Nomadic Matt’s NYC on a Budget Guide » Perfect Day Somewhere

New York City is a truly iconic place so it’s only fair that a truly iconic travel blogger, Nomadic Matt, gives you some of his travel recommendations for visiting this city! Matt is an expert in budget travel so I’m very excited about him sharing his best tips for cheap things to do in NYC.

In his best style, he shares ways to save money through cheap attractions, transportation, and finding good places to eat that won’t break the bank while you’re visiting New York City. Having grown up right outside of NYC, I could tell you that these are some of the best picks for seeing NYC on a budget.

This guide is perfect for a first-time NYC visitor who wants to experience NYC for what it’s best known for but not empty their wallet in the process.

Perfect Day Somewhere welcomes Nomadic Matt and is thrilled to have his guest post for the best tips on visiting NYC on a budget!

In this guest post, all the recommendations are Matt’s while the photos are mine or stock.

This page contains Amazon affiliate links. If you choose to purchase after clicking it, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Visiting New York on a Budget: Guide by Nomadic Matt

New York is one of my favorite cities in the world. It’s one that I called home for six years, written a guidebook about, and visit so often my friends joke that it’s like I’ve never moved away. 

This is home to almost 10 million people who collectively speak over 800 languages. You can find every culture in the world here. It’s also famous for its incredible art scene, world-class museums, diverse restaurants, theater productions, cocktail bars, history, festivals, and countless other things. 

A lot of visitors get sticker shock visiting the city and its reputation as being one of the most expensive cities in the world keeps a lot of people away. There’s no doubt the city is expensive and many prices have gone up. Luckily, there are plenty of things to fill your New York City itinerary that won’t cost you an arm and a leg — if you know where to look! 

Here are some ways to explore NYC on a budget:

Take the subway 

If you’re lucky, you can run into the famous Pizza Rat!

New York and its boroughs (and parts of New Jersey) are well connected by subway, which will take you wherever you need to go, or close to it. (And riding it is an experience in and of itself.) 

Bopping around town means taking the train a lot, and fares can add up if you pay $2.75 for each ride. But a seven-day unlimited MetroCard is $33 — you just need to use the subway 12 times to get your money’s worth. 

Relax in Central Park 

Designed by famed and prolific landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, Central Park is the perfect (and free!) spot to relax, away from the hustle and bustle. It has lots of meandering paths, bike lanes, and lakes in which you can row. You can easily spend hours wandering around, as the park covers over 843 acres. 

During the summer months, there are often free concerts and theater productions (line up early for tickets to Shakespeare in the Park). From the late spring to the early fall, there are also free guided walks run by the parks service on Saturdays at 11am. 

Central Park has the true representation of the east coast’s four seasons. During the spring you can enjoy the tree blossoms, in the summer you can sunbathe on the lawn, in the fall the foliage will blow you away and lastly, the snow in the winter will make you feel like you’re in Home Alone 2!

Go on a free walking tour 

There are dozens of walking tours in New York to choose from (including many free ones), in seemingly every niche possible, from history to Jewish history tours to ghost tours to Mafia tours to food tours to pub crawls. 

My two favorite free tours: Free Tours by Foot offers over 18 different options, focusing on different neighborhoods and Big Apple Greeter is a program that pairs you New Yorkers who volunteer to show visitors around for a day. 

Get free museum admission 

NYC is home to some of the best museums in the world. Many offer free entry (usually a “pay-what-you-wish” policy) on certain days of the week. Some that offer discounted entry or free admission are:

• The Whitney Museum of American Art 
• The Solomon R. Guggenheim 
• The Cooper-Hewitt National Museum of Design 
• The 9/11 Memorial Museum 

The days and discounts vary, so be sure to check the museum’s website for more information. Most require you to book your visit in advance.

Matt is right! Look up the museum discounted schedules ahead of time to get good rates. I’ll also add that the MET has a pay as you wish rates which lets you decide how much you’d like to pay for the entrance. I personally highly recommend visiting the 9/11 museum and memorial as its design is really one of a kind.

Eat on the cheap 

While the city is famous for high-end restaurants, there are a ton of food carts, dollar-slice shops, kebab places, bagel spots, and inexpensive Asian eateries (especially Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai) that can help you eat out without breaking the bank. Some of my favorites include: 

• Ess-a-Bagel — 831 3rd Avenue
• Murray’s Bagels — 500 Avenue of the Americas
• Vanessa’s Dumplings — 118A Eldridge Street

• Gray’s Papaya — 2090 Broadway
• Crif Dogs — 113 St. Mark’s Place
• Joe’s Pizza — 150 E. 14th Street and other locations

• Percy’s Pizza — 190 Bleecker Street
• 2 Bros Pizza — 32 St. Mark’s Place and other locations

There are inexpensive falafel and gyro stands all over Manhattan, but the best one is Mamoun’s in Greenwich Village on MacDougal Street.

Don’t forget to grab a true NYC hot dog from one of the dozens of stands dispersed all throughout the city! Oh, and if you’re a tourist don’t fall for the $20 premium hot-dog catch!

See the Statue of Liberty from the Staten Island Ferry 

The Statue of Liberty is spectacular to see up close (it’s as big as you imagine), but if the line’s too long or you don’t want to pay $30, take the free Staten Island ferry for photos of the statue and the city skyline instead. It’s a faster, cheaper, and a more local experience, as commuters use this ferry to travel between Staten Island and Manhattan. The ride takes about 20 minutes each way.

Photo by Pierre Blaché on Unsplash

Walk the High Line 

Made from a converted elevated train track, the High Line is an extremely popular urban walking park on the west side of NYC. It runs for 1.45 miles and is lined with overlooks, gardens, public art, food stalls, and greenery. Having opened in 2009, the park now receives over 8 million visitors each year. 

Go for a walk, sit with a book, people-watch — the High Line is one of the best things in town to do, especially on a nice day. (The new Whitney Museum of American Art is located near the southern terminus of the park. It’s worth visiting too, or at least admiring the incredible architecture from the outside!) 

Stroll along the Brooklyn Bridge 

Located near City Hall, the Brooklyn Bridge was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened in 1883. Today, it’s a major tourist attraction and local icon. 

Walking the 1.6 miles across the bridge into Brooklyn and the waterfront park on the other side takes about 25 minutes. Stopping to take photos and meandering extends the walk to about 40 minutes. I suggest going in the evening so you can see the lights of the city skyline.

While many first-timers skip this activity, I think it’s one of the best ways to see the awesome landscape of NYC. If you walk during the day, prepare for it will be crowded with locals and tourists. However, I highly agree with Matt’s suggestion of visiting at night or even late evening. A couple of years ago I did just that and not only did I have the bridge to myself, but the surrounding lights also made it a very unique experience!

See a Broadway Show – at a discount! 

You can’t come to N.Y.C. and not see a Broadway show. There are many great ones to choose from, from musicals to Shakespeare to offbeat productions. There’s nothing better than witnessing N.Y.C. theater. It is an integral part of life here that you should definitely check out. Visit the TKTS booth in Times Square to get half-price tickets. You need to arrive at the counter the same day to see what they have, but it’s usually a wide selection. Be prepared to wait in line for about an hour.

There isn’t a single NYC guide that doesn’t recommend seeing a Broadway play. Let me tell you that there is a reason for that. The level of talent and production is unlike any other I have ever seen. Make sure to know the average prices for non-discounted tickets so you have an idea whether the discount is good or not.

See Grand Central Terminal

Grand Central Terminal is the city’s historic train station. It was going to be torn down in 1975 but was saved by Jacqueline Kennedy, who raised money for its preservation. I love coming to the main concourse and looking up at the “stars” in the ceiling as everyone races to and fro.

Photo by Stephen H on Unsplash

Attend a taping

TV shows like Saturday Night Live, The View, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show, Last Week Tonight, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon offer free tickets to their tapings (although they must be reserved well in advance). See each show’s website for details and to make reservations.

I got to see Trevor Noah at a taping of the Daily Show. This is truly an NYC experience and of the coolest things to do on a budget.

Browse Street Markets and Festivals

All year long, there are street markets and festivals if you look for them. In the summer, you pretty much can’t wander around on a weekend without running into one. In the winter, there are holiday markets in many of parks, selling hot chocolate and goodies. I like to just walk around these festivals and people-watch.

Consider getting the New York Pass 

This sightseeing pass allows you free entry to over 80 attractions and includes a hop-on/hop-off tour. If you plan on seeing a ton of attractions, this can save you money. A one-day pass is $129 USD per person while a two-day pass is $174 USD.

Save on Accommodation

Accommodation in NYC can be very expensive. To save money on your accommodation, use discount rates like AAA or AARP, websites like Mr. Rebates or Rakuten, which can get you 1-4% cashback, check out HotelTonight, a hotel-booking app is perfect for last-minute bookings, and try SnapTravel, which sends hotel deals straight to your phone or Facebook account. You simply plug in your dates and what city you’ll be in, and they’ll send you the best deals. You can save up to 50% off the price of a hotel with them. They are a helpful, under-the-radar service that has saved me a ton of money. 

While New York City can certainly be pricey, it doesn’t have to be astronomically expensive to visit. True, it’s never going to be cheap, but it doesn’t have to break the bank either. By enjoying the abundance of free parks, museums, and attractions, you can explore this amazing city without missing out.

Author Bio:

Matt Kepnes runs the award-winning travel site nomadicmatt.com, which helps people travel the world on a budget. He’s the author of the NYT best-seller How to Travel the World on $50 a Day and the travel memoir Ten Years a Nomad. His writings and advice have been featured in The New York Times, CNN, The Guardian, Lifehacker, Budget Travel, BBC, Time, and countless other publications. You can follow him on Instagram at @nomadicmatt. When he’s not on the road, he lives in Austin.

Bonus from Perfect Day Somewhere for NYC on a budget during the holidays!

Matt’s NYC on a budget guide above includes ideas that are relevant all year round. However, if you’re visiting NYC in the winter, the city is filled with awesome things to see that won’t break the bank. There is nothing more magical than NYC lighting up with Christmas lights, stores decked out with all the holiday decor, and the Christmas trees popping up around the city. The best part is that seeing most of the best attractions won’t cost you anything. Here are some of my favorite NYC holiday spots to check out:

• Rockefeller Tree: This is one of the most iconic NYC Chirstmas locations for a reason. In addition to the tree, the whole Rockefeller Center has amazing decorations too. Is it crowded and touristy? Yes. Is it worth seeing at least once in your lifetime? Super yes.
• Saks Fifth Ave: Not too far from the tree, you’ll find the cute lights show on the Saks 5th Ave building. The show is a couple minutes long and repeats itself around the clock.
• Hudson Yards: Relatively a newer spot in the city as the Vessel only opened up a couple of year ago, Hudson Yards shops is an awesome spot for some unique holiday decor.
• Dyker Heights: This neighborhood is a little bit of a hike from Manhattan but in my opinion is also the coolest spot to see some holiday decor. Dyker Heights is a residential neighborhood in Brooklyn decked out with decorations beyond your imagination.

The first two pictures are taken in Dyker Heights. The others are near Rockefeller Plaza. Christmas time in NYC is truly magical.

Final Thoughts

At the very start of Matt’s guide, he says that NYC is one of his favorite cities in the world and I couldn’t agree more with him. In addition to the endless things you can do in the city, I also truly love it for its diversity. You can find people from every nook of the world and every path of life. Going to NYC feels like you’re traveling the world every time you turn the corner. Each group has its neighborhood and people beautifully blend in together immersing themselves in each other’s cultures. I think that’s why I love it so much and no matter where else I travel, NYC will always has a special place in my heart.

More local guides:

Don’t forget that the best views in New York are actually in New Jersey 🙂 I hope you enjoyed this NYC on a budget guide. Here are some additional local guides from a local.

Credits: Banner Image Photo by Jermaine Ee on Unsplash