New York, New York the all American dream comes true; step into the screen set of your favourite movies; experience for yourself the vibrancy, historic culture and modern-day fast-paced society. From the magnitude of the Empire State building to the serenity of Central Park; there is so much to see in the city that you will never cover everything in one trip. If this is your first time in New York; the size of the city can be quite overwhelming. If you only have a few days in the Big Apple as we did; here are some things not to miss on A weekend in New York City on a budget.
New York is one of the largest and most expensive cities in the world; don’t be afraid you can still do it on a budget. As you know we are bang for your buck travellers; we travelled to New York in summer (which everyone knows is the most expensive season to travel).
Budget travel doesn’t mean you have to miss out; this is how to spend A weekend in New York City
In our eyes the accommodation is not the most important part of a trip; it is simply used to sleep, shower and use as a base. We decided to stay out of the city; in Quality Inn Meadowlands. Two reasons; the first PRICE and affordability; the second was that there was a bus 192 picked you up right outside the door of the motel. The fare was $4.50 per person each way; 20mins later after leaving the motel; you were dropped off in the heart of the city at Grand Central Station New York; which is a must-see for every traveller. Always research accommodation with good access to public transport; so you are not paying a fortune in taxi fares, that defeats the purpose of cheaper accommodation)
Top things to see on a weekend in New York City on a budget
Catching a Bus into New York City
- Bus Stops are usually located on street corners and have a yellow painted curb sign with the route number on it
- Ensure you know what route you are taking (It doesn’t hurt to ask)
- Paying for your ticket – when you board the bus; there will be a box for your to put your change in. Generally, all one-way fares are around $4.50 and you must have the exact money; because they DO NOT give change.
- Some advice to catch the bus back home from Central; make sure to get a gate number for the bus home. The way it works is you catch certain busses at certain gates; for example, we needed to catch the 191,192 or 195 at gate 245. The port authority has gates absolutely everywhere over many levels and you could surely get lost in there. If not there are people you can ask.
Hop on Hop off Bus – BigBus Tours
A lot of travellers underestimate the good old hop on hop off bus services; we use them A LOT in various cities. The Hop on hop off bus allows you to have transport to all of the major sites; you can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time, and you get a little commentary along the way. New York is a huge city and with a short amount of time; you need to be efficient. When you step outside Grand Central Station you will be on Park Avenue; one block over is Madison Avenue and this is where you will find the start of your New York adventure. The hop on hop off bus companies start from Madison Avenue; purchase your tickets online as they are usually cheaper, and you can plan your route for the day. Check out the Bigbus Tours for their online specials.
Ferry Ride-Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Brooklyn Bridge
The Ferry is awesome you get to see the New York Skyline from a whole new perspective. The onboard guide fills the trip with local history and knowledge of the Big Apple. You get to motor past Ellis Island; with a full rundown of the history, then onwards to the Statue of Liberty or Liberty Island. Being aboard the Ferry gives you the opportunity to get those amazing photos of the Statue.
Liberty Island and the Brooklyn Bridge
The Statue of Liberty was built for the people to celebrate the friendship between the USA and France. It is a woman standing 93 meters proud; holding a torch way above her head. You can actually go up the Statue of Liberty to an observation deck in her crown; save this for another trip where you have more time.
This Iconic Bridge connects the city of Manhattan and Brooklyn and is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. At the time suspension bridges did not have a good reputation, they were well known for collapsing. In 1884; P Barnum an owner of a circus; wanted to prove the bridge would collapse and decided to walk 21 elephants over the bridge. His plan did not work and the bridge withstood the pressure of the elephants; he did manage to get major publicity for his travelling circus.
Times Square
This one is a MUST; what would a trip to New York be without seeing the dazzling lights of Times Square. It is on all the movies; postcards and to this day is one of the top icons of New York City. The hustle and bustle of the square is an understatement you can’t help but feel alive with the energy. There are buskers on every corner, cafes, restaurants and live music ringing through the streets. Times Square is defiantly all that it is cracked up to be and more.
Empire State Building
The all-mighty Empire state building; which is located in the heart of midtown Manhattan has been an icon of New York for generations. It is a unique structure that stands 443.2m tall and has an open-air lookout on the 86th Floor; you can get panoramic views of the entire city of New York from the top
9/11 Memorial
That tragic day the 11th of September 2001 will never be forgotten. The news headlines and hearts broke all over the world; at the tragedies that unfolded where over 3000 people lost their lives to terrorism. The 9/11 Tribute Museum; is for those who lost their lives, the firefighters and people who were involved in responding to the tragedy. In the museum, you get to step into the shoes of the survivors and try to understand the pain that they went through that day. https://www.911memorial.org/visit/visit-museum-1. The museum is a must-visit; however, when you are on such a tight timeline you might have to save this experience for another trip.
The most amazing and mesmerizing tribute is in the exact location of where the twin towers stood; two free-flowing water fountains nearly an acre each in size. The water flows over the side; it drops down around 30 feet, then drops down another 20 feet into a smaller opening; making it feel like it’s never-ending. There are 2983 names etched on bronze plaques around the top of the monument; this is a moving and surreal tribute to such a horrific attack on New York City.
Central Park
The green escape smack bang in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world; Central Park in Manhattan and takes up over 340 hectares in space. The park has been open to the public since 1876 and is home to so many amazing attractions; an ice skating rink, sporting fields, fountains and even a police station. The park has been the set for hundreds of movies; including; those furry little creatures who escaped from the Central Park Zoo and got themselves into a world of trouble. Jump off; the hop on hop of bus and just walk; walk through the park every which way you turn your eye will be captured by something interesting.
Last but not least what to eat on your weekend in New York City on a budget
New York Pizza
Street food in New York mostly consists of Pizza and Hot Dogs, and no trip to the Big Apple is complete without digging into a slice of New York-style pizza. It’s the perfect meal on a budget; $1 per slice of pizza or 2 slices of pizza and 2 drinks for $5; you cannot go wrong! The Pizza is huge, a New York Pizza will be about the size of your head, and you will need to fold it in half to fit it in your mouth. They are the perfect snack; most of the pizza stalls; will only offer standing area where you indulge in the stringy cheese goodness of a New York Pizza.
The contrasting energy between historic culture; modern-day society and hip funky spots is what draws people to this incredible city. Neil and I are not big city people; however, New York is like no other city in the world. It is fun, inviting, moving, and surreal and dazzling all mixed up into one place; no matter who you are; where you have come from; we can guarantee you that New York will capture your heart. Even know it is classed as one of the most expensive cities in the world; you can still enjoy A weekend in New York City on a budget if you follow our steps. Step inside the real-life movie set; that is the Big Apple; it will be the first of many trips to this incredible city.
Check out 12 hours in for some cool stopover ideas
Sometimes when we travel; we are on tight time constraints it is possible, and you can explore the beauty of a place in a short amount of time; like our weekend in New York City. Most of our trips are 1,2 or 3 days in one place; a money-saving tip is to use your long haul flight stopovers to your advantage. Extend your stopover to 12 or so hours and have the chance to see a snapshot of another city. Check out 12 hours in for some cool stopover ideas.
