City Page

10 Fun And Affordable Things To Do In NYC

Summer in New York is the best time to experience the city. The summer I moved to NYC, I was 22 and an unpaid fashion PR intern. I had to learn the ins and outs of how to enjoy the city without spending a dime if I wanted to have a good summer. The common misconception, or the thing people spend too much time worrying about is “how expensive New York is”. I’m here to tell you that you can still have a good day while spending little to no money. These are 10 fun and affordable things to do in NYC!

1. Best View of NYC for $2.75 (one-way)

Catch the best sunset views on the Roosevelt Tramway for the price of a one-ride MetroCard. You can ride the tramway from E 59th St & 2nd Avenue to Roosevelt Island. That way you get to visit Roosevelt Island and get the second best view of the NYC Skyline. (Round-trip costs $5.50)

2. Brooklyn Brewery Tours (free tours on Saturdays).

Visit the iconic brewery and taste some authentic ales and lagers.

3. Sample Wines for Free in Brooklyn

Again, a round trip MetroCard is $5.50, so take the F train Brooklyn bound to Big Nose Full Body on a Saturday for their free wine tasting. Each weekend is a different theme and you can choose from over 300 different kinds of wines. They often offer educational teachings on wine and the winemaking process at the tastings as well.

4. Falafel Sandwich from a food truck.

Falafel over rice (get all the sauces) will cost you about $6 and in the Gyro will be $5. (My guy sits at the corner of Spring Street and 6th Ave in SoHo)

5. Vanessa’s Dumpling House

With locations in Chinatown, 14th STreet, and Williamsburg $1.50 will get you an order of 4 dumplings. I would normally get 2 orders of dumplings and a Chinese pancake which came out to under $6.

This “hole-in-the-wall” Chinese dumpling house saved my life last summer.

6. The fried chicken at Yafa Deli and Grocery

You can finally say you had fried chicken from a bodega and it was actually amazing. Three pieces (a breast, a wing, and a drumstick) will cost you about $4.

7. Grab a friend and have a picnic in Central Park.

Strawberries are around $2/lb at a Chinatown street market and Nutella is around $4. Have your friend bring the beverages.

8. Walk along the Brooklyn Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, or Manhattan Bridge all for free.

It also serves as the cheapest way to get to Brooklyn from Manhattan.

See Also

9. Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The price of your general admission goes by what you can afford. I paid $2 to see the Commes des Garcon: The Art of the In-Between exhibit last Sunday.

Take some iconic photos on the infamous Met steps…just don’t let Blair catch you sitting higher up than her. The Met has a diverse art collection and with that comes the title of the largest art museum in the United States. This place will entertain you for hours. Before you leave though, go to the 4th floor and take some photos at the rooftop garden.

10. Go Clubbin!

Believe it or not, you can go to a rooftop club with no money in your pocket…if you choose to pregame at home. My favorite is Hudson Terrace. It’s free before midnight!

Do you have any other fun and affordable things to do in NYC!? Share in the comments below!

Featured Image: weheartit

Samantha Lewis

"23 years old and living in New York City. Join me as I continue to explore everything this city has to offer and much more. Instagram: www.instagram.com/adoseofsam_"

Recent Posts

The Ultimate Ranking Of Freshman Dorms At The University of California Irvine

UCI offers three types of dorms for freshman to live at: Middle Earth Housing, Mesa Court, and the Mesa Towers.…

2 hours ago

10 Great Questions To Ask On A College Tour

You're getting ready for your first college tour and a thousand things are going through your mind. You're wondering what…

10 hours ago

The Ultimate Ranking Of Freshman Dorms At UMass Amherst

The campus can seem way too big to control when entering UMass Amherst. There are five communities to live in…

14 hours ago

The Ultimate Ranking Of Longwood University Freshman Dorms

So you've gotten your acceptance letter, you've paid your deposit, and you're ready to graduate and move to Longwood University.…

17 hours ago

10 Things That Will 100 Percent Happen To You At Rutgers University

Coming to a big school like Rutgers, it is expected that there will be a million learning lessons along the way to graduation.…

22 hours ago

10 TV Shows You Should Binge Watch Right Now

I think you are familiar with the situation where you keep lying to yourself, saying that this will be the…

1 day ago