How to visit NYC on a budget: hotels, restaurants, shopping, and transportation.
New York City costs the average tourist over $300 a day on food and accommodations alone. If that number is keeping you from planning a trip, don't let it. There are many ways to save money in "the city that never sleeps."
Transportation
Public Transportation
New York City public transportation is one of the best in the country. Most buses and subway lines run 24/7 and it's unlikely that you'd be stranded anywhere. For a $2 fare, you can travel anywhere in the city, connecting and changing subway lines as many times as needed as long as you don't exit the station; if you do, you will have to pay again.
To travel, you need a Metrocard (tokens are no longer accepted), which you can buy for any amount you want. If you're staying in the city for a period longer than a week, it may be wise to buy the 7-day card, which lets you travel an unlimited number of times during a week for $27.
Free Shuttle
Downtown Connection is a free shuttle bus service in downtown Manhattan. It runs between Battery Park City and South Street Seaport, and passengers can hop on and off as many times as they want throughout the day. The shuttle runs seven days a week, from 10am to 8pm.
Renting a car may be cheap but not the best option in New York. Parking is inconvenient and expensive, and traffic is usually horrible. You're better off sticking to public transportation.
Sleep
There are no cheap places to sleep in New York City. Repeat this mantra until you have learned it by heart, and then keep reading.
It is possible to find accommodations for around $100 a night, but you will have to book them well in advance. New York City is high season year around, so hotels may be full at any time. Don't count on going into the city and finding something once you're there.
For chain hotels, check discount websites such as Travelocity and Expedia.
That said, there are a few other options that you may want to consider.
Mini-Hotels
A few 19th-century townhouses in the city have been converted into charming mini-hotels. Always less than 10 bedrooms, usually only three or four, they are the city version of a pleasant B&B. Rooms are generally petite and bathrooms shared, but many have a fully furnished kitchen available to guests, which can save you hundreds in restaurant food. A clear example is Second Home on Second Avenue, where you can choose from one of their seven themed bedrooms, ranging from the Caribbean Double to the Skylight Room. Prices start at $80 and they are always booked, so plan well in advance.
Get out of Manhattan
Staying in one of the outer boroughs will give you a much better deal for your money. Long Island City, a mere 10-minute subway ride to midtown Manhattan, is a pleasant Queens neighborhood with a few good hotels and a lot of terrific Greek restaurants. The Comfort Inn Long Island City Hotel is a good example –You get all the amenities of a big hotel (complimentary breakfast, exercise Room, airport shuttle) for much less than you would pay in Manhattan. Rooms start at $99.95.
Hostels
If the word hostel conjures images of communal dormitories with stark beds, think again. Many hostels now offer private rooms that in many cases are prettier and more comfortable than overpriced hotel rooms. The Chelsea Star Hotel (it's actually a hostel; don't let the name fool you) is a clear example –They have regular dormitory rooms where you can rent a bed and share the room with strangers, or you can take one of their private rooms. Private rooms vary from artsy singles and doubles to lux (with canopy beds and private marble bathrooms). Feeling whimsical? The Chelsea also has themed rooms, including a Madonna bedroom (the singer lived here in the '80's) and a Japanese room. Prices start at around $90.
B&B
Fireplaces, four-poster beds, antiques and high ceilings… Hard to believe you're in the heart of the city. B&B have become popular in the last few years as a response to high-priced hotels. Some of them offer private rooms while others work more as a small studio apartment. Country Inn the City B&B is an example of the second. Any of the four mini-apartments in the building comes complete with its own private bath and kitchenette (one of them even has a terrace). Prices start at $150.
Food
If you're renting a place with a kitchenette, by all means, cook. Supermarket food is inexpensive, and there are a lot of outdoor markets and organic shops in the city. In summer and fall, head to the Greenmarket on 14th Street for farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, plus homemade honey, pastries, and jams.
If you're stuck with restaurant food, the key to cheap eating is to get out of the areas where tourists congregate. Even walking two blocks in any direction will make a big difference. Many restaurants post a menu outside, so you can check prices before making a decision.
Ethnic restaurants and buffets are also economical alternatives. Many diners (especially the ones in midtown) have been preserved intact since the '50's and are not only affordable but also an experience not to be missed.
In January and June, many restaurants participate in "restaurant week," offering fixed-price lunches for $20 or less.
Entertainment
Broadway
No visit to New York is complete without a trip to one of its many theaters. Tickets to premiere Broadway shows are hard to come by and usually too expensive for the budget traveler. Broadway shows that have been around for a couple of years make discount tickets available at various TKTS booths throughout the city. Same-day tickets are sold at a 25 to 50 percent discount. You can also buy standing room tickets (and you'll be nicely located directly behind the orchestra seating) a few hours before the performance, but only if the show is completely sold out.
Free (or almost)
For free performances, you can check Shakespeare in the Park, a first-rate performance at the outdoor Delacorte Theater. The atmosphere is wonderful and big-name stars are known to join the cast every summer. The Carnegie Hall offers partial-view seats to most of its performances for $10, and the Metropolitan Opera sells standing tickets for $20 a week in advance of a performance.
Museums
Many NYC museums have days where tickets are either free or heavily discounted. The Guggenheim, for example, offers a two-for-one ticket deal on Fridays after 6pm. Other museums have a suggested admission price (the American Museum of Natural History is an example, with a suggested entrance fee of $15), but you can usually pay as little as $1 and still get in.
Nightlife
Heading out at night? Women get into most nightclubs for free. In some clubs, entrance is always free before midnight, but after 12am, everybody pays. Happy Hour may run until 10pm or later in some bars, and you may end up paying less than $2 for a pint of beer.
Other Tips
Go to the NYC Visitor's Information Center on Times Square for discount coupons to food and entertainment around the city.
For souvenirs, shop at a dollar store. Many sell the same keyrings, shot glasses, and figurines you will pay up to $10 for anywhere else.