My boyfriend Daniel and I traveled to New York last weekend for his birthday/christmas/anniversary present, and also to visit our friends who live in the burbs (Nyack to be specific). It was a FABULOUS trip and as two college students, we had to plan everything out very, very carefully when it came to budget. We got up very early every day and spent two full days in Manhattan, and one day exploring Nyack, New York and the surrounding beauty of New York State. Sacrificing sleep is one way to cut down on costs because you can pack more in and don't have to stay as long. Plus, you get to try all the cute New York coffee shops to get your caffeine fix! About half the things we did were 100% free, and the other half were planned very carefully according to what was important to us and what our budget allowed. We chose not to see any broadway shows because I've already been to New York and seen broadway shows a handfull of times, and although this was Daniel's first time to the Big Apple, he assured me broadway shows were not on the top of his list :)Here's what we did to get the most out of our time and money on our little mini-cation. I've sorted them by neighborhood of Manhattan:
DOWNTOWN
Considering the fact that I have no personal connection to 9/11, no friends or family who died, and that I was only 7 when it happened, going to the world trade center memorial was an incredibly moving and memorable experience for me. First of all, it was just absolutely gorgeous. They had a contest of around 5,000 designers/architects to design this space, and I must say I truly think they chose the right one. All of the victims are honored in a very special and organized way, and it's so very touching, even if you didn't know anyone who died. This picture I took was really cool to me because on each victim's birthday's, a white rose is placed on their names. Just the degree of care that is taken to preserve this memorial and the lives of those lost on 9/11 is absolutely astounding.
------> website for more info: www.911memorial.org
------> how to get there: We got there by way of our awesome hop on hop off bus, but the E train to World Trade Center station is a very simple way to go. From there, signs are posted all over downtown on which direction to walk. So simple!
2. WALL STREET | cost: totally free
As a finance major and hopeful future Wall Street Financière, this was one of the things that I was looking forward to the most. In my finance classes one of the first things we learned about was the NYSE and how it differs from exchanges like the NASDAQ because it has an actual building/trading floor, etc. and that is very true! The NYSE building itself is gated off and heavily guarded, but you could still see it, and it's crazy to think of all the important things happening inside it. Also on Wall Street is a HUGE Tiffany & Co, where all the rich wall street people can spend their money. So of course I dragged Daniel in it and it was super awesome. Anybody remember that scene from Sweet Home Alabama? 
------> website for more general info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street ------> how to get there: Again, we used the hop on hop off bus, but it's an easy subway ride on the 4 or 5 trains (green) to the Wall Street station. 3. THE CHARGING BULL OF WALL STREET | cost: totally free
This is just a fun little statue that ironically is not on Wall Street, but rather on Broadway near Bowling Green, but very close to Wall Street. Daniel saw this kid hop on the bull and get a picture, so of course he had to do it too :) It was a cool landmark to see, but a lot of other people thought so too, so the line to get your picture with it was pretty long. It was well worth it though! Apparently if you take a picture rubbing the bull's balls it's good luck, but I (at least in my own head) feel just a little bit too un-trashy for that :p
------> website for more info: http://chargingbull.com/ ------> how to get there: If you're already on Wall Street, just make your way towards Broadway and start walking south on Broadway. It's right by Bowling Green. You can take the 4, 5, or 6 to Bowling Green station, too. 
This is my favorite area of downtown. It's almost eerie to me how quiet it is, in a city with millions of people. The absolute coolest thing to me is that big ball of burnt metal above. It was in the plaza between the two world trade centers and was uncovered, relatively unscathed, during the recovery efforts. To me its such a symbol of perserverence and recovery that this little sculpture at the pinnacle of such a tragedy came out tattered but still very much standing.
------> website for more info: http://www.batteryparkcity.org/
------> how to get there: Same way you got to The Charging Bull! They're very very close.
This was really fun, and a lot longer than I expected! I mean it does cross the whole east river for heavens sake, but it did take about an hour to get all the way to Brooklyn and back. We weren't rushing by any means, but it still took a long while. The thing you need to know about the Brooklyn Bridge is that half of the walk way is actually for bikes. See that white strip down the middle of the walkway? The right half is reserved for bikers, and if you're walking on their bike path like most of the clueless tourists, you will be cursed at or runover. I'm not joking!
------> website for more info: http://tinyurl.com/BrooklynBridgeInfo
------> how to get there (from the Manhattan side): Take the A or C subway to the High Street/Brooklyn Bridge stop. From there, you'll see signs.
This ferry takes you really close to the statue of liberty. It does not stop on liberty island and is not a way to get to the statue of liberty, but if you're tight on $$$ and still want a glimpse of lady liberty, this is an excellent way to go. We unintentionally went right at sunset and it was just breathtaking. We got so many good pictures of the silhouette of the statue and they turned out super cool looking. On the way back from Staten Island, the lull of the boat helped us take a short little nap, and we were recharged for dinner in Time Square!
------> website for more info: http://www.siferry.com/
------> how to get there: We walked from the Brooklyn Bridge, which is a little over a mile, but after you've just walked to Brooklyn and back can be pretty tiring! Take the 1 subway to South Ferry and you'll literally be at the ferry terminal right when you come out of the station.
MIDTOWN
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| www.latimes.com |
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| familysearch.org |
------> website for more info: http://www.nypl.org/events/tours/schwarzman
------> how to get there: Take the B, D, F, or M to 42nd Street/Bryant Park station. It's just east of that station.
This was the most expensive thing we did, and it was well worth it. You have 360 degree views of New York City and you can really see for miles. We loved it!
------> website for more info: http://www.esbnyc.com/
------> how to get there: We walked from the New York Public Library, but the closest stop would probably be the 33rd street station. Take the 6 subway to get there.
UPPER WEST SIDE
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| concretejungleproductions.com |
After going to the American Museum of Natural History, Daniel and I fell in love with the upper west side. So, we decided to spend the next morning there. In order to be as efficiant and cover as much ground as possible, we found a self guided walking tour. It was fabulous! I just read all the directions on my phone, and it gave you really cool details of all the buildings and landmarks of the upper west side. I know it's far away from Wall Street, but it's just one simple subway ride away, albeit with a lot of stops.
------> website for more info: http://www.nytimes.com/ref/travel/TOUR-WS.html
------> how to get there: The tour starts by taking the 1 or 9 train to the 86th Street station.
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I know that this was Daniel's favorite part of the trip. I've known him since we were 11 years old, but rarely have I ever seen as bilssfully happy as when we were in the Natural History Museum. I can't get inside his brain (although that would be nice!) but I'm thinking it was a tie between the room full of rocks and the dinosaur room that he liked the most. This place is great for kids and grown ups alike, and I'd be willing to bet that Daniel is so supportive of my move to the upper west side so he can have a free place to stay near the museum!
------> website for more info: http://www.amnh.org/
------> how to get there: Take the B (weekdays only) or C to 81st Street. This will take you straight into the museum underground, so if you'd like to see a little Upper West Side scenery first, the 1 train stops at Broadway and West 79th Street 2 blocks west of the museum.
UPPER EAST SIDE
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| www.rioc.com |
This is a really cool thingy bobber operated by the MTA. It was built for people who live on Roosevelt Island to get home easier, but we used it as a way to get really high up and see the sun setting over Manhattan. It was so cool and I highly recommend it!
------> website for more info: http://rioc.ny.gov/tramtransportation.htm
------> how to get there: Take the F to Lexington Ave/63rd Street, or take the N, Q or R to Lexington and 59th. It's a very short walk to 60th street, then walk east towards the river.
This is a really famous restaurant that is, among many other things, featured on the movie 'Serendipity'. They're famous for their frozen hot chocolate, which to me is good, but not out of this world by any means. It definitely is a really fun novelty though! I got the 'Summer Bries' sandwich and it was very delicious. Daniel got the foot long hot dog and it was kind of a rip off, so we had to stop for snacks later that night. I think it was still worth it, though!
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| onthesetofnewyork.com |
------> website for more info: http://www.serendipity3.com/
------> how to get there: It's literally right where the tramway is, so take the F to Lexington Ave/63rd Street, or take the N, Q or R to Lexington and 59th. It's a very short walk to 60th street, head east, and it will be on the north side of the street.
------> important tip: make reservations weeks ahead of time. We got very lucky calling around a week ahead of time and they had one cancellation at 6:00 p.m. the day before the day we wanted to go...so we just rearranged our little itinerary to make that work!
ANYWHERE/NON-SPECIFIC
------> tip: keep your eyes peeled! Also, be very kind and nice when asking for a picture. I sincerely thanked her and told her to have a great day...she returned with kind words as well!
14. HOP ON HOP OFF BUS | cost: $49 for 2 people with a groupon
We did the Skyline hop-on-hop-off downtown tour and it was very interesting. I liked the concept the most because it gets you to most of the places the subway would take you, but you get an audio tour and you're on top of the city, seeing all the sights and buildings, instead of underground on the subway not seeing anything but a tunnel. It was a frigid morning but that didn't stop us. It was well worth it and we're so glad we did it!
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| Yes is was 35 degrees. Yes we were on the top open deck anyways. We're just hardcore like that. |
------> website for more info: https://skylinesightseeing.com/
------> how to get there: This tour bus leaves every 30 minutes from 42nd street and 7th avenue. You can get there by way of the N, Q, R, S, 1, 2, 3, or 7 trains to Time Square station.
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| What did I decide on? Garlic mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green beans, lo main, fried rice, and sesame chicken...YUM! (don't judge me...) |
16. GET OFF MANHATTAN ISLAND AND EXPLE NY STATE | cost: varies
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| Keith (Nicole's BF), Nicole (Tori's BFF), Tori, Daniel |
Please ask any questions you may have about budget travel to NYC as I have done it many times! I love this city more than most and feel pretty knowledgeable considering the fact that I don't live there. One this is definitely true, I <3 NYC!
