<p>My daughter and I are headed to NYC for four days in April. She will be rehearsing during the day, which leaves me with much time on my hands…but not a lot of fun money (we’re in the same situation as Berurah). Our big splurge will be a Broadway show one of the nights my daughter is free, so we’ve got that covered (discounted tickets and all), but what can/should a cheapskate do to fill the days in NYC?</p>
<p>Oh, and here are some of my “stats and ECs” to help you help me:</p>
<p>I am a city girl, so travelling the subway won’t be a big deal. However, I haven’t been to NYC in a few <em>ahem</em> decades.</p>
<p>I thoroughly enjoy looking at architecture but have been told that public access to many buildings may be restricted because of 9/11. I particularly enjoy Art Deco and church architecture.</p>
<p>I love to sew and will probably want to head to the garment district in search of fabric deals…uh, where is the garment district?</p>
<p>OK, folks, have at it…what would you be doing if you were me?</p>
<p>Food and entertainment on a budget in Manhattan is easy for me. Eat ethnic and think native for entertainment. A “slice” and a coke will do me just fine for lunch or dinner. Chinatown lunches. Nothing wrong with a couple of pieces of fruit and the park or Washington Square for any meal. For lunch 1/2 a huge deli san split with a friend and a pickle a piece.</p>
<p>I love the Met and could stay there for 4 days (or maybe 40). Puglia’s for family Italian. A fresh bagel with a spread of cream cheese IS breakfast. D loves that trendy and (can be cheap) clothing store H+M. There is always a college performance of something for free. Get on Barnard’s site or NYU’s or Columbia’s or CCNY’s and just poke around. There are plays and readings and speeches and exhibits at low or no cost. I just like going to the libraries on college campuses , but old public libraries are the best.</p>
<p>I can entertain myself with a book brought from home on New York architecture and with online maps you could map out your own subway connected architecture tour and send it to me (please.).You already know about the half-price tickets location, right? Now , since my wife’s aunt retired from Barnard and sold her brownstone in the village (boo-hiss)-if you find a safe and well located place to stay on the cheap-please PM me that also.LOL.</p>
<p>I’ve always loved just walking around in NY, and April should be a great time to do that. It’s a shame you missed The Gates, but the newly reopened Museum of Modern Art might be worth the $20 (or it’s free on Friday evenings from 4 - 8). Otherwise, here are some websites that might be useful, including some ideas for cheap restaurants, walking tours, special events, and fabric stores for belly dancers and others:</p>
<p>You can head down towards the statue of liberty. ( <a href=“http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/submap.htm[/url]”>http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/nyct/maps/submap.htm</a> ) There’s a lot of cool things to walk around and see down there. I went to a museum around there and there was lots of very cool basket weavings and stuff like that. Also, if you head down into SOHO, there are a ton of quaint little shops… I love to go in them and look around, even though i never really buy much. Theres some really cute quirky stores. There’s a music store called bleeker street records that i will support forever (as long as they are there) because they had a cd that i was looking for. (CORNELIUS - FANTASMA) The only other place i had found that carried it was virgin records, and it was like 23 dollars each. I paid about 10/11 at that store. There’s just a lot to do walking around and stuff. Check out Central park, there’s some really good resteraunts up that way. (well there are really good resteraunts all around new york city). I ate at a vietnamese place around 92nd street and it was delicious and decently priced. I try to get up to NYC a few weeks each year, I love it there. :)</p>
<p>Grilled Cheese NYC on Ludlow Street (near Spring and Grand streets). Excellent grilled cheese, great for lunch. Featured on the Food Network (which is how I found out about it). They do really good bread, then use fresh cheeses (yes, cheeses - you can choose between different types), and then vegetables. They have one with panini bread, mozerella, sundried tomatoes, and spinach.</p>
<p>Beyond that, I second the pizza and soda for a meal. Of course, there is always the “cheap” way to eat at a nice place - go there for lunch, not dinner. </p>
<p>Puttanesca is near Columbus Circle, Zagat-rated, fabulous, and cheap (~$10-$12 for an entree). </p>
<p>Wander around Central Park. The Met is $12, if you want to make a day of it. </p>
<p>Of course, if you have time, you’ll have to head to Serendipity 3. </p>
<p>Avoid midtown. Restaurants, IMO, all seem to be very overpriced ($15 or so for a sandwich or veggie burger).</p>
<p>it can exist. when I go i stay with a friend of mine, so theres no hotel fees or anything… i don’t think ive ever spent more than about 50 bucks or so for one week.</p>
<p>Garment district is in high 30’s/low 40’s west of 5th (through 8th).</p>
<p>The Met! You can contribute whatever you want for admission. Central Park while you are there if the weather is nice. The newly re-opened MOMA is a must-see. The small folk art museum a building or two away from MOMA is worth a visit.</p>
<p>If you are a walker, walking over the Brooklyn Bridge and around the old Brooklyn Heights neighborhood is a fun thing to do on a nice spring afternoon - great view of the harbor from midspan.</p>
<p>Useful fact, Thom. The Met has suggested donation prices. Messomom can gain entry for a $1 or less. No mean stares will follow. If you’ve ever been to one of their fundraisers, you’d know why they don’t mind.</p>
<p>Riverside Church, uptown, in the vicinity of Columbia University. You can climb up the 21 storey bell tower and be in there when the bells are ringing. Quite an experience.</p>
<p>(1) Bronx Zoo is free on Wednesdays, and I could spend all day watching the gorillas. Great exhibit.</p>
<p>(2) Central Park Zoo and the diving polar bears. </p>
<p>(3) The museum at the Fashion Institue of Technology is fun and free:
Tues - Fri Noon - 8pm , Saturday 10am - 5pm. Closed Sundays, Mondays, and legal holidays</p>
<p>We live in a suburb of NJ. My kids love to go into NYC, walk around
(esp Union Square, Greenwich Village, SoHo, etc. – check out Pearl River Mart), eat ethnic food or pizza, and maybe take in a movie (one that’s not playing in our multiplexes). In nice weather, Central Park is fun.</p>
<p>If you are taking Mass Transit, Purchase the 7 day unlimited metrocard for $24 as one day fun passes are now $7, buses and trains are $2 (it is still one of the best deals in town).</p>
<p>If you are looking for ribbon trim, don’t forget to g to M& J Trimming</p>
<p>Check out the theatre Development fund on getting cheap seatd. I you know any college students, ask them to go by the student activities office and have them pick you up some movie tickets with their student ID (which willbe greatly discounted as compared to $10/ticket to go to the movies) Als find out if they can get you an two-fers for the theatre.</p>
<p>Dont forget to go to Century 21 deparment store -especially if you need shoes. Located on Courtland and Chruch directly across from ground zero.</p>
<p>If you plan on shopping at Lord and Taylor they have some spring things on sale, sign up on their website and get a coupon (Coupon sale begins wednesday, additional 15, and 20 % sale price)</p>
<p>Thomaschau and Cheers are right, entrance fee at the Met is recommended and OPTIONAL. They dont advertise it, but its perfectly acceptable to pay whatever you like. The admissions taker will not glare at you. The Met is enormous so its best to concentrate on no more than three areas in one visit. My favorites: Renaissance painting, The Robert Lehman Collection, the Egyptian Wing, the Michael C. Rockefeller Asmat collection. (Okay, that’s four.)</p>
<p>My favorite less known museum is the Frick on 5th Avenue and 70th Street. Its full of old master paintings by Rembrandt, Vermeer, Holbeing, Titian and many others in a glorious 19th Century mansion.</p>
<p>I would also highly recommend the Museum of Natural History. You could spend the day there, but first must be the dinosaurs. The planetarium and I-Max shows are also wonderful opportunities to get off your feet.</p>
<p>One store that I would highly recommend to sewers and knitters is Tender Buttons on 62nd and Lexington. Everything you could possibly yearn for in the button category.</p>
<p>There are zillions of choices for cheap, good eats in New York. Where will you stay and what do you like?</p>
<p>I like the Greek Galleries at the Met. I have hanging in my office a framed and matted poster of my favorite Met piece –> A life-size relief sculpture of a young Greek girl. It’s a grave marker from the 5th centure BC, and she is depicted kissing her pet doves good-bye. Beautiful sculpture and very touching:</p>
<p>Wow! Thank you all for the great ideas…this definitely gives me lots of ideas to start planning my itinerary. Museum days (<em>squeal</em> The Met!!!MOMA!!!) outside day, architecture day, sewing “needs” day…wait, not enough days!</p>
<p>I was originally just thinking of this as my daughter’s trip (she was one of 50 selected to rehearse for and perform in a one night cabaret-type show on Broadway through a contest sponsored by Bravo TV), but since reading all of your posts, I am now beginning to feel excited for myself too. I’ve been living in rural MI for so long now, that I’d almost forgotten the absolute rush that being in a CITY brings!</p>
<p>Momrath, we’re staying at the Sheraton Towers Hotel which is located on 7th at 53rd Street. (Sorry, Cur, no inside scoop on cheap places to stay; it’s the hotel that Bravo has booked us into.) As for food preferences, I’m wide open to suggestions…I’m not a huge meat-eater, although I will probably make an exception while in NY for the sake of some good pastrami. I’m not sure how much energy my daughter will have each evening after 8-10 hours of rehearsal, so formal dining probably won’t hold much appeal. Family restaurants (especially Italian) would probably catch her fancy; she’s far less picky about food than she is about whether she has to dress up for a restaurant!</p>
to help you help me:</p>