“It’s so expensive to visit NYC.” I keep hearing this phrase over and over again from friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances. Yes, it is VERY expensive to visit NYC because after all, this city falls within the top 10 most cosmopolitan cities in the world. So by default, this city is very expensive to live let alone to visit. I’ve been to NYC before so I did the touristy thing already. For this visit I wanted to eat, feel and live like a local. For that I was able to experience NYC under $165 a day and that included staying in a 4 star hotel, fine dining and exciting entertainment. So what was my secret? Read on and find out.
- Sightseeing ($0): To optimize my 4 days and 3 nights visit I segmented my geographic visits by splitting them in different quadrants. We visited Tribecca, Lower East Side, West Village, Meatpacking District, Upper East Side and Upper West Side.
- Airfare ($0) : I was able to use my airline credit to purchase an entire ticket for free. I was supposed to travel to NYC back in October of last year but had to cancel. Note: for most airlines you have 24 hours to cancel your travel ticket without paying any penalty fee and also get your refund. However, if you forget (like I did!) then you are required to pay the $150 penalty fee and the net will be applied to your travel credit bank, if there’s any left!
- Hotel ($347): Hotels in NYC vary in terms of prices. They go from $67 to over $600+ a night whether you want to slum it or go all out. My recommendation is to find a four star hotel that is reasonably priced and also located in an ideal location. I was able to locate a four star hotel in Tribecca for less than $200 a night thanks to Travelzoo (I highly recommend subscribing and bookmarking this site for travel bargains throughout the world and it’s free). Including taxes and fees we paid $695 for 3 nights at the Tribeca Blu Hotel. I shared a room with my sister so we split the bill.
- NYC Transportation ($39): Instead of taking the cab I booked a round trip ticket with NYC Airporter for $29. They take you straight from the airport to either Grand Central or Penn Station. We stopped at the Grand Central and bought our Metro card for $10. For $2.50 we were able to get to our hotel in 15 minutes during rush hour. Be prepared to walk up and down the stairs to the subway stations because there are no escalators!
- Dining ($267): For less than $300 I was able to have breakfast, lunch and dinner for 4 days/3 nights.
Total Spent: $653 for the entire trip. Here’s how I lived it up in NYC!
“A big THANK YOU You to Skechers for these fabulous and stylish shoes that kept our feet comfortable for the entire trip”.
Day 1 ($68.45 including in flight food): It was a travel day. Our flight arrived at the airport at 3:30pm but the shuttle didn’t leave until 4pm. Due to rush hour we didn’t get to Grand Central until 90 minutes later. We got lost at the Grand Central (it was so big and grand it took us a while to locate the subway access point). Once found we hopped onto the subway for the hotel. After checking in, we walked over to Shigure for dinner. The meal was $58 per person! It was a bit pricey for the portion but we were really hungry so we ordered a lot of food!
Day 2 ($107.25): The target was Upper East Side and Upper West Side. Oh, did I mention we slept in the entire trip? Our plan was to explore the city first thing in the morning but we were too tired to get up. Grabbed a Chai latte and some pastries ($8.25) at Starbucks for breakfast and then took the subway to Central Park. Walked around the park a bit then headed over to Jean Georges for lunch. It’s located inside the Trump Tower not inside the park per Google Map! Their pre-fix lunch was $38 and it was the best meal ever.
We walked over to the Dakota building (John Lennon’s former apartment and also where he was shot and killed) between on 72nd and Central Park West. From there we walked over to Levain Bakery on 74th & Amsterdam. After wolfing down their famous $4 cookie (SO GOOD!) and water ($2) we walked back to Central Park West and strolled through the park for some shopping at Madison Avenue. That’s where I got my Pigalle!!!
After dropping so much $$$ I needed a drink so we walked over to the Met for their Roof Garden. By the way, we had a few minutes of disagreement with the museum attendants there regarding the rooftop bar. We said it was a bar but they kept saying it was a Museum and we’re the 3rd or 4th person saying that…you think??? Admission is required but you don’t have to pay a full $25 admission fee as the recommended price. You can pay whatever you can afford. Since our intention was visiting the Rooftop Garden ( we’ve been to the Met a few times before) we paid $2 for the entrance fee. After enjoying the spectacular view and sunset of the NYC skyline we walked over to Sojurn for dinner. The food was really good and for $53 (sangria included) per person that’s a great deal.
Day 3 ($73): I received a party invitation from one of the sponsors after I had booked my trip. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect. Before hitting the party at 3pm we wanted to do some shopping. I’ve been wanting to visit Pixie Market (that’s where I got this dress!) in the Lower East Side because I absolutely adore their clothes. We walked from Tribecca to the store after having our breakfast and lunch at Dunkin Donuts ($20). Yes, we slept in again and woke up at 11:30!!! After visiting the store and other stores nearby we walked back to Soho to do more shopping. Time flies when you are having fun shopping. Had a cup of organic juice (Skin Helper – $5) before heading back to the hotel at 4:15 pm to get ready for the party.
Half an hour later we jumped on the subway heading to the Empire State Building…yes, next time I need to pay close attention to the invite because I screwed up this one big time. It was 15 minutes past 5 when we realized we were at the wrong place..it was at the Empire Hotel in Upper West Side!!! So we hoped back on the subway but we missed our train stop on the way again. Anyhow, we made it to the party 15 minutes before they ended LOL! Afterward, we took the subway heading to the West Village area to visit Carrie’s apartment. After snapping some photos, we then headed to Gallo Nero Wine Bar & Grill down the street for dinner. They have a dinner pre-fixe menu for $19.95 but you need to pay extra few bucks to have chicken or shrimp added. The meal was $48 per person and that included a glass of wine.
Day 4 ($18.43 including in flight food): We had to catch a flight so there was no sightseeing or anything. We had coffee & croissants near the shuttle stop.
Overall, I had a blast even though I missed hubby and the kids terribly. I brought $300 in cash with me and had some money left over to buy toys for my kids. Even though spending $653 (excluding airfare) for a trip is considered expensive for a lot of us but for NYC that’s not too shabby. Hopefully, I can save even more on my next trip and experience other parts of the city that I have yet to discover! Have a fabulous and safe weekend everyone and see you on the blog next week!!!
