An authentic taste of the Big Apple doesn’t have to take a big bite out of your travel budget. Try these pocket-friendly ways to enjoy the most exciting city in North America…

Don’t: pay for expensive hotels
Rather: book a self-catering room
New York is home to some of the priciest property on earth, so it’s no surprise that hotel rooms are eye-wateringly expensive. Even flea-infested backpackers can cost upwards of $100 a night, so finding somewhere decent to stay is likely to be your first problem.

Avoid the chain hotels and rather book yourself a self-catering apartment-hotel to live like a local. Rooms typically come with kitchenettes, so you can save some dollars on eating out, and most suites sleep up to four people. Travelling with friends, or as a family, it’s an easy way to sleep cheap without letting the bedbugs bite.

Our top pick is the recently refurbished Hotel Beacon on Manhattan’s stylish Upper West Side. With great views down Broadway and over Central Park it’s centrally located, yet away from the tourist hordes at Times Square. The Fairway Market across the road offers a cornucopia of goodies, or you can grab a pastrami on rye from the deli around the corner. Visit www.beaconhotel.com.

Don’t: bother with the Staten Island Ferry
Rather: take a Circle Line Cruise
Penny-pinching tourists love to sing the praises of the Staten Island Ferry, which runs from the piers near Battery Park. Yes, it’s free, and you do get a view of the Statue of Liberty. But that’s about it. Then you get to come back again. Not much fun, really.

Rather fork out the $34 it’ll cost you to join a three-hour cruise around Manhattan (yes, Manhattan is an island) on the Circle Line. Cruises leave the piers at 42nd Street four times per day during summer. Sailing anti-clockwise around Manhattan you’ll get an unobstructed view of the city’s famous skyline, cruise under the stunning Brooklyn Bridge and see parts of the city even locals don’t know exist. Oh yes, and of course you’ll get to see Lady Liberty too.

Witty banter and an on-board bar make the three hours fly by. Get there early to grab a seat on the port side of the boat for the best views.

Don’t: even think about McDonalds
Rather: Grab a Nathan’s ‘dog’ at Coney Island
You’ll find the golden yellow arches across the city, but for a taste of real New Yawk fast-food you can’t do better than the legendary Nathan’s out at Coney Island. A 30-minute subway ride from Manhattan, Coney Island has its own rickety charm with seaside boardwalks, freak shows and state-of-the-art (well, in 1985 at least) fairground rides. 

It’s also home to Nathan’s – the hot-dog restaurant to end all hot-dog restaurants. $3.15 buys you one of Nathan’s famous ‘dogs, with a topping of your choice. I’d recommend the red onions.

This Coney Island institution is a hit throughout the year, but it’s July 4th that really brings in the punters. Over 40 000 people flock to Nathan’s to watch the annual Nathan's Famous July Fourth International Eating Contest that’s been held here every year since 1916.

In 2009, the surprisingly slim Joey Chestnut retained his title by eating 68 hot dogs in the allotted 10 minutes. If that wasn’t weird enough, according to Nathan’s the contest “is sanctioned by Major League Eating, the world governing body of all stomach-centric sport.” Only in America.

Don’t: go to the supermarket
Rather: discover farmers’ markets and local delis
If fast food’s not your jug of soda pop, you’re in luck: New York City is home to some of the best food on the planet… if you know where to look. While Michelin-starred restaurants will happily add years to your bond repayments, the delis and markets of Lower Manhattan offer mouth-watering meals that won’t break the bank.

Katz’s Deli on East Houston Street is home to the city’s most famous Corn Beef on Rye sandwiches and draws a mix of curious tourists and hungry locals. A few doors down, the family-owned Russ & Daughters deli has been open since 1914, selling kosher fish, dairy and baked goods to customers from the Lower East Side. Grab a few slices of cured salmon (they have a dozen varieties), some cream cheese and fresh-baked bagels for a picnic.

The farmers’ market at Union Square is also not to be missed. Small producers from across New York State set up shop four days a week (Mon, Wed, Fri, Sat) from 8am-6pm with gourmet offerings like hot apple cider, fresh breads, artisanal cheese, fruit and farm produce.


Don’t: pay for Wi-Fi
Rather: get it for free at Bryant Park
New York might be the quintessential concrete jungle, but it also boasts some of the world’s best public parks. Central Park covers a massive 800 acres, the brand new Highline Park brings design-chic to Chelsea, and Battery Park in the Financial District is a leafy haven of statues and views.

But Bryant Park in Midtown West takes the cake. Well-funded by the deep-pocketed corporations headquartered nearby, it’s hands-down Manhattan’s most attractive open space. In summer you’ll find free morning tai-chi classes, picnic tables for a lunch in the sun, clean public toilets (a rarity in Manhattan) and open-air film festivals.

But most importantly for travellers, the park is one giant free Wi-Fi hotspot. Turn up, log in, start skypeing. Cost per hour? $0.

Once you’ve updated your Facebook status, make sure you pay a visit to the magnificent New York Public Library on the eastern edge of the Park… the Rose Reading Room is breathtaking.

Don’t: pay for a Broadway show
Rather: see one for free with David Letterman
With his adultery scandal firmly behind him, talk-show supremo David Letterman is once again the king of the airwaves in New York.

If you can’t afford a West End show, signing up to attend a free live studio recording of The Late Show with David Letterman is the best way to enjoy a taste of the stars on Broadway. The show is recorded at the legendary Ed Sullivan theatre, which is also home to many ‘reunion’ shows of TV series Survivor!

You can apply for Late Show tickets in person (the theatre is at 1697-1699 Broadway, between West 53rd and West 54th Streets) or online at www.cbs.com.

First published in High Flyers magazine; April 2010

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