I love New York City, but not in the kind of way that makes me want to live there (even though in a previous life, I totally would have considered it!). I love it in the kind of way that makes me want to visit as often as possible. There’s so much to do and see in NYC, especially in Manhattan, that I keep wanting to go back again and again. If you are considering visiting the Big Apple, quit considering it, and start planning to make it happen! This budget-friendly NYC tips guide will help you plan the savviest way to experience this city that never sleeps.
Fun fact: NYC is comprised of five different boroughs and this post will primarily focus on the borough of Manhattan because most of the tourist activities are found there. The other boroughs like Brooklyn and Queens are great to explore as well!
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New York City Tips for the Savvy Traveler
Airport Guide
The three main airports in and around New York are JFK, LaGuardia (LGA), and Newark (EWR). My primary concern is finding the cheapest airfare and I’ll go with whichever airport will get me on the lowest-cost flight.
LaGuardia Airport
LGA is the closest airport to Manhattan, but travel time to Times Square and surrounding areas will still take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. LGA is the smallest airport and primarily handles domestic flights. If flying in or out of LGA, plan to take an Uber or Lyft between the airport and your hotel.
John F. Kennedy International Airport
JFK is located in Queens and is the primary airport for international arrivals and departures. The most affordable way to travel between JFK and Manhattan is by using the AirTrain JFK which connects with metro stations Jamaica and Howard Beach. Plan for approximately 90 minutes of travel time, if not longer. In comparison, an Uber or Lyft will take 30-90 minutes depending on traffic (but plan on at least an hour).
Newark Liberty International Airport
EWR is located in New Jersey, but only 18 miles out of Manhattan. An Uber or Lyft ride will take about an hour. EWR also has an AirTrain that will take passengers through the Newark Liberty Airport Station, where they can connect to a train to Penn Station in central Manhattan. This method of transportation will only take about 45 minutes but upon arriving at Penn Station, visitors are then responsible for finding their way to their hotel (subway, ridesharing app, walking, etc.).
While the AirTrain options at both JFK and EWR provide affordable transportation alternatives, I’ve typically taken an Uber or Lyft to get between the airport and our hotel for convenience purposes (especially when we land in New York after midnight on a flight from the west coast!). I’ve found that using the UberPool or Lyft Line options can help significantly reduce the cost of airport transportation (by 25-50%) when I’m willing to share the ride with other passengers on the same route I need.
Where to Stay
To get the most out of a New York City experience, tourists should stay in Manhattan, but I do not recommend staying in the over-priced, overwhelming area of Times Square. There are a lot of other great areas throughout Manhattan (ex: Midtown East or the East Village) that provide easy access to great sights throughout NYC at a lower cost compared to staying in Times Square. When I’ve visited NYC in the past, I’ve picked our accommodations (whether it’s a hotel or Airbnb) based on cost, reviews, and proximity to a subway station.
Transportation in Manhattan
Everyone knows about the New York City subway system, and while I definitely recommend that tourists utilize this affordable, easy-to-use method of transportation to travel throughout Manhattan, there are a couple of other savvy modes of transportation I want you to know about when planning a trip to NYC.
Citi Bikes
Citi Bike is NYC’s bike-sharing system, with almost 1,000 stations located throughout Manhattan and other boroughs in NYC. Manhattan is fairly flat and has bike paths or lanes almost everywhere, and with Citi Bike stations every block or two, biking is a great way to get around.
On our first trip to NYC, we decided to test the bike-sharing system for 24 hours because we saw either the docking stations or people riding the Citi Bikes everywhere we went. My husband and I enjoyed the Citi Bikes so much that on our second trip, we paid for a 3-day pass and never had to use the subway!
Downsides: We did not have helmets with us (because we were not anticipating that we’d be riding bikes in the middle of Manhattan when packing for our trip), so ended up riding unprotected. This obviously wasn’t a great idea, although most other riders weren’t wearing them either, so at least we weren’t alone.
The other downside is that Citi Bike has a 30-minute usage policy for a single ride and they’ll start charging you per minute if you go over. And those charges add up fast so beware!
Via Ridesharing App
I am an avid user of ridesharing apps when traveling and was introduced to Via on my first trip to NYC because of its low cost (especially compared to the more well-known ridesharing apps like Uber and Lyft). When using Via, it’s truly a shared ride, as the cars pick up multiple people on the same route (like UberPool and Lyft Line), but that sharing means rates are flat and low.
When I first used this app in 2016, they weren’t serving lower Manhattan (aka the Financial District), but I could take a ride within Midtown for $5 (plus a small surcharge for bringing an extra rider, my husband). Now they are serving lower Manhattan as well and a ride between Central Park (Midtown) and Battery Park (Financial District) is totally reasonably priced!
The only downside to Via is that riders are not picked up at their exact current location, but rather a close intersection, so the driver does not have to go out of his or her way to pick up passengers on the route. I’ve taken Via several times and did not have to walk more than 1-2 blocks for my pick-up, and considering the lower cost compared to Uber or Lyft, I welcomed the extra steps!
Things to Do in NYC
There is so much to do and see in NYC that even though I’ve been to the city multiple times, I still haven’t been able to experience everything! While there are lots of resources for finding things to do in NYC, here is a list of some of my favorite NYC activities:
Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Guided Tour
Visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is a must for anyone traveling to NYC, especially for the first time. I recommend paying a little extra for a guided tour to both locations so that you know the context behind what you are looking at while visiting these historical sites. My husband and I did a 4-hour tour and really enjoyed our time learning about the history of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.
The Tour at NBC Studios
This tour wasn’t originally on our itinerary but due to a rainstorm, we needed to find an indoor activity for an afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised by the tour quality and entertainment value. Not only did we get to see the Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and NBC Nightly News studios, but we got to make our own late-night show with the other guests on the tour. It was so much fun and I highly recommend this affordable activity for those visiting NYC!
Comedy Cellar & Village Underground
If you enjoy stand-up comedy, you have to check out the Comedy Cellar and Village Underground. They are two separate locations around the corner from each other owned by the same company. These intimate comedy clubs are packed with comedy-loving locals and tourists alike.
Shows are nightly, with Friday and Saturday cover charges. Comics aren’t announced ahead of time, but the setlist is usually filled with top talent from Comedy Central and various movies and TV shows. Occasionally you’ll get a really famous drop-in (Dave Chapelle, Amy Schumer, and Jerry Seinfeld have been known to pop in to practice new material).
9/11 Memorial Museum
Any NYC guide is not complete without a recommendation to visit the 9/11 Memorial Museum. While visiting the museum is a very somber experience, it’s a touching tribute to an unforgettable event in our history.
Tickets should be purchased in advance and visitors should plan for at least two hours at the museum.
Take a Food Tour
There are so many restaurants to choose from that it is hard to know where to go! Consider participating in a Greenwich Village Food Tour which allows you to check out various restaurants in one of the most beautiful neighborhoods in NYC!
Free Activities in NYC
Yes, New York City is expensive, but there are a lot of free things to do to help you save money when visiting NYC. Check out the following free things to do on your trip:
- Walk through Times Square (while it’s free to walk through and visit one of the top tourist attractions in the world be prepared to pay a premium if you dine at any of the restaurants or do any shopping in Times Square!)
- Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. It’s about 1 mile long and will take you about 30 minutes to cross between Brooklyn and Manhattan. Or you can walk halfway across the Brooklyn Bridge then turn around and go back!
- Take a stroll through Central Park
- Check out High Line Park, a 1.5-mile elevated park on an old railroad in the Chelsea neighborhood
- Head to Rockefeller Center to see where the Today Show is filmed and check out the famous ice skating rink in the winter
- Visit Liberty State Park to see the best views of New York City
- Pay your respects at the 9/11 Memorial Fountains. The pools sit within the footprints where the Twin Towers once stood.
- Visit the main branch of the NY Public Library as it’s not only stocked with books but the building itself is a work of art!
- Take the ferry to Staten Island (But speaking from experience, there really isn’t anything for tourists to do in Staten Island. My husband and I found the Flagship Brewing Company, but unless you want to walk the one mile there and back like we did, you probably can just get off the ferry and then get right back on the return trip to Manhattan.)
