Don’t believe what you hear. Sure, New York is expensive but in the city that never sleeps you can still have a fabulous time without breaking the bank. Or robbing one, writes Rebecca Sparrow.
1. Woody Allen Was Here: Hotel 17 and Hotel 31 New York
Here’s the thing: New York hotel rooms are notoriously small and ridiculously expensive and you don’t get a whole lotta bang for your buck. But hey, who needs to stay at the Four Seasons when you’re hardly going to be spending any time in your room? Exactly. Hotel 17 and Hotel 31 are in prime NYC locations and offer great value budget accommodation. Each room has private air-con, twenty-four hour concierge, daily maid service, cable TV and a phone in each room. Plus the rooms are seriously neat and very clean. Hotel 31 is located in the heart of NYC on 31st Street, between Lexington and Park Avenues. A twenty-minute stroll and you’re in Central Park. Hotel 17 is downtown in the East Village – the perfect locale if you want to get a taste of Greenwich Village and Gramercy Park. And then there’s the Woody factor. Monsieur Allen filmed Manhattan Murder Mystery at Hotel 17 and previous guests have included Madonna. For more information on Hotel 17 and Hotel 31 go to www.hotel17ny.com or www.hotel31.com.
2. Free Stars under the Stars: Bryant Park Movie Festival
It’s been described as “one of the most sensual, graceful open spaces in New York City” with its Parisian look and feel. But if you ask me, the best thing about Bryant Park is the Summer Film Festival, which runs every Monday evening from June to August. Pack a picnic or just grab a blanket and a hotdog and sit back and enjoy some cinematic classics for free. Last year they screened gems like Annie Hall and Casablanca. Bryant Park is located at 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue. Movies are screened at 8pm but gates open at 5pm – if you want a good spot, get there early! For more info go to http://www.bryantpark.org/plan-your-visit/filmfestival.html.
3. A New York State Of Mind: Walk the streets
I know what you’re going to want to do – you’re going to see those famous yellow NY taxi cabs and wanna grab a ride. Well, don’t. The traffic in New York is slower than Forrest Gump and, within the blink of an eye, you’ll have a US$50 cab fare just to get a few blocks. So my advice is to pack your walking shoes and hit the pavement. New York is a walking city – it’s flat, easy to navigate and walking the streets is the best way to get a feel for the city and to discover your own little gems. And here’s a tip – don’t shell out the big bucks for those TV tours. Seinfeld, Sex and the City, the Sopranos – you can find all those key locations yourself on an internet search engine. Why pay a tour guide $60 for that?
4. The Staten Island Ferry
You’ve heard it before but there is no greater view of the Statue of Liberty than from the famous Staten Island Ferry. Every day 60,000 passengers are ferried between Staten Island and Lower Manhattan giving them the most gorgeous view of New York Harbour without paying a cent. That’s right, this ferry is free, baby! So sit back, enjoy the fifty minute round trip and don’t forget the camera. For more information go to www.siferry.com.
5. Shaken, Not Stirred (or Tap, Not Evian) – The Algonquin Hotel
If you really want to have the ultimate New York experience then you need to have a drink in the Algonquin Lobby. This writer’s hotel was the once famous hangout of New York’s literati. In fact the daily lunchtime meetings of these writers, journalists, publicists and actors led them to being called the “Algonquin Round Table”. Today the Algonquin lobby is one of the places to be seen in New York and you’re sure to spot a TV star (sporting the mandatory tortoise shell glasses) or real-life author having a cocktail or hammering away at a laptop. So sit back in one of the wing-backed chairs and order a glass of water if you’re skint or a martini ($15) if you’re feeling flush. The Algonquin Hotel is located at 59 West 44th Street. For more info go to http://www.algonquinhotel.com/
6. Cue the Applause: Free TV Tapings
I’m a little embarrassed to say that on one of my first trips to New York I wound up in the audience of Ricki Lake (I think the show was called “Boyfriend, I’m pregnant and – surprise – get lost!”). Tacky? Sure. But it was truly hilarious. Who knows, you just may be there the night Brad Pitt announces he’s single and looking for a down-to-earth backpacker. Tickets to TV tapings are free (hooray!) but you do usually have to try and reserve them a few months in advance. Or you can try your luck and turn up at the studio on the day. For more details go to www.thedailyshow.com, www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow and http://abc.go.com/daytime/theview/tickets
7. Culture Vulture
Just because you’re on a budget doesn’t mean you can’t experience some of New York’s most famous attractions. There are a dozen free museums (like the Guggenheim) while others (like the Metropolitan Museum of Art) ask for a donation per entry. If all you can afford is five bucks, that’s what you pay – just plan to be more generous on your next visit. For a full list of New York museums including free days go to www.ny.com/museums/free.
