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It is possible to enjoy a summer vacation in NYC without breaking the bank!

Yes, all it requires is a bit of planning and some flexibility. If you have both of these things you can even spend your vacation in New York City!
What are some of the components of a great vacation? Let’s start with good airfare. It’s not easy but it is possible. Here comes the flexibility part. Most of us think of vacations as beginning and ending on Saturday. If you can adjust your arrival or departure dates you can sometimes save money on airfare. Try flying in on a Sunday or home on Friday.

If you’re close enough to Manhattan to consider driving in – Don’t!! Unless your hotel is offering a special rate on parking you can easily add a great deal to your bill with hotel parking rates.

About those hotels- there are a ton of hotels in NYC. All of the major hotel chains are well represented. Make it a point to join their loyalty clubs. It is usually free and they offer good rates to members. Also, many of them offer mid week packages that are considerably less then their weekend rates. And remember, for most hotels “midweek” begins with checking in on Sunday!

Look to the large chain hotels for some great packages also. The New York Hilton has, among others, a Bloomingdale’s Shop Till You Drop Package. This package includes suite accommodations for 2, a $50 Bloomingdale’s Gift Card, 15% Bloomies saving certificate and a $250 gift certificate to Tourneau. Not interested in shopping? The hotel is also offering a summer Food Network Travel Package. You get a one night stay, a gourmet dinner for 2 at their special restaurant along with special wine pairings and take home gifts from the Food Network. There is also a Museum of Modern Art VIP package that comes complete with passes to the museum that allows you to bypass the lines at the entrance.

The first thing to remember is that there are many things to do in NYC that cost almost nothing! If you want to do things for free: visit the Museum of Modern Art on Friday night. Tour the newly redesigned galleries, including the unique outdoor spaces.

You can go to Grand Central Terminal. Opened in 1913 as the dream of Cornelius Vanderbilt, Grand Central Terminal quickly became the heart of New York City. After several difficult years is has been restored, rejuvenated and in 1998 rededicated. On Wednesday’s or Friday’s at 12:30PM you can be part of a free tour of this incredible building. After the tour wander to one of the many exhibits in the terminal. Now through October you can see The Architects of the New York City Subway. Other exhibits this summer will include Tourisme Montreal- an introduction to its cuisine, art and culture.

You can visit the Whitney Museum or the Museum of American Folk Art. You can ride on the Staten Island Ferry, enjoy the view of lower Manhattan and then visit the Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island.

For three weeks every July you can travel up to Lincoln Center and take a seat in the plaza to watch A Midsummer Nights Swing. The music is free and you can watch a whole group of New Yorkers learn to dance!
You can take a blanket to Central Park and see Shakespeare in the Park. This year’s offerings are “Romeo & Juliet” and “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.

Ready to spend a little money – and save a lot more - buy a City Pass. This $65 ticket gives you admission to the Museum of Natural History, Museum of Modern Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Guggenheim and a ride on the Circle Line around Manhattan. It also covers a trip to the Empire State Building Observatory, a Bloomingdale’s Shopping package with discounts, 10% off in the museum gift shops and coupons for many of New York’s best known restaurants.

If you don’t think you’ll make it as a Rockette how about the next best thing? Radio City Music Hall offers backstage tours of the theatre. For less than $20 you can explore the art deco interior, learn some of the secrets of this 75 year old landmark and meet one of the world famous Rockettes!
While restaurants in Manhattan can be very expensive make a lunch reservation at the most famous. It will be less crowded, the prices are better and you can still say you’ve eaten there!

For theatre tickets again flexibility comes into play. Travel to the TKTS booths for bargain prices on Broadway shows. You can combine your ticket purchase with a bit of New York sightseeing. There are 2 locations for the booths. The first is in Times Square, in the Marriott Marquise Hotel. You’ll have the opportunity to see the real crossroads of the world and more neon then you thought possible. The second booth is in the South Street Seaport. Travel downtown to this restored landmark area on the water. Browse the mall and the more than 100 stores before checking out the theatre tickets.

You have to choose from the shows that are available but you can save from 25%-50% on the tickets. The Times Square booth sells only for that evening’s performance and South Street Seaport has that evening and the next day’s matinees. Remember matinees can be less expensive then the evening performances.

When all that has been exhausted and for the best of New York theatre- find a comfortable vantage point- a park bench or outside café and just watch New York go by! It is a parade seen no where else in the world!

(photo credit flickr cc)

Tags: travel, new+york, nyc

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 2nd, 2007 and is filed under Thirty Dates in Thirty States, United States.