Sunday, April 28, 2019

New York on a Budget....


It is almost a year now since I posted something on this blog. 

Not because I had no time, but becasue I had nothing to say.  YES that is right: I, Hasufrau Róisín, had nothing to share with the world. 

But now I do. So I will!

Someone asked if I could put the following article together. I did, and enjoyed doing it.  I hope you, dear blog reader will enjoy reading the blog posting, as much as I writing it.  
                                                       
New York on a budget

Accommodation:  New York is not cheap.  You have to budget that in. Sorry!
Check out this website.  Good luck!

Transport Options in NYC 
Personally I think it is worth buying unlimited Metro Card for seven days for subways and buses.  Costing $32.00 as of Jan. 2019.  More info. below.

Eating in N.Y.  See info. below.

My  favorite things to do/see in New York City.

As of January 2019 all my favorites mentioned here below are free or cheap unless otherwise stated.

A walk in the Botanic Gardens Brooklyn  (Free on Friday mornings-)

A walk in Central Park

A walk on the High Line. More info on all three below.

Watch the sun setting from Gantry Park in Long Island City. (Near my friends´ apartment.)

Just relaxing in Washington Square Park.

Take your time on the visits above; New Yorkers visit and enjoy these places too, so you are enjoying New York, just like the locals.


Metropolitan Art Museum.  Not free or cheap.  Suggested donation is $25.00 but you can pay any amount you wish or can afford.

Frick Gallery a small but super art gallery.  Like several other museums i.e. Museum of Modern Art  etc. The Frick is free on certain days and times. See more info. on same below.

Check out the Art Work at Subway stations.
Really lovely mosaics to be seen in many stations. My favorite are the subway stop  for Bloomingdales.   And the stop for the Metropolitan Opera House.

And while you are at it, check out Grand Central Station. Beautiful.  And walk about Times Square. The buzz in the early evening is just great. 

Enjoy free street entertainment.
New York does it right regarding street entertainment.   NYC´s policy is that they don´t mind what you do for entertainment, as long as what you do is legal and that you are good!  The entertainers receive a banner from NYC if they have been approved.   And they are all good.

Attend a concert, ballet opera, or Broadway show.
Not free, but read up on same in links below, you may be able to get tickets well below cost price.

Kayaking:  Can you believe that! Very reasonable too. I mean free or $5.00 reasonable!
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/free-kayaking-in-new-york-where-to-kayak-on-the-nyc-waterways

Attend Mass in St. Francis Church on Broadway   St. Francis of Assisi Church (Manhattan)
I am not trying to convert.  This is a church you have likely never heard of, except I told you about it, because they ´do Christianity right´ in my opinion, and that generally does not make news.
Millionaires, bad people, mad people and paupers attend Mass in this church, and we all are welcomed. Always.  That´s why I love it.

( I once visited the church for a moment one Saturday afternoon  There was a wedding ceremony taking place... it was clearly a Mafia wedding.. just like in the films.  I spoke to one of the priests afterwards about it.  Yes, he explained, it was likely a Mafia family.  But if they see no badness, they don´t  make judgments on any people who come in to the church.)

More Detailed Info. on New York.

Eating in New York City.

Eat Street Food.
To many good ones to mention: I suggest you see where locals are lining up for breakfast or lunch, and then go back a few hours later when the queue is gone. 
Same tip for restaurants  and bakeries where you see lines at lunch time on work days.
Visit a Coffee House. There are 100´s of them. My favorite is Café Reggio near Washington Square. 
See link below to suggestions  for  good and cheap places to eat in N.Y. C. https://www.tripsavvy.com/best-cheap-eats-in-new-york-city-1612861
Cheap and free things to see and do in New York City.
From Time Out Magazine Cheap things to do in NYC
Top Museums in New York. 



3 comments:

  1. I like all your choices, and was happily surprised to see that you included the Church of St.Francis of Assisi, which I don’t think is very well known even to New Yorkers, and which I know about only because it was a favorite of my mother’s. They have large nativity scene on the lower (basement) level?

    I am making a suggestion — Brooklyn Bridge Park. It’s quite nice, and like, other parks, free. And visitors can even get there by ferry. Website: https://www.brooklynbridgepark.org/

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  2. Well, this is very timely! We’re flying down to NYC in 2 days, our first time back in about 4 years. I had never known of, or maybe didn’t pay attention to, that there is a 7 day Metro Card. We’ll be there 7 days and that will come in very handy! And, better to know of it now rather than when we’re several days into our stay.

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  3. Very nice article. I definitely appreciate this
    website. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete