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It's clean, it's cheap, it has wi-fi and it's close to Penn Station.
The smell of pot from across the hall and the scrum for breakfast (think British Bulldogs with bagels) can be put up with too.
I stayed there as part of my travels:
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Depending on the type of card purchased, this pass includes admission to three, five or seven New York attractions and can save you a great deal over purchasing the attractions individually. Most major attractions are included in the card.
Get the NYC DOT bicycle map (download or free at bike shops). Also note DOT has information on bridge closings. Sometimes if a bridge is closed they have a free van service. Stick to the paths on the map, watch out for pedestrians, and car doors. Good luck.
www.bikeforums.net is a good source of info. See info on avoiding bike theft. Hint: get a strong U lock and take the seat post with you.
Consider buying a folding bicycle in NYC and returning with it. bfold.com, nycewheels.com and others have folding bikes. Strida would be a good bicycle for touring NYC. Dahon make very nice general purpose folding bikes. Folding bikes can usually be brought on the subway and trains. A bit iffy on crowded buses.
I have written a book (a series of humourous short stories) of my adventures over the years while backpacking, mostly alone, in my blue wheelchair. The book, 'Travels in a Blue Chair', documents my experiences over all six continents and through 28 countries, containing more than 55 stories. It's a twist on the usual backpacker book!
My four-year-old daughter and I found ourselves living it up in New York recently when we joined my husband on a business trip. We had a great time eating out, exploring the city on open-top bus tours, and doing museums and Broadway shows, but some of the best things we did really were free (or at least nearly free). Here are my top ten things to do with kids for next to nothing in NYC…
1. Lay out a blanket in Central Park (picnic optional) and soak up the atmosphere. The huge expanse of grass at the Great Lawn is a favourite spot and great for games too.
2. Visit Belvedere Castle in the middle of Central Park at 79th Street. It is the highest point of the park with great views, a visitor centre, walking tours and free educational programs.
3. Attend Saturday morning story time for children of all ages in Central Park at the Hans Christian Anderson Memorial (mid-park from East 73rd entrance. Check for times at www.centralparknyc.org).
4. Visit one of the spectacular toy shops: Toys-R-Us in Times Square or FAO Schwartz (the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South) which has a giant electronic keyboard built into the floor upstairs that children can play with their feet. You can easily spend an hour or more exploring and trying out the display toys without buying a thing.
5. Take the Staten Island ferry. Day or night this is one of the best free (or paid for) boat rides in the world. It takes about half an hour each way. You can get straight off and back on again or spend time on the dockside at Staten Island looking at the distant Manhattan skyline. The ride gives spectacular views of the downtown skyline and the Statue of Liberty, all lit-up to magical effect at night.
6. If it’s a quiet stroll you’re after and you find yourself in Brooklyn, take a walk along the Brooklyn Seafront for a great view of Manhattan and the Brooklyn Bridge. (And if you do want to spend a few dollars there is a great ice-cream parlour there too.)
7. Stand in the middle of Times Square for ten minutes and don’t forget to look up.
8. Stand just about anywhere and play how many yellow cabs can you count in a minute?
And if it’s summer…
9. Summerstage (held at Rumsey Playfield near 72nd Street and Fifth Avenue) and Shakespeare in the Park (at the open-air Delacorte Theater near the W81st Street entrance to the park) are two of the most popular summertime programs and both are free. Top-shelf acts and great performances.
10. Fancy a dip? There are 14 miles of public beaches in four of NY’s boroughs: Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Contact General Parks and Recreation Department Information at www.nycparks.completeinet.net for more info.
General info at www.nyctourism.com
Central Park info at www.centralparknyc.org
Summerstage info: www.summerstage.org
More info on Shakespeare in the Park can be found at: www.publictheater.org
Fishs Eddy is a fantastic store near Union Square selling all sorts of good quality dinnerware and glassware at bargain prices. Stock includes unused items from restaurants and even cruise ships, as well as new designer items.
889 Broadway at 19th Street
NYC 10003
New York
Pedestrians don't respect way directions (right side), that's why authorities should place direction signs. For people, during the rush hours, it would be easier to pass without collisions.
Especially during rush hours on WTC Path station and in the area.
I stayed in an artist's studio in Tribeca last year. I found it on craigslist under short term rentals.
People who have vacant apartments rent them by the night through craigslist. I also got a 3 month sublet a few years back through the same site.
Hotel in Lower Manhattan which has a cheap dorm room sleeping 10. Dirt cheap and perfectly acceptable. Within walking distance of everything.
7 East 27th Street, NYC.
Free plays with a high standard of acting talent seeking exposure and discovery, great atmosphere and the chance to see future and current stars pitting their skills against the bardic benchmark.
Delacorte Theatre in Central Park
www.publictheater.org/view.php?mode=eventdisplay&eventid=210
For the best free view in the world go on this 25 minute commuter ferry to Staten Island and back again. Best views of lower Manhattan, and the Statue of Liberty. Before going, walk around Battery Park which has nice cafes and walks.
Battery Park, South Street, at Whitehall Street. Nearest subways: South Ferry and Bowling Green
MoMA has the finest and largest holding of 20th and 21st century modern art in the world.
To save $20 admission go after 4pm (up to 8pm) on Fridays when it's free - although it gets busy, it's a great way of seeing some of the best displays of modern art you can ever see.
11W 53rd Street; nearest subway : Fifth-53rd Street
Big Apple Greeter is a voluntary organisation which was set up to give visitors to NYC a personal insight into the Big Apple.
A Greeter meets you at your hotel and you get an hour's walking tour of your chosen neighbourhood, and it is all free. You even get a subway pass for the day. We had a great time. Check the websites for details.
An area of Brooklyn full of small retro clothes shops, record shops, cafes and restraunts. Great to wander around and get the feel of a New York neighbourhood. Try Galapagos for a night out, it's a cool indie club with lots of good live acts.
Take the L train over to Brooklyn.
The Circle Line is wonderful for a tour around Manhattan Island. It should not be missed. But much more exciting was our cruise on the Schooner Adirondack. There are some four sailings a day and we chose the sunset one.
You board at Chelsea Piers (on the Hudson near West 23rd). The two-hour cruise goes to the Statue of Liberty and returns, with champagne served by the crew.
The sunset cruise is particularly beautiful because you see the sunset to the west over New Jersey and to the east looms the skyline of lower Manhattan which is lit up brilliantly by the time you turn around and head back.
Unfortunately the cruise only runs from the end of April through the end of October. Cost is around $50, champagne included. We will never forget it!
A running track (1.58 miles) follows the edge of the reservoir (now officially the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir) and lets you experience the same views as Dustin Hoffman in the opening sequences of Marathon Man - the skyline of buildings that surround the park.
No worries about muggers - forget those scenes from Death Wish - you'll always have the company of other runners, even in the snow.
The reservoir is located in Central Park between 86th and 96th
Organization offering hundreds of bed and breakfasts throughout New York City.
You tell them your budget and the preferred area(s) and they send you a list of the options they have available. We stayed at the apartment of a very friendly lady at Upper East Side.
PS122 is the centre of experimental performance (dance, theatre, live art, etc) in New York City. It has been a hub of interesting work for over 30 years.
Sometimes the work is fantastic and sometimes it is not so good - but the low ticket price makes it worth the risk. Their biannual festival, Avant-Garde-Arama is an experience worth the risk.
www.ps122.org
It is on 1st Avenue and 9th Street in the East Village. You can get their via the L train to 1st avenue, the 6 train to Astor, the R train to 8th Street, or the F to 2nd Avenue.
Office Ops is an arts center-cum- hostel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that has cheap and clean places for people to stay when visiting the city.
Worth checking it out if you are coming to NYC on a budget.
Free yoga classes from 8-9 every Sunday night, mats provided. Different teachers every night. Often they provide free passes to their home studios.
1928 Broadway (at 64th Street)
New York, NY 10023
www.lululemon.com/newyork/newyork/events
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