If you are planning on traveling to New York City and want to do things that are affordable, or even free, there is hope. There are so many free things to do! You just need to plan ahead and do your homework.
First, if you plan to travel on a budget, you may want to consider finding affordable rooms in Brooklyn rather than fancy hotels in Manhattan. Brooklyn is a borough often overlooked by tourists, but it’s just as fun! The same goes for Queens.
If you’re traveling to NYC soon and you’re on a tight budget, here are 11 things to do in NYC that won’t cost you a dime:
- Central Park – You all know that Central park is free to visit, as are most parks. However Central Park is often filled with free events, statues and people-watching sites. If you want a real NYC experience, you have to put this on your list of things to do.
- Chelsea Galleries – There are many galleries to visit in Chelsea along the 20s streets between 10th and 11th avenues. You can check the gallery guide for listings. These galleries are free to enter with no pressure on visitors to make a purchase. They even have a wine and cheese opening every Thursday evening.
- City Hall –This place has been home to the NYC government since 1812 and it is the oldest city hall in the USA, which is still used for the purpose it was intended. Many tours are held there, and you can view the place where Abraham Lincoln’s coffin lay in state in 1865. Plus, you may even see a couple or two getting married at city hall, which is always a delight to see.
- Fashion Institute of Technology Museum – This museum is always hosting fashion week which showcases many exhibits by students and also an interesting collection of the country’s first gallery of fashion.
- New York City’s Stairway to the Sky – You can climb the Stairway to the Sky in New York’s Hudson Yards neighborhood for breath-taking views and an amazing experience. Another name for this is The Vessel.
More free stuff to do in NYC…
- Visit Japan Society – Usually the films and lectures require you to purchase a ticket however, there are gallery exhibits that are free from 6-9PM on Fridays.
- New York Earth Room – The earth room is an art installation from 1977 by Walter De Maria. It is a single room that is filled with 280 000 pounds of dirt and the smell of wet forest.
- The NYC Public Library –The New York Library is the most famous library and is situated in a grand Beaux-Arts icon east of Times Square. It has marble lions at the front named Patience and Fortitude. There are free tours every Monday to Saturday at 11am – 2pm and is closed on Sundays in Summer.
- Public Boathouse Kayaking – you can Kayak for free from public boathouses such as the Downtown Boathouse and Long Island Community Boathouse situated in Queens. This would be a perfect date with your favorite person.
- Rockefeller Center for Public Art – was built in the 1930s during the great depression. It is 22 acres and is more than the set for NBC’s Today Show. You can pop by to see an array of art commissioned under the theme Man at the Crossroads Looks Uncertainly but hopefully at the future.
- Go to a City Beach– You won’t have to travel to Hamptons to find a nice beach near the city. Take a train to Coney Island where you can enjoy the beach with a trip to the amusement park known for the Coney Island Cyclone which has been around since 1927. You can also venture further down to Brighton Beach where you will find some great Russian restaurants. Rockaway Beach is another great destination where you can enjoy a day of sand and surf with amazing food such as fish tacos from the Rockaway Beach Surf Club.
A lot of fun things in the Big Apple will cost you, but as you can see, there are an array of fun activities that don’t require any money.
Have you ever been to NYC? Let us know in the comments below!
