How to survive in New York on short budget?

Kamilla · Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 6

Hi everyone!

Can New York be an inexpensive place to visit? How can I have great time there and not to waste all my life savings 8) ??

Laura · Joined: 16 May 2004 Posts: 446 Location: San Francisco

New York is tough, I used to live just across the river in New Jersey. But you can still have fun.

Some ideas:

* get a transit pass. The subway system might look dark and smelly but it really is fine and is the fastest/easiest/cheapest way to get around. You can buy a card at most major stations using an ATM or credit card.

* you can get 1/2 price theater tickets from TKTS (I think their booth is in/near Times Square). You can't be super-picky about what you want to see -- the top shows that are sold out won't have tickets, but you can usually find something good for 1/2 price. That means instead of paying $80 or $90 to see a Broadway show, you'll get in for more like $40 plus service charges plus tax.

* the major museums often have a free day or evening. Their web sites or a good travel guide (I like Frommer's and "Time Out") will set you straight.

* ride the Staten Island Ferry to/from Staten Island, round trip. It's the cheapest way to get a view of New York Harbor, and as my mother always says "it's your best entertainment value."

* don't bother with a car in NYC. Not at all.

Kamilla · Joined: 13 May 2005 Posts: 6

Thanks for the tips!! :lol: But I've got one more little question. Are there places to avoid for a girl? Is nightclubbing safe there?
Thanks one more time!

Laura · Joined: 16 May 2004 Posts: 446 Location: San Francisco

Well, it all depends on what you mean by "safe." I lived nearby for seven years and would wander Alphabet City drunk after coming home late from dive bars, and nothing ever happened to me. I was drinking in King Tut's Wa Wa Hut on Tompkins Square the night of the riot there back in 1989 or whenever it was, and I didn't even notice there was a huge police action. But other people might take one look at that neighborhood, scream SKID ROW, and run.

I'm just a bad person to ask these kinds of questions of because I tend to do things like wander the streets of places like Beijing (alone) or Yangon (with my hubby) at night.