for free or cheap events.

By: Goofyy

Goofyy — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:40:09 -0800

Walking about Manhattan is free, and very entertaining.

I don't know if this is still the case (I fear it is not) but, dim sum in China Town used to be amazingly affordable. But back then, it wasn't so widely known. I used to go to a place right where Doyer Street bends.

By: suedehead

suedehead — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:40:48 -0800

In addition to the Brooklyn/Manhattan/Williamsburg/GW/Triborough/etc bridges: Roosevelt Island Tram - $2 one way, an amazing view.

By: coffeefilter

coffeefilter — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:51:28 -0800

AMNH (The famous American Museum of Natural History) - general admission is technically free / donation.

Wandering around, taking buses and subways, is free / low cost.

By: brookeb

brookeb — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 22:51:46 -0800

Free Shakespeare in the Park
Free Movies in Bryant Park
Free concerts at Central Park Summerstage, Prospect Park, Battery Park
Pay what you can days at all the Museums
First Saturday at the Brooklyn Museum
Free Kayaking with the Downtown Boat House
Ushering shows off-broadway and seeing them for free
Hole-in-the-wall ethnic restaurants
Flea Markets on 6th Avenue
Canal Street

The trick to living in New York is not giving into the many temptations to spend your money.

By: sebastienbailard

sebastienbailard — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:31:23 -0800

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is pay-as-you-go. If you're an art geek, put a few days into it.

Bethesda Terrace in Central Park is beautiful.

By: mcroft

mcroft — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 04:46:20 -0800

Check out the River to River Festival. They have tons of free concerts, tours, etc all throughout the summer.

By: goingonit

goingonit — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:25:55 -0800

2 summers ago, before moving to NYC for the summer, I got a copy of NYC Free and Dirt Cheap, which turned out to be *really* useful.

Some of my personal favorite cheap/free things:

Free outdoor movies in Hudson River Park by 12th St., and on the Brooklyn side of the Brooklyn Bridge (to get a good seat for Bryant Park, you pretty much have to show up before 5pm, which is incompatible with most work schedules, but at Hudson River Park at least, nobody shows up so you can sit nice and close, and the movies are just as good.)

The Upright Citizens' Brigade Theater, for cheap and very funny improv (they have a free show Sunday night at 9:30 as well)

Mamoun's falafel on Macdougal street, just south of Washington Square. $2.50 for a falafel sandwich. There are lots of other cheap places in the area, tucked in between the expensive ones.

Century 21 on Cortlandt Street is a discount department store with lots of (relatively) cheap shopping.

By: computech_apolloniajames

computech_apolloniajames — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:34:44 -0800

Buy a bicycle. Get a free NYC Bike Map. Ride to wherever your fancy strikes. Try out hole in the wall restaurants, go to the beach in the Rockaways, Red Hook, Coney Island, the Little Red Lighthouse, the Cloisters in Washington Heights. Ride over the Brooklyn Bridge at first light, a truly beautiful sight to behold. Explore!

(Always carry a spare tube, pump and tire levers, as well as a Metrocard for train bailouts.)

By: yarrow

yarrow — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 06:51:43 -0800

The thing with the Met and the AMNH and a handful of other museums is that they're pay what you wish but they don't really make that very clear at the ticket counter - they display the suggested price and you have to kind of assert yourself to pay whatever lesser amount you pick. It can feel awkward, but it's totally legit. It's a requirement b/c they get funding from the city - here's a bit of an explanation.

By: DoctorFedora

DoctorFedora — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:00:13 -0800

For a couple bucks you can hop a bus from the Port Authority to Mitsuwa Plaza, which is this rather fun Japanese grocery store with an amazing food court (and by "grocery store" I mean "the size of the place is on par with Giant/SuperFresh/PathMark/whatever you're used to). Just as importantly, you can walk behind the building and all of a sudden you're right up against the river and have an amazing view of Manhattan. Definitely a great way to spend an afternoon.

By: oaf

oaf — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 07:44:17 -0800

a place right where Doyer Street bends

I believe that place claims to be the oldest dim sum house in Chinatown.

By: hhc5

hhc5 — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 08:55:22 -0800

If you want to minimize discomfort at "suggested admission" museums, hand over your small-denomination bill (or coins) at the same time you ask for an ticket. This avoids the awkwardness of being told the admission is $20, and you (either apologetically or defiantly) paying a fraction of that.

Although I wouldn't feel too bad about paying less than the full suggested amount. Maybe someone in museum management can tell me I'm wrong, but I always assumed that to offset my $1 donation, there remain enough wealthy New Yorkers seeking to maintain their place in the social hierarchy through the lavish support of classy joints like the Met. I am happy to benefit from this expression of wealth inequality, noblesse oblige, and social climbing.

By: ThePinkSuperhero

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:23:04 -0800

Definitely subscribe to the Nonsense NYC e-mail list- a weekly e-mail of all that is strange and cool in NYC, much of which is cheap.

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:37:42 -0800

Mamoun's falafel on Macdougal street

Damn you, goingonit, the lines at lunchtime are long enough already!

And the FINY (Free in New York) mailing list often has interesting free or cheap event listings.

By: martini

martini — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:04:46 -0800

Ride the A train up to 207th and take a hike in Manhattan's only remaining natural forest, Inwood Hill Park. Then walk south a little ways to Fort Tryon Park and visit the Cloisters. Gorgeous views over the Hudson, you almost forget you're in the city.

By: goingonit

goingonit — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:30:20 -0800

Just to note, Mamoun's has been closed down by the health inspector, so never mind. All good things must come to an end, I guess.

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:35:56 -0800

goingonit, when did that happen? I just got lunch from Mamoun's two days ago. Oh and germane to the thread, under 5 bucks for lunch there.

By: JaredSeth

JaredSeth — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 13:10:46 -0800

Just went to Mamoun's for lunch and confirming it is still open (and still cheap and delicious).

Not that I'd let a health inspector tell me otherwise. Hell, Mamoun's could have a giant rat slicing the lamb for their shawarma and I'd probably just ask for some extra sauce on it.