NYC on a budget

A trip to New York wasn't in the budget for this month. However when my husband was sent there for work, we figured we would never have a cheaper weekend in NYC, and therefore decided to just make it happen. The awesome thing about travel is that it IS possible on any budget. My budget was $35USD per day, and for the first time ever I actually stuck to my travel budget! Because I didn't want to have McDs for every meal, the majority of my budget went towards food. Therefore I had to discover free attractions.

I thought I'd share a few things I discovered from my trip and the research I did on what to do in NYC for free or on a tighter budget.

I believe the best way to see any city is by walking around. It is great when you don't have a particular plan, and just enjoy exploring. Also walking is free - big bonus! And one of the most beautiful places to walk around in NYC is..

Central Park

Central park is absolutely beautiful, and full of iconic spots from movies and TV series. This trip I spent 2 hours walking around and exploring and I probably only covered a third of the park! I love that there are so many cool areas within the park to explore.

A couple of spots I went to in the park were:

- Strawberry Farm, an area of the park dedicated to the memory of John Lennon.

- Bethesda Terrace, a beautiful terrace overlooking a fountain and lake.

- Alice in Wonderland statue.

Rockefeller Centre

When visiting the concrete jungle, it is crucial to get a skyline view. For my last trip to NY I went up the Empire State Building (highly recommend). This time though, we went to Bar SixtyFive in the Rockefeller Centre. I don't think there are many other places where you could have a wine with this view! Not a free activity, but if you're already planning to get a drink somewhere, then why not get the view thrown in?

MOMA

This time in NYC I really wanted to visit an art museum, so I did a little research online. I found out that on Friday nights admission is free from 4-8PM. There was a long line to wait for the tickets. It looked like it would take hours, however we got in within 15 mins and it was amazing!

The Highline & Chelsea Markets.

I was recommended by 2 people to walk the Highline. I had never heard of it before but it was super cool! It's an old railroad on the West side of Manhattan which has been converted into a walkway/park. A beautiful walk, with great views! And halfway through you can pop down to the Chelsea Markets - lots of yummy food options!

Exploring different neighbourhoods

Manhattan has lots of cool, little neighbourhoods to explore. A couple where I spent a bit of time were: SoHo, Tribeca, Little Italy, & Chinatown. I think my favourite area to explore was SoHo. There were lots of very cute cafes and restaurants and the neighbourhood had a really cool feel about it. It's also close to a nice park - Washington Square Park, which you will definitely recognise from a few movies.

I also ventured across the bridge and explored Williamsburg. The Brooklyn side has a different feel to it, but is also really cool. I recommend heading that way for shopping, cafes, street art, roof top bars & cool restaurants.

A couple of great cafes I found in the neighbourhoods with great coffee & a yummy brunch menu are: Two hands, Toby's Estate Coffee & Gotan.

Brooklyn Bridge

Last time I was in New York we didn't have time to go to Brooklyn Bridge, so this time it was on my must-do list! The bridge is pretty spectacular, and a beautiful walk. It's iconic for a reason.

Staten Island Ferry

I was super surprised to find out that the Staten Island Ferry is free! Very cool! The ferry is a great way to see NYC from a different perspective and also get a closer look at the Statue of Liberty without paying to go there. We noticed a lot of people got off at Staten Island and then straight back on a returning ferry to Manhattan. The ferry ride is about 25 minutes, so in an hour you could easily do the return trip. We decided to get off and explore a little. We ended up finding a stadium on the waters edge, and there happened to be a College Baseball game on. We were given free tickets to watch, so it ended up being a really great afternoon (and felt like a true American experience).

Sandemans Walking Tour

I didn't do this tour on this trip, but last trip we did and it was awesome! It is in the Financial District and covers a lot of famous spots such as Stock Exchange, Trump Tower, The Charging Bull, & the 9/11 memorial. I always recommend these tours in any country.

Other ideas of things to do in NYC

If you have a bigger budget then $35 a day (which is probably most people hah!) then a couple of other ideas/suggestions that I would recommend are:

- Going to a Jazz club

- Broadway show

- The MET

- Natural History Museum

If you have any other recommendations or ideas of things to do in NYC then comment below! New York is such a beautiful city & I know I'll definitely be heading back!