New York on a budget

goodwithsaving

Thank you! I didn't know about the water taxis, I will explore those. I'm considering a CityPass too just for On Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building. Hopefully the rest I can do fairly cheaply. I'm quite excited now I've got hints and tips, thank you!

hollie.weimeraner

Ganga wrote: »

Do not fall into the trap of staying in an AIRB&B in NY as they are illegal and more often than not ripping people off.

There are areas in NY where airbnb is not illegal. We used one in Weehawken 18 months ago and had a fabulous time. We used the local bus service to get to Times Square.

You can pretty much walk anywhere on Manhatten and as has been said the Statten Island Ferry is free and takes you past the Statue of Liberty. Central Park is a must as well.

Just make sure when you book your trip you check there are no conferences or G4 meetings which will boost the hotel prices.

Voyager2002

dawyldthing wrote: »

Don’t rule out hostels. You can get rooms with only a few people in (which might be part empty depending when your going). Plus they often have single rooms.

A good tip, but check the reviews. When I visited (back in 1986) I stayed in a couple of YMCAs and also different hostels. Usually they were fine, but one of the hostels was just about the worst (filth; insects;...) that I have found anywhere in the world -- and since I am used to hostels in Asia and Africa my requirements are probably lower than those of most travellers!

Duckyduck

goodwithsaving wrote: »

Thank you! I didn't know about the water taxis, I will explore those. I'm considering a CityPass too just for On Top of the Rock and the Empire State Building. Hopefully the rest I can do fairly cheaply. I'm quite excited now I've got hints and tips, thank you!

Cost out what you actually want to do before buying the city pass - it’s quite possibly cheaper just to book things separately. On that note, if you can book things in advance do so, both for cost savings and also to beat the queues.

It’s wise to check reviews before booking any accommodation, and also check prices - don’t assume the hostel will be cheapest and the 5*hotel will be most expensive. I’ve stayed at the POD 51st Street a few times and love the location for a solo trip, but it’s not always good value. Long Island City in Queens or many parts of NJ can offer great value hotel rooms, just check reviews and transport options before booking.

michele-p

My tip is to apply for a Big Apple Greeter, which is a half day tour with a local, you pay a voluntary contribution on their site of you get allocated one. We were lucky enough to get 2 different tours (different email addresses) when we went, and had a fab 2 mornings with the 2 different guides.

You can get a subway weekly cards very cheap, when you put your credit/debit card in the machine it asks for a a zip code, 99999 worked fine for us.

We stayed at Home2 Suites by Hilton Long Island City, which we got really cheap as booked when it first opened for a stay 10 months in advance. the location was perfect, around 10 mins away from Times square using the subway around 2 mins walk away, and we could see the city from the room. There's quite a few hotels in that area now, so worth a look to see if there are any bargains.

goodwithsaving

Thank you. That's an idea. I've been wondering about staying in Brooklyn and getting a weeks metro pass. The accomodation would be £300 cheaper.
People say, 'but you'll miss out on the nightlife' but realistically, I'm not going to be on my own, in the middle of Times Square at midnight.
I can't imagine it gets dark before 21:00 which would give me a bit of the evening in Manhattan.
Is that a daft idea? £300 is a lot of money

Socajam

Gracie Mansion
Archibald Gracie Mansion is the official residence of the Mayor of the City of New York. Built in 1799, it is located in Carl Schurz Park, at East End Avenue and 88th Street in the Yorkville neighborhood of Manhattan.

Albany
Take the train to Albany - the capitol of NY and visit the State House - you can spend a whole day there away from the crowd in NY city. - Train leaves from Penn Station

City Island
City Island is a neighborhood in the Bronx, New York City, located on an island of the same name approximately 1.5 miles long by 0.5 miles wide. City Island is located at the extreme western end of Long Island Sound, south of Pelham Bay and east of Eastchester Bay

Coney Island
Coney Island is a residential Brooklyn neighborhood that morphs into a relaxation and entertainment destination each summer. Locals and tourists crowd its beach, the Wonder Wheel and Luna Park, an amusement park featuring the famed Cyclone roller coaster. Street performers, the Circus Sideshow and the Mermaid Parade in June lend an eccentric vibe. Nathan's Famous is known for its July 4th hot-dog eating contest.

You can use the Metro Card to ride the Staten Island Railway. The fare is the same as bus/subway. ... The Staten Island Railway has only one line -- from the ferry terminal in St. George southwest to Tottenville at the far southern end of the island.

Washington DC - Spend the Day
Hop on Megabus and spend a day in Washington DC - visit the Capitol, Library of Congress, Supreme Court, African American Museum etc.
You can leave NY @1:30 a.m. - get into DC by 5:30 or thereabout and spend the day sightseeing and be back on the bus by 7:30 p.m in NY by midnight.
Yes, it's a long day, but that's the beauty of being on vacation by yourself and doing your own thing.
If you book early with Megabus, the roundtrip may cost less than $50.
You will need a ticket to visit the Capitol.https://www.visitthecapitol.gov/plan-visit/book-tour-capitol

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coffeehound

Voyager2002 wrote: »

A good tip, but check the reviews. When I visited (back in 1986) I stayed in a couple of YMCAs and also different hostels. Usually they were fine, but one of the hostels was just about the worst (filth; insects;...)

I stayed at the one on ?113th and Amsterdam once: there was a gunfight on the street outside one night — great for the authentic NYC experience

Socajam

I would not stay in a YMCA in NY - Check out bookings.com.
You might be better off visiting if you can after the summer - September/October - hotels might be a bit cheaper then
NY is awfully hot in the summer, really unbearable. You are talking some days 90 degrees

alwaysskint96

goodwithsaving wrote: »

Thank you. That's an idea. I've been wondering about staying in Brooklyn and getting a weeks metro pass. The accomodation would be £300 cheaper.
People say, 'but you'll miss out on the nightlife' but realistically, I'm not going to be on my own, in the middle of Times Square at midnight.
I can't imagine it gets dark before 21:00 which would give me a bit of the evening in Manhattan.
Is that a daft idea? £300 is a lot of money

Pretty sure the subway runs all night anywaay so you can get back frfom Manhattann