Question for NYC people

[Syrinx]

I've never been to New York City before, and I'm thinking of trying to get a couple of friends to make a visit to the Greatest City In The World with me.

We would probably only stay two or three nights.

How much money should we have with us, per day, to pay for lodging and meals? Other than that, I'm not concerned much with money. I don't particularly want to go to Broadway shows and that kind of stuff, though it would be cool if we could.

I just want to wander around, on foot, in Manhattan and check things out.

I don't want to stay in a roach-infested dive of a hotel, but we're not looking for luxury either. Just basic, clean accommodations, in a safe area, and two or three decent meals a day. And by "decent meals," I mean basically fast food. ;)

Just how expensive is it to spend a little time in Manhattan? Thanks! :)

[Fredda Weinberg]

1. We have Y's and hostels

and delis are a good alternative to fast food chains. So you can find accomodations online for less than $100/night and budget $20/day for 3 square meals. One day unlimited Metrocards for $7 will get you just about anywhere you want to go.

[Syrinx]

3. thanks for the reply

Doesn't sound as expensive as I thought. Thanks. :hi:

[aquart]

2. Think Chinese food. Think Chinatown.

You can feast for very little.

You can see Rockefeller Center for free. Battery and Central Parks are free. You can ride the Staten Island ferry for a pittance, then stroll up thru the historic areas of Manhattan leading to Wall Street and Ground Zero.

I bring visitors to Chelsea Market on 9th Ave and 15th Street because the former Nabisco factory is now both a market and an amazing place for texture sculpture. It has free wifi, too. The area is becoming terrifyingly upscale, but we frequent the market for the most inexpensive vegetables in the area and good, inexpensive eats. Figure if the place is jammed with schoolkids during lunch hour, and it is, the lunches don't cost that much.

There's a fun food court in the renovated Grand Central Station, but I wouldn't look for bargains there.

For tickets, you line up at TKTS for half-price tickets to a show that night. Or check the NYC craigslist to see what people are giving away. If you come in summer, we have free Shakespeare in the park. We also have showcases going on all over town. See the stars of the future. Check out what Juilliard is producing that week, or Columbia. We have theatres in every nook and cranny. And comedy clubs.

Colbert Report, The Daily Show, David Letterman, and Emiril Live are New York-based, among others. See if you can book tickets for your when you're in New York.

[Syrinx]

4. thanks!

You suggested things I never would have thought of. Cool.

I had been thinking of getting up a trip in the next couple of days, since it's a down-time work-wise for me and a couple of friends that I have in mind. But now that I think about it, it will likely be a madhouse up there during the rest of the holiday season. Plus, I'd kick my own ass if I went to New York and didn't see the Letterman show, and I think it takes a while to get tickets.

Thanks a lot, aquart! :hi:

[rusty charly]

7. instead of Broadway-

go to a piano bar and see the stars of the future, now.

www.donttellmama.com

http://www.helensnyc.com/

www.rosesturn.com

http://www.theduplex.com/

[HamdenRice]

5. Single most important money saver ...

Is to stay in the outer boroughs and take the subway into Manhattan. If you are flying in, there are fairly inexpensive major chain hotels near the airports in Queens, and if you are driving in there are even more inexpensive hotels in Queens away from the airports. The only problem -- and it's the biggest gap in NYC's otherwise great mass transit system -- is that it is fairly complicated to get from the airports to Manhattan involving either a train to the plane and transfer to the subway or a bus and transfer to the subway.

Also, many of the most interesting things to do are in the outer boroughs. Manhattan, especially midtown, has become Disney Land, and your tourism experience will consist mostly of being crowded together with other tourists.

Some alternative places:

"Hippest" neighborhood -- Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Go bar hopping on a Friday night. This is what the Village, Soho and the East Village were like 30 years ago.

A taste of middle class urban life -- Park Slope, Brooklyn. Walk up and down 7th Avenue and 5th Avenue, eating great food, bar hopping and window shopping in some of the most cutting edge boutiques in the city. This are several writers communities here, as well as middle class professionals living in Brownstones.

Coolest African American neighborhood -- Fort Greene, Brooklyn and within walking distance from Park Slope. Ever since Spike Lee based his film production company here 20 odd years ago, this area has attracted African American and many young white people involved in film, television, the arts, music, as well as the corporate and financial sectors. Moe's Bar is the must see place, a small bar on Lafayette that is maybe the most integrated social scene in NY, and features anime and independent film playing in the background. It's also a hard core blue business that donated lots of bar profits to the Kerry campaign in 2004. You'll easily meet lots of 20 something people to talk to about life in NYC.

Best ethnic food -- Queens, in several areas. As a foodie, I can tell you the very best food in NYC is no longer in Manhattan. It's the Latin food around Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights and the Asian food along Northern Blvd. Jackson Heights has incredibly cheap and authentic Mexican, Salvadoran, Peruvian and Colombian food, and it's easy to get to by subway. Northern Blvd is a slog to get to by train and bus, but if you are driving it is easy. Over the last 4 years I have been trying to eat my way from Bayside to Flushing to the east River, and it's some of the best food I've had anywhere in the world, including China and Singapore.

My one Manhattan recommendation -- the East Village. Although the overwhelming majority of people you meet here will be what we call "out of towners" -- ie people who have adopted NYC as their homes -- it is still a fairly young and hip place to hang out.

[Montauk6]

6. Here's some non-touristy tips

Sure, you could play it safe and hang out in Times Square but if you want a memorable NYC experience (no not one where you're shivering with a blanket in a police station), that you'll be talking about for years (whether good or bad, your mileage may vary), and you're not the least bit prudish, I highly recommend

Reverend Jen' Anti-Slam Open Mike, every Wednesday night, beginning at 8PM at the Downeast Arts Center, 203 Ave A on the Lower East Side.

Then there's Faceboyz Open Mike at Mo Pitkin's, 34 Ave A, Sundays at 9PM.

Both shows, IIRC, run you about 4-5 bucks; mostly featured are hilarious comedians (some not so hilarious, some outright bizarre), singers, poets, etc. Full frontal nudity? Not guaranteed but totally possible.

Fast food? Easy. There's Paul's Place on 2nd Ave near St. Mark's Place, fantabulous burgers.

Or further up the island on the upper west side there's Big Nick's at Broadway betw 76 & 77th Sts.

For great BBQ, now I know I said I was going to steer you away from the touristy areas but I gotta give props to Virgil's on 44th St betw Broadway and 6th Ave. But don't be afraid to venture down to west Soho and check out the pig-out cuisine at Brother's BBQ at 225 Varick St.

Looking for good cheap plate food with an ethnic twist, there's Little Poland on 2nd Ave near 12th St. And if you're looking to do some hardcore noshing, there's the world famous Katz's Deli on the SW corner of Houston and Ludlow Streets.

Some great real-deal Mexican food can be found at Gabriela's on Amsterdam and 93rd Street.

For dessert, you can't go wrong with the decadent Italian eclairs at Veniero's on 11th St, near 2nd Ave.