New York City on a shoestring: penny-pinchers can see the nation's biggest city on a small budget
by Randy Mink
ALTHOUGH NEW YORK HAS A reputation for being, one of the most expensive cities on earth, visitors who do their homework will find that no-cost and low-cost pleasures abound. You don't have to live like Donald Trump to enjoy the "Capital of the World," the epicenter of high fashion and high finance, of live theater and the visual arts. In fact, travelers on a shoestring usually reap a bounty of riches by mingling with the common folk and wandering a bit off the beaten path.
If you know where to look, the Big Apple is bursting with juicy bargains. And happily for vacationers at all income levels, New York City has never sparkled more. The past decade has seen dramatic revitalization of long-neglected neighborhoods mad waves of brand new construction. Spirits are high, and crime is way down. Times Square, once seedy but now exploding with family-friendly appeal and mote bright lights than ever, is the most vivid example of the renaissance. A citywide hotel boom has created dozens of spiffy places to rest your head in the "City That Never Sleeps."
Walking is the best way to discover this freshly polished Apple. Not only is foot travel fast, easy and cheap, but it thrusts you fight into Gotham's street life, an essential element of the whole experience.
You'll most likely be staying and sightseeing in Manhattan, a densely populated, 22-square-mile island that boasts the lion's share of NYC's big-time attractions. Because streets for the most part are numbered and laid out in a grid pattern, even first-timers soon feel comfortable charting their own way. Keep in mind that north-south blocks (20 to a mile) are short and seem to zip by. The east-west blocks are longer, so allow more time when going crosstown.
With a good guidebook and map, pedestrians can spend hours strolling Manhattan's broad avenues and poking into its nooks and crannies. This free activity is most satisfying when you branch out into the neighborhoods, away from midtown's hotels, Broadway theaters and tourist-packed sidewalks.
New York's history and ethnic fabric are most evident in enclaves like Chinatown, a teeming slice of Hong Kong jam-packed with tea shops, street vendors and indoor markets; Little Italy, with its Italian trattorias and pastry cafes; avant-garde Greenwich Village, its leafy lanes lined with townhouses; and hip SoHo, where browsers take in art galleries, trendy boutiques and a wealth of 19th century cast-iron architecture.
Savvy travelers seeking an insider's perspective can take advantage of countless guided walking tours, many of them absolutely free. Big Apple Greeters, for example, offers a personalized, one-on-one visit with a New Yorker, who conveys the big city's small-town charm to individuals and groups up to six people traveling together. At no charge, volunteer guides reveal the hidden treasures and overlooked details that give a neighborhood its flavor. Greeters and visitors are matched by their interests. Tours last two to four hours and should be reserved at least three or four weeks in advance. Tipping is not permitted.
For 40 years, Howard Goldberg as operated Adventures on a Shoestring walking tours (212-265-2663). A 90-minute ramble through such neighborhoods as Chinatown/Little Italy, Greenwich Village or SoHo (an abbreviation for South of Houston Street) costs only $5--the same fee charged in 1963 and he vows "it will never go higher". Theme tours include "Lights! Action! Camera!" (movie filming sites), "Marilyn Monroe's Manhattan," "Salute to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis" and "Salute to Katharine Hepburn."
For those who want to relive the romance of rail travel, the Municipal Arts Society offers a tour of beautifully restored Grand Central Terminal every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. (suggested donation $10). A starry ceiling caps the 1913 station, now gleaming with smart shops and restaurants. Grand Central Partnership's weekly, 90-minute Friday walk focuses on the surrounding business district, which includes the 1931 Chrysler Building, a New York icon.
On Thursdays, the 34th Street Partnership conducts historic tours of the area around the Empire State Building and Macy's Department Store. A free walking tour offered by the Times Square Business Improvement District spotlights Broadway theaters and other landmarks every Friday at noon.
In the heart of midtown, around Rockefeller Center, a walk up Fifth Avenue will take you past some of the world's most famous stores and exclusive boutiques, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany & Co. and the upscale toy emporium FAO Schwarz. (A bonus from Thanksgiving to New Year's: decorated Christmas windows.) You'll also want to peek into St. Patrick's, a soaring Gothic jewel and the largest Catholic cathedral in the country.
More of the area's tony shops await on Madison Avenue, a block east of Fifth. If you're with kids, stop at the free Sony Wonder Technology Lab, four floors of high-tech, hands-on fun at Madison and 55th Street.
Brochures for self-guided walking tours of Rockefeller Center, a treasure trove of 1930s Art Deco art and architecture, are available at the GE Building's information desk.
Though walking is the preferred way of getting around the Big Apple, sometimes distances will be too great or time too short. That's where the world's largest subway system comes in. A one-way fare is $2, but you might consider the $7 MetroCard Fun Pass, which delivers a day's worth of unlimited subway or bus travel. A seven-day MetroCard lot unlimited rides is only $21.
For the best transit deal in town, hop aboard the Staten Island ferry, free at all times. The 30-minute cruise from the tip of lower Manhattan to Staten Island provides heady views of the skyline, cargo ships and tugboats, and the Statue of Liberty. Wait for an older ferry because the newer ones have no outside deck space. After disembarking on Staten Island, you can get right back on a Manhattan-bound boat.
For more free panoramas of Manhattan's forest of skyscrapers, take the footpath across the Brooklyn Bridge, an 1883 engineering marvel spanning the East River. Its pedestrian walkway and bike path are elevated slightly above the road. Allow a half hour to cross and then walk or take the subway back from Brooklyn. Many bridge-crossers time their trek for sunset, when twinkling lights magically start to transform the cityscape.
The Roosevelt Island Tramway ($4 roundtrip) provides another novel way of crossing the East River. The four-minute aerial ride takes you to a quiet waterside community of apartment complexes, shops and parks.
A theme park atmosphere pervades South Street Seaport, a festival marketplace fronting the East River. Just a few blocks from the Brooklyn Bridge, this reminder of New York's seafaring heritage encompasses 11 square blocks of 18th and 19th century buildings on cobblestone streets and alleyways. Entry to the maritime museum, walking tours and historic ships berthed at Pier 16 is $5 (free for kids), but the browsing is gratis.
Admission to the star attractions in New York Harbor--the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island--is free, but the scenic Circle Line ferry ride from Battery Park is not. A roundtrip ticket good for both islands, though, costs only $10 for adults, $4 for children 4-12. The interior of the Statue of Liberty has been closed since September 11, 2001, but the grounds of Liberty Island are open, as are the gift shops and restaurant. Ellis Island, in addition to exhibits and a movie on the immigrants who passed through its doors from 1892 to 1954, has a new computer center where visitors pay $5 (per family) to search passenger records for their ancestors.
After your ferry returns to Battery Park, there might be time to walk around lower Manhattan's financial district, full of free sights and a history dating back to colonial days. On Wall Street, opposite the New York Stock Exchange, pick up a self-guided walking tour brochure at Federal Hall National Memorial, a columned temple distinguished by a statue of George Washington standing where he took the presidential oath in 1789. Memorabilia in the free museum, the site of America's first capitol, includes the Bible used to swear him in. (Nearby, the "elegant" McDonald's at 160 Broadway feature a marble-and-wood decor and a pianist playing the baby grand.)
Not far away is Fraunces Tavern Museum ($2.50), a 1719 brick building where Washington said farewell to his officers at the Revolution's end. The free National Museum of the American Indian, also nearby, houses the country's oldest and largest collection of Native American artifacts. At Trinity (Episcopal) Church, an 1846 gem tucked among the skyscrapers at the head of Wall Street, you can prowl through the graveyard where Alexander Hamilton and steamboat inventor Robert Fulton are buried.
Curiosity-seekers in the financial district may gravitate to Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Center attack. There is no longer a viewing platform.
Back in the heart of town, "pay what you wish" evenings give penny-pinchers a reason to visit the Whitney Museum of American Art, Jewish Museum and Solomon R: Guggenheim Museum. (The Guggenheim in SoHo is always free.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a "pay what you wish" policy every day, though suggested adult admission is $12.
For many out-of-towners, attending a free taping of a national TV talk show is a top priority. Favorites like the "Late Show with David Letterman," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Live with Regis and Kelli," "Dally Show with Jon Stewart" and "John Walsh Show" need live studio audiences. Because of their popularity and limited number of seats, it's wise to request tickets (via postcard) far in advance. But if you don't mind waking up early and standing in line a few hours on the day of the show, it's possible to get standby tickets.
Another option for early-rising TV junkies: Stand outside NBC's "Today Show" studios at Rockefeller Center and hope to get some national exposure with a clever homemade sign and an upclose peek at co-hosts Matt Lauer and Katie Couric or weatherman Al Roker. The show's summer concerts and other special segments in the plaza draw big crowds.
Broadway shows are never free, but you can snare discounted day-of-performance tickets (up to 50 percent off, plus a $2.50 surcharge) by patiently waiting in line at the TKTS booths in Times Square and at South Street Seaport. These bargains will not be for the season's smash hits, but there's always a good selection of dramas and musicals appealing to a wide range of tastes.
When the hustle of the city gets to be too much, tourists and residents alike flock to Central Park, that glorious green swath that stretches 50 blocks through the heart of Manhattan. Offering an escape from traffic and concrete canyons, the peaceful oasis is a place to promenade in the shade, lie in the sun and observe New Yorkers at leisure. You'll see rich people walking well-coiffed poodles, skateboarders showing off their tricks, and plenty of fellow tourists. Sidewalk entertainers perform on weekends. Summer visitors enjoy free concerts and Shakespeare in the Park performances.
Families gravitate to the Central Park Zoo ($6 adults, $1.25 seniors, $1 children 3-12) and the old-fashioned Central Park Carousel ($1) with its pipe organ and 58 hand-carved horses. Loeb Boathouse rents rowboats and bicycles. In the park's northeast corner, the Dana Discovery Center will lend you a pole for catch-and-release fishing in the Harlem Meet, a lake frequented by many species of birds.
Baby boomers with fond memories of the Beatles find the park's Strawberry Fields garden and sidewalk mosaic dedicated to John Lennon, who was shot to death in front of his nearby apartment building. The shrine, inscribed "Imagine" and usually strewn with bouquets of flowers from loyal fans, is near the Ramble, a 37-acre thicket of trees that's popular with birdwatchers and anyone looking for a "wilderness" experience. To amble through the Ramble or explore other park features with an expert, check out the free walking tours sponsored by the Central Park Conservancy.
If you schedule right, you may be in town for one of New York's free holiday spectacles. Imagine having a curbside perch for the nationally televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or watching the gigantic hot air balloons being inflated the night before. Other major events include the St. Patrick's Day and Easter parades, Fourth of July fireworks on the East River and Times Square ball drop on New Year's Eve.
BIG APPLE BARGAINS
THE FOLLOWING TIPS MAY BE HELPFUL in planning a vacation in New York City:
LOW-COST LODGING: Value-conscious travelers nave discovered Apple Core Hotels (800-567-7720), which offers rates as low as $89 a night-including continental breakfast--at five small hotels in recently renovated Manhattan buildings. Conveniently coated close to midtown's tourist scene, all belong to familiar national chains. They are the Red Roof Inn Manhattan, Comfort Inn Midtown, La Quinta Inn Manhattan. Super 8 Hotel Times Square and Ramada Inn Eastside. Compact but comfortable, their freshly decorated rooms include such amenities as hair dryers, irons and ironing boards, and coffee makers.
For budget hotel options in Manhattan and other New York City boroughs, get a copy of Sleep Cheap in New York: High-Quality Lodgings at Rock-Bottom Prices by Lisa Mullenneaux (Penington Press, $15.95). It features 141 accommodations priced at under $150 a night. The 312-page guide is available in bookstores or by calling (800) 431-1579.
LIGHT LUNCHES: To save money on Food, find 50 "exceptional" places listed in trio pocket-sized $5 Lunch New York City: Times Square Area by Jeffrey Shubart and Eddie Sugarman (Sugarshu Books $12.95). The $5 tab includes tax and tip but not Drink. To order, call (800) 888-4741 or visit www.ipgbook.com.
ATTRACTION PASSES: New York City Pass, a booklet containing actual admission tickets to six major attractions, offers substantial savings over box office prices and nine days from first use, CityPass ($45 for adults, $39 for youth 6-17) includes the American Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum, Empire State Building observatory, a Circle Line harbor cruise and the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, a Hudson River crowd-pleaser centered around the air-craft carrier Intrepid. CityPass can be purchased at the attractions or online at www.citypass.com.
The New York Pass, using smart card technology, is good for admission to 40 attractions, comes with a MetroCard for bus and subway rides, and provides discounts at certain shops, restaurants and theaters. Attractions include the Empire State Building, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Central Park Zoo and behind-the-scenes tours at NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden. Adult prices are $39 for one day, $65 for two days, $93 for three days and $119 for seven days: children's raise range to $84. Includeds a 125-page guidebook. For details, call (877) 714-1999 or visit www.newyorkpass.com.
INFORMATION: The free, 200-page Official NYC Guide includes money-saving coupons and is available from NYC & Company Convention and Visitor's Bureau; (800) NYC-VISIT; www.nycvisit.com.
COPYRIGHT 2003 World Publishing, Co. (Illinois)
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
by Randy Mink
ALTHOUGH NEW YORK HAS A reputation for being, one of the most expensive cities on earth, visitors who do their homework will find that no-cost and low-cost pleasures abound. You don't have to live like Donald Trump to enjoy the "Capital of the World," the epicenter of high fashion and high finance, of live theater and the visual arts. In fact, travelers on a shoestring usually reap a bounty of riches by mingling with the common folk and wandering a bit off the beaten path.
If you know where to look, the Big Apple is bursting with juicy bargains. And happily for vacationers at all income levels, New York City has never sparkled more. The past decade has seen dramatic revitalization of long-neglected neighborhoods mad waves of brand new construction. Spirits are high, and crime is way down. Times Square, once seedy but now exploding with family-friendly appeal and mote bright lights than ever, is the most vivid example of the renaissance. A citywide hotel boom has created dozens of spiffy places to rest your head in the "City That Never Sleeps."
Walking is the best way to discover this freshly polished Apple. Not only is foot travel fast, easy and cheap, but it thrusts you fight into Gotham's street life, an essential element of the whole experience.
You'll most likely be staying and sightseeing in Manhattan, a densely populated, 22-square-mile island that boasts the lion's share of NYC's big-time attractions. Because streets for the most part are numbered and laid out in a grid pattern, even first-timers soon feel comfortable charting their own way. Keep in mind that north-south blocks (20 to a mile) are short and seem to zip by. The east-west blocks are longer, so allow more time when going crosstown.
With a good guidebook and map, pedestrians can spend hours strolling Manhattan's broad avenues and poking into its nooks and crannies. This free activity is most satisfying when you branch out into the neighborhoods, away from midtown's hotels, Broadway theaters and tourist-packed sidewalks.
New York's history and ethnic fabric are most evident in enclaves like Chinatown, a teeming slice of Hong Kong jam-packed with tea shops, street vendors and indoor markets; Little Italy, with its Italian trattorias and pastry cafes; avant-garde Greenwich Village, its leafy lanes lined with townhouses; and hip SoHo, where browsers take in art galleries, trendy boutiques and a wealth of 19th century cast-iron architecture.
Savvy travelers seeking an insider's perspective can take advantage of countless guided walking tours, many of them absolutely free. Big Apple Greeters, for example, offers a personalized, one-on-one visit with a New Yorker, who conveys the big city's small-town charm to individuals and groups up to six people traveling together. At no charge, volunteer guides reveal the hidden treasures and overlooked details that give a neighborhood its flavor. Greeters and visitors are matched by their interests. Tours last two to four hours and should be reserved at least three or four weeks in advance. Tipping is not permitted.
For 40 years, Howard Goldberg as operated Adventures on a Shoestring walking tours (212-265-2663). A 90-minute ramble through such neighborhoods as Chinatown/Little Italy, Greenwich Village or SoHo (an abbreviation for South of Houston Street) costs only $5--the same fee charged in 1963 and he vows "it will never go higher". Theme tours include "Lights! Action! Camera!" (movie filming sites), "Marilyn Monroe's Manhattan," "Salute to Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis" and "Salute to Katharine Hepburn."
For those who want to relive the romance of rail travel, the Municipal Arts Society offers a tour of beautifully restored Grand Central Terminal every Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. (suggested donation $10). A starry ceiling caps the 1913 station, now gleaming with smart shops and restaurants. Grand Central Partnership's weekly, 90-minute Friday walk focuses on the surrounding business district, which includes the 1931 Chrysler Building, a New York icon.
On Thursdays, the 34th Street Partnership conducts historic tours of the area around the Empire State Building and Macy's Department Store. A free walking tour offered by the Times Square Business Improvement District spotlights Broadway theaters and other landmarks every Friday at noon.
In the heart of midtown, around Rockefeller Center, a walk up Fifth Avenue will take you past some of the world's most famous stores and exclusive boutiques, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Tiffany & Co. and the upscale toy emporium FAO Schwarz. (A bonus from Thanksgiving to New Year's: decorated Christmas windows.) You'll also want to peek into St. Patrick's, a soaring Gothic jewel and the largest Catholic cathedral in the country.
More of the area's tony shops await on Madison Avenue, a block east of Fifth. If you're with kids, stop at the free Sony Wonder Technology Lab, four floors of high-tech, hands-on fun at Madison and 55th Street.
Brochures for self-guided walking tours of Rockefeller Center, a treasure trove of 1930s Art Deco art and architecture, are available at the GE Building's information desk.
Though walking is the preferred way of getting around the Big Apple, sometimes distances will be too great or time too short. That's where the world's largest subway system comes in. A one-way fare is $2, but you might consider the $7 MetroCard Fun Pass, which delivers a day's worth of unlimited subway or bus travel. A seven-day MetroCard lot unlimited rides is only $21.
For the best transit deal in town, hop aboard the Staten Island ferry, free at all times. The 30-minute cruise from the tip of lower Manhattan to Staten Island provides heady views of the skyline, cargo ships and tugboats, and the Statue of Liberty. Wait for an older ferry because the newer ones have no outside deck space. After disembarking on Staten Island, you can get right back on a Manhattan-bound boat.
For more free panoramas of Manhattan's forest of skyscrapers, take the footpath across the Brooklyn Bridge, an 1883 engineering marvel spanning the East River. Its pedestrian walkway and bike path are elevated slightly above the road. Allow a half hour to cross and then walk or take the subway back from Brooklyn. Many bridge-crossers time their trek for sunset, when twinkling lights magically start to transform the cityscape.
The Roosevelt Island Tramway ($4 roundtrip) provides another novel way of crossing the East River. The four-minute aerial ride takes you to a quiet waterside community of apartment complexes, shops and parks.
A theme park atmosphere pervades South Street Seaport, a festival marketplace fronting the East River. Just a few blocks from the Brooklyn Bridge, this reminder of New York's seafaring heritage encompasses 11 square blocks of 18th and 19th century buildings on cobblestone streets and alleyways. Entry to the maritime museum, walking tours and historic ships berthed at Pier 16 is $5 (free for kids), but the browsing is gratis.
Admission to the star attractions in New York Harbor--the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island--is free, but the scenic Circle Line ferry ride from Battery Park is not. A roundtrip ticket good for both islands, though, costs only $10 for adults, $4 for children 4-12. The interior of the Statue of Liberty has been closed since September 11, 2001, but the grounds of Liberty Island are open, as are the gift shops and restaurant. Ellis Island, in addition to exhibits and a movie on the immigrants who passed through its doors from 1892 to 1954, has a new computer center where visitors pay $5 (per family) to search passenger records for their ancestors.
After your ferry returns to Battery Park, there might be time to walk around lower Manhattan's financial district, full of free sights and a history dating back to colonial days. On Wall Street, opposite the New York Stock Exchange, pick up a self-guided walking tour brochure at Federal Hall National Memorial, a columned temple distinguished by a statue of George Washington standing where he took the presidential oath in 1789. Memorabilia in the free museum, the site of America's first capitol, includes the Bible used to swear him in. (Nearby, the "elegant" McDonald's at 160 Broadway feature a marble-and-wood decor and a pianist playing the baby grand.)
Not far away is Fraunces Tavern Museum ($2.50), a 1719 brick building where Washington said farewell to his officers at the Revolution's end. The free National Museum of the American Indian, also nearby, houses the country's oldest and largest collection of Native American artifacts. At Trinity (Episcopal) Church, an 1846 gem tucked among the skyscrapers at the head of Wall Street, you can prowl through the graveyard where Alexander Hamilton and steamboat inventor Robert Fulton are buried.
Curiosity-seekers in the financial district may gravitate to Ground Zero, the site of the World Trade Center attack. There is no longer a viewing platform.
Back in the heart of town, "pay what you wish" evenings give penny-pinchers a reason to visit the Whitney Museum of American Art, Jewish Museum and Solomon R: Guggenheim Museum. (The Guggenheim in SoHo is always free.) The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a "pay what you wish" policy every day, though suggested adult admission is $12.
For many out-of-towners, attending a free taping of a national TV talk show is a top priority. Favorites like the "Late Show with David Letterman," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "Live with Regis and Kelli," "Dally Show with Jon Stewart" and "John Walsh Show" need live studio audiences. Because of their popularity and limited number of seats, it's wise to request tickets (via postcard) far in advance. But if you don't mind waking up early and standing in line a few hours on the day of the show, it's possible to get standby tickets.
Another option for early-rising TV junkies: Stand outside NBC's "Today Show" studios at Rockefeller Center and hope to get some national exposure with a clever homemade sign and an upclose peek at co-hosts Matt Lauer and Katie Couric or weatherman Al Roker. The show's summer concerts and other special segments in the plaza draw big crowds.
Broadway shows are never free, but you can snare discounted day-of-performance tickets (up to 50 percent off, plus a $2.50 surcharge) by patiently waiting in line at the TKTS booths in Times Square and at South Street Seaport. These bargains will not be for the season's smash hits, but there's always a good selection of dramas and musicals appealing to a wide range of tastes.
When the hustle of the city gets to be too much, tourists and residents alike flock to Central Park, that glorious green swath that stretches 50 blocks through the heart of Manhattan. Offering an escape from traffic and concrete canyons, the peaceful oasis is a place to promenade in the shade, lie in the sun and observe New Yorkers at leisure. You'll see rich people walking well-coiffed poodles, skateboarders showing off their tricks, and plenty of fellow tourists. Sidewalk entertainers perform on weekends. Summer visitors enjoy free concerts and Shakespeare in the Park performances.
Families gravitate to the Central Park Zoo ($6 adults, $1.25 seniors, $1 children 3-12) and the old-fashioned Central Park Carousel ($1) with its pipe organ and 58 hand-carved horses. Loeb Boathouse rents rowboats and bicycles. In the park's northeast corner, the Dana Discovery Center will lend you a pole for catch-and-release fishing in the Harlem Meet, a lake frequented by many species of birds.
Baby boomers with fond memories of the Beatles find the park's Strawberry Fields garden and sidewalk mosaic dedicated to John Lennon, who was shot to death in front of his nearby apartment building. The shrine, inscribed "Imagine" and usually strewn with bouquets of flowers from loyal fans, is near the Ramble, a 37-acre thicket of trees that's popular with birdwatchers and anyone looking for a "wilderness" experience. To amble through the Ramble or explore other park features with an expert, check out the free walking tours sponsored by the Central Park Conservancy.
If you schedule right, you may be in town for one of New York's free holiday spectacles. Imagine having a curbside perch for the nationally televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade or watching the gigantic hot air balloons being inflated the night before. Other major events include the St. Patrick's Day and Easter parades, Fourth of July fireworks on the East River and Times Square ball drop on New Year's Eve.
BIG APPLE BARGAINS
THE FOLLOWING TIPS MAY BE HELPFUL in planning a vacation in New York City:
LOW-COST LODGING: Value-conscious travelers nave discovered Apple Core Hotels (800-567-7720), which offers rates as low as $89 a night-including continental breakfast--at five small hotels in recently renovated Manhattan buildings. Conveniently coated close to midtown's tourist scene, all belong to familiar national chains. They are the Red Roof Inn Manhattan, Comfort Inn Midtown, La Quinta Inn Manhattan. Super 8 Hotel Times Square and Ramada Inn Eastside. Compact but comfortable, their freshly decorated rooms include such amenities as hair dryers, irons and ironing boards, and coffee makers.
For budget hotel options in Manhattan and other New York City boroughs, get a copy of Sleep Cheap in New York: High-Quality Lodgings at Rock-Bottom Prices by Lisa Mullenneaux (Penington Press, $15.95). It features 141 accommodations priced at under $150 a night. The 312-page guide is available in bookstores or by calling (800) 431-1579.
LIGHT LUNCHES: To save money on Food, find 50 "exceptional" places listed in trio pocket-sized $5 Lunch New York City: Times Square Area by Jeffrey Shubart and Eddie Sugarman (Sugarshu Books $12.95). The $5 tab includes tax and tip but not Drink. To order, call (800) 888-4741 or visit www.ipgbook.com.
ATTRACTION PASSES: New York City Pass, a booklet containing actual admission tickets to six major attractions, offers substantial savings over box office prices and nine days from first use, CityPass ($45 for adults, $39 for youth 6-17) includes the American Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art, Guggenheim Museum, Empire State Building observatory, a Circle Line harbor cruise and the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum, a Hudson River crowd-pleaser centered around the air-craft carrier Intrepid. CityPass can be purchased at the attractions or online at www.citypass.com.
The New York Pass, using smart card technology, is good for admission to 40 attractions, comes with a MetroCard for bus and subway rides, and provides discounts at certain shops, restaurants and theaters. Attractions include the Empire State Building, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, Central Park Zoo and behind-the-scenes tours at NBC Studios, Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden. Adult prices are $39 for one day, $65 for two days, $93 for three days and $119 for seven days: children's raise range to $84. Includeds a 125-page guidebook. For details, call (877) 714-1999 or visit www.newyorkpass.com.
INFORMATION: The free, 200-page Official NYC Guide includes money-saving coupons and is available from NYC & Company Convention and Visitor's Bureau; (800) NYC-VISIT; www.nycvisit.com.
COPYRIGHT 2003 World Publishing, Co. (Illinois)
COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group
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