Traveling to New York City for the first time.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

I'm gonna be on a tight budget of about $200 for the week I'm there. For y'all familiar with the city, what can I do for food on this budget? And what are some things I absolutely must do while I'm there for the first time? For those curious, I'll be there from August 19th to the 25th.

[Michael Seswatha Jordan]

DO NOT buy club tickets from some dude on the street! First hand experience, said club didn't exist, Lol. Should've know better to be honest. I made a point my first time to see Trade center, lil China, lil Italy, Empire St building, Central Park and the bridges and tunnels. Those things were basically free except maybe Empire St. I'm sure people with more knowledge of the city can point you other places, but those were fun and a nice time. Also, Times square, Broadway hell if your in Manhattan just walk around. Literally something interesting all over the place. Hope you have a good time!

[Relic]

I'm gonna be on a right budget of about $200 for the week I'm there. For y'all familiar with the city, what can I do for food on this budget? And what are some things I absolutely must do while in there for the first time. For those curious, I'll be there from August 19th to the 25th.

Dollar slices of pizza and some groceries?

[Lightning Lord]

Does that $200 include lodging?  If so, you're going to have a rough time of it, Relic's got the right of it.  That could be a tight budget even without using it for lodging.

 

Central Park is amazing.  I've heard great things about High Line park.  Wandering around Manhattan and Brooklyn were fun for me.  You can take the...I want to say Staten Island ferry? for free and get some nice views.  Walking the Brooklyn Bridge was enjoyable...but I did it in very pleasant weather conditions.  Late summer there can be grossly hot/humid.  Personally, I'd avoid Times Square.  It's a giant morass of tourists and chain stores.  No real joy there for me.

 

Also, the Met is technically a near-free admission (you do have to pay some amount), but there is a strongly suggested/demanded donation of $25 in order to get a ticket.  Given that the place has an endowment of $2-3billion (source wikipedia, grain of salt), I'd say they can withstand someone opting out of their shakedown.

 

NYC is a great walking city.  MSJ is spot on that there's always something interesting going on.

[butterbumps!]

I'm gonna be on a right budget of about $200 for the week I'm there. For y'all familiar with the city, what can I do for food on this budget? And what are some things I absolutely must do while in there for the first time. For those curious, I'll be there from August 19th to the 25th.

 

If you try to eat outside of the touristy areas (so, outside of midtown and esp the Broadway zone), you'll run into tons of hole-in-the-wall, inexpensive places serving dumplings, pizza, falafel, tacos, diners, etc. etc.    

 

Are you a student?   If so, you are eligible for discounted tickets to a number of shows (such as Broadway, Lincoln Center, Met Opera) and museums.   Look for "student rush tickets;" the downside is that you have to get yourself to the theatre earlier in the day with your school ID to wait on line and get the tickets, but it's totally worth it price-wise.   With the big museums like the Met, admission is by suggested donation, so feel free to give as much as you feel comfortable with, and make sure you eat before or after since the places to eat inside the museums are typically expensive.  (here's lincoln center discounts)

 

For something totally free, make sure you head to Central Park.  You can easily spend a day getting lost all through there (and a bunch of the museums are adjacent to it).    Also, the High Line is a must, and it's free.  

 

For something almost free, renting a CitiBike for the day and riding along the greenway loop around the island might be something you'd enjoy.   There's a protected, separated greenway bike path that almost entirely circles the island now that gives you amazing views all around the city.

 

 

ETA:  also, get yourself a "Time Out NY" magazine before you come to see what events are going on specific to that week.  

ETA 2:  I nearly forgot--  there's a few dedicated "Cheap Eats" sites.   Here's one with an adjacent map and another set.

[Michael Seswatha Jordan]

Yea, 200 bucks is gonna be tight. You're gonna basically be eating hotdogs and pizza. But, so what? Do what u have to do. My buddy just got back and took his brother in law. He's a huge hillbilly, and he scoffed at every restaurant because of the prices. Not only the cost, but the portions. They said they ordered a salad and you could fit it in your hand and it was $15. But, I'm sure there are some locals who could point you in the right place to find a cheap, filling meal. They exist everywhere.

[Lightning Lord]

My experience was that it was easy to get good meals for $6-8.  I am sure that cheaper is easily possible, even more so if one opts for groceries.

 

It's a cool place, for the most part.

[Xray the Enforcer]

For cheap eats, stick with Chinatown (5-for-a-buck dumplings, huge bowls of noodles for $6), taco trucks, tiny hole-in-the-wall delis (egg and cheese on a roll, yo), pizza slice places, and groceries you buy yourself. Oh, and some of the Polish places in Greenpoint (in Brooklyn) will give you a huge meal for relatively little outlay of cash.

 

Just walking around NYC is, IMHO, the best way to experience it.

Things to do that are FREE:

Walk through Grand Central and pay attention to the ceiling in the main hall, visit the whispering gallery in the basement, and watch the commuters scurry to their trains.

Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge

Take the Staten Island ferry

Visit Central Park

Walk the High Line

Walk around Greenwich Village

People watch in Union Square

People watch in the East Village

Walk around Harlem

Free museums in NYC

Walk around Chinatown/Lower East Side

Visit the art galleries in Chelsea

Visit Brooklyn Brewery or Other Half, two breweries in Brooklyn with tasting rooms. (the beer isn't free, but it's a good place to meet people)

Go to Bushwick to see the street art. (that tour is free)

 

We get back in town in the second half of your trip. Would love to take you out for a drink.

[butterbumps!]

^ I would add the Lower East Side as another area with a high concentration of hole-in-the-wall places (and there's a critical mass of dessert/ candy stores there for some reason, lol).   But for sure, I think LES, Chinatown, perhaps even the East Village, and assorted food trucks will get one very far food-wise on a budget.

[Relic]

I found food trucks in NYC to be terribly expensive based on what you get out of them. Actually you can probably rock the falafel and gyro carts that you will find virtually everywhere in the midtown. get a plate of meat and rice for about 5 bucks.

 

Polish food in greenpoint is nice you will spend about 10 dollars a meal, which may be just fine depending on if your 200 bucks is solely for food. If you ARE in Greenpoint i recommend OTT Thai restaurant for a 10 dollar plate of pretty damn good thai. 

 

Here is a great budget trick to know - the MET and the Natural Histroy Museum, among others, have a "recommended" entrance fee of 20 bucks. This is not what you have to pay to get in. In realty you can give them a nickle and gain entrance.   

[James Arryn]

City Island in the Bronx: it's like a secret New England fishing village tucked away amidst the urban jungle, or at least it used to be...haven't been in years. You'll even see a few celebs taking advantage of the hidden gem, which I mean as a way of recommending the place as opposed to celeb-watching.

[Xray the Enforcer]

I found food trucks in NYC to be terribly expensive based on what you get out of them.

 

The fancy-pants ones, absolutely. But regular taco trucks (this might be a function of where I live, of course), falafel carts, etc, can be good value.

 

Another thing is to see where the cabbies eat. You'll get some good South Asian eats for cheap.

http://gothamist.com/2014/06/25/the_cabbies_guide_to_nycs_best_sout.php

http://www.thedailymeal.com/what-order-4-new-york-cabbie-hangouts

[IheartIheartTesla]

No recommendations to try the khlav kalash? (PS, dont actually try to be like Homer Simpson. But watch the episode, its good)

[Westerosi Coast Gangster]

I live an hour away from NYC. If your budget is 200$ I would say visit some places like Central Park, the Towers monument and the Empire State building. If you smoke cigs make sure your dont buy them in NYC, they cost around 12$ a pack.

[Littlefingers In The Air]

If you try to eat outside of the touristy areas (so, outside of midtown and esp the Broadway zone), you'll run into tons of hole-in-the-wall, inexpensive places serving dumplings, pizza, falafel, tacos, diners, etc. etc.    
 
Are you a student?   If so, you are eligible for discounted tickets to a number of shows (such as Broadway, Lincoln Center, Met Opera) and museums.   Look for "student rush tickets;" the downside is that you have to get yourself to the theatre earlier in the day with your school ID to wait on line and get the tickets, but it's totally worth it price-wise.   With the big museums like the Met, admission is by suggested donation, so feel free to give as much as you feel comfortable with, and make sure you eat before or after since the places to eat inside the museums are typically expensive.  (here's lincoln center discounts)
 
For something totally free, make sure you head to Central Park.  You can easily spend a day getting lost all through there (and a bunch of the museums are adjacent to it).    Also, the High Line is a must, and it's free.  
 
For something almost free, renting a CitiBike for the day and riding along the greenway loop around the island might be something you'd enjoy.   There's a protected, separated greenway bike path that almost entirely circles the island now that gives you amazing views all around the city.
 
 
ETA:  also, get yourself a "Time Out NY" magazine before you come to see what events are going on specific to that week.  
ETA 2:  I nearly forgot--  there's a few dedicated "Cheap Eats" sites.   Here's one with an adjacent map and another set.

  
Great advice here. Technically, I'm not a student anymore because I graduated in May, but I don't see why they need to know that. :)

For cheap eats, stick with Chinatown (5-for-a-buck dumplings, huge bowls of noodles for $6), taco trucks, tiny hole-in-the-wall delis (egg and cheese on a roll, yo), pizza slice places, and groceries you buy yourself. Oh, and some of the Polish places in Greenpoint (in Brooklyn) will give you a huge meal for relatively little outlay of cash.
 
Just walking around NYC is, IMHO, the best way to experience it.
Things to do that are FREE:
Walk through Grand Central and pay attention to the ceiling in the main hall, visit the whispering gallery in the basement, and watch the commuters scurry to their trains.
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
Take the Staten Island ferry
Visit Central Park
Walk the High Line
Walk around Greenwich Village
People watch in Union Square
People watch in the East Village
Walk around Harlem
Free museums in NYC
Walk around Chinatown/Lower East Side
Visit the art galleries in Chelsea
Visit Brooklyn Brewery or Other Half, two breweries in Brooklyn with tasting rooms. (the beer isn't free, but it's a good place to meet people)
Go to Bushwick to see the street art. (that tour is free)
 
We get back in town in the second half of your trip. Would love to take you out for a drink.

  
Thank you. This is all great for referencing. I'll be taking you up on your offer. I'll message you with contact information.

^ I would add the Lower East Side as another area with a high concentration of hole-in-the-wall places (and there's a critical mass of dessert/ candy stores there for some reason, lol).   But for sure, I think LES, Chinatown, perhaps even the East Village, and assorted food trucks will get one very far food-wise on a budget.

  

I found food trucks in NYC to be terribly expensive based on what you get out of them. Actually you can probably rock the falafel and gyro carts that you will find virtually everywhere in the midtown. get a plate of meat and rice for about 5 bucks.
 
Polish food in greenpoint is nice you will spend about 10 dollars a meal, which may be just fine depending on if your 200 bucks is solely for food. If you ARE in Greenpoint i recommend OTT Thai restaurant for a 10 dollar plate of pretty damn good thai. 
 
Here is a great budget trick to know - the MET and the Natural Histroy Museum, among others, have a "recommended" entrance fee of 20 bucks. This is not what you have to pay to get in. In realty you can give them a nickle and gain entrance.

These are amazing tips for both tourism and eating. Thanks. So I'm pretty much naming my price with those two?

[Iskaral Pust]

Central Park, Battery Park, Staten Island Ferry, Brooklyn Bridge, Washington Sq, Union Sq, Times Sq, Bryant Park (beside the Library) are all good. Take a trip to the Cloisters at the north end of Manhattan. The Met is a must. Moma is very good too but costs more. I really like Grand Central, and the Chrysler Building is nearby. The Library is a landmark to see and St. Patrick's and Rockefeller Center are nearby. Take a walk around the downtown area of original city. There are lots of small museums. Take a walk through midtown around 8-9 just to experience it: the region from 55th & Park through 40th & 7th. There are relatively new parks that are a pedestrian walkway and cycle path in place of an old railway line.

Get a weeklong subway pass. The city is really hot and humid at the moment (I'm here on a business trip ATM) and the subway stations feel really hot. The city is actually less busy in July and August because a lot of natives try to escape the heat. Be prepared for a terrible smell from trash on the streets. You'll prefer walking on the avenues.

Your food budget is challenging. You could spend $200 just on bottled water as you walk around in this heat. Food trucks are your best bet and pizza by the slice. Search online for vendy award winners to get some tips because the quality of food trucks is very uneven. The Bangladeshi food truck at the SW corner of 45th & 6th is a personal favorite - get the chicken over rice and walk to Bryant Park to sit and eat.

Have fun!

[Frisco]

With only $200, plan on doing a lot of walking.  Subway rides add up, and the walking is great, anyway. 

 

I second the Staten Island Ferry--free ride, and you can see the Statue of Liberty from the ferry.

 

If you need booze and can handle a bunch of 20-something hipsters, go the the Charleston in Williamsburg.  Happy Hour 12pm-8pm, and you get a free personal pizza with every beer.  Cheap way to get drunk and kinda full.

 

MOMA is free in Fridays from 4-8pm

 

You'll be here during NYC Fringe Festival, so a lot of little shows in the $20 range.

 

If you like sports, there are amateur baseball/softball games in Central Park all the time, and lots of fields.  Brooklyn Cyclones and Staten Island Yankees (minor league teams) tickets are also fairly cheap ($9-15) and the stadiums are within walking distance from public transportation.  If you need food or beer, though, stadium prices are in effect. 

[Littlefingers In The Air]

Hmm. Sounds like bringing my own water and maybe some lunch meat and bread might go a long way. Thanks y'all.

[Relic]

These are amazing tips for both tourism and eating. Thanks. So I'm pretty much naming my price with those those two?

 

 

Indeed you are. If no one was suggested it yet, the staten island ferry is free and gives you nice views of lower manhattan and the statue of liberty. Just hop on, don't get off in staten island, and take the next ferry back. 

[Rubies & Jade]

Along with what is already suggested, August here in NYC is a great time for free concerts and events. Some things you still need to get tickets in advance, but many you can just show up so check out some of these calendars in advance: 

 

Free concerts

 

Blues BBQ festival on Aug 22

 

more summer free stuff including Shakespeare in the park 

 

SummerStage (summer-long free concerts in the parks)

 

dance related events

 

hope that helps some! 

 

eta here is another calendar with some of the same stuff but others as well (AfroPunk festival is fun (though I haven't been in a while!), free movies in central park, a comedy festival, etc)

 

eta. #2 a lot of the museums have a free night, so check those out. Brookyn Botanical gardens is free on Saturday mornings if you get there before noon on Saturdays or on a Tuesdays (and its beautiful). The Met does have a suggested donation (so give them what you can afford) and is fabulous, but for the same admission you can also go up to The Cloisters on the same day and get in there. and The Cloisters is awesome. 

 

eta#3 food, yeah... it can be done cheaply. if you stay out of midtown and look for the little places. If you have some ideas of what areas you'll be in I might be able to help. Definitely buy your own bottled water at a grocery store and have some snack bars with you for when you're wandering around. If you're in downtown Brooklyn (more or less), among the many other places go here to Portal (way cheap breakfasts and a pernil sandwich is good here!)