Those Who Wander Magazine January 2016 | Page 26

HEREAREJUSTSOMEOFTHEWAYS TOENJOYNEWYORKCITYWHILE STICKINGTOYOURBUDGET: Don?t set f oot in a Yel l ow Cab (t axi) unless absolutely necessary, but even then, the Subway is still probably faster. While the thrill and hype of the famous Yellow Cabs of New York City are hard to ignore, they come with a high price. The price of a Cab f rom JFK Int ernat ional t o Manhat t an is $45 dol l ars pl us t ol l s and then add another 15% tip on top of that. The price of t he Air-t rain and t he Subway t o Manhat t an; $5 dol l ars f or t he Air-t rain and $2.75 f or a Subway ride f rom Jamaica St at ion t o Manhat t an. ? absolute no brainer which option we were taking. Top Tip: If you are planning to explore NYC buy an unlimited subway pass. They have them available for selected day lengths and weekly passes. We bought a week of unlimited Subway travel for $31. Ot herwise, WALK everywhere you will see more of the city, more of its people and find new places to go that weren?t mentioned on the tourist map. Don?t use your hot el Conciergef or Broadway Ticket s While I?m sure this isn?t applicable in all hotels, however, when myself and Lynne decided we wanted to see Matilda on Broadway we went to the concierge. We had read online how they often help you find cheap tickets. WRONG. She tried to charge us more than triple the amount of a face value ticket! If you are using your Concierge, slyly check online during or before so you know how much you can get them for, take time to think about it. We went t o ?Mat il da Box Of f ice?Direct and got pret t y good st age view t icket s f or $42 per person ? our concierge tried to charge us $140 per person for the same seats? . Head over t o Brookl yn/ Wil l iamsburg f or night -t ime drinking. The drinks AND bar food are half the price you will find in Manhattan. There are a wide range of funky bars all around the same area. Head to Bedford Street for some of the best places to eat and drink on a budget ?trust me, it?s totally safe to get home on the subway even when drunk. We were fine! 26 THOSE WHO WANDER Take t he St at en Isl and Ferry inst ead of a t ourist boat / hel icopt er. Obviously, if you are wanting a beautiful aerial view of the city a ferry isn?t going to do it. You can get t he St at en Isl and Ferry f or f ree f rom t he port at Bat t ery Park. While you are walking toward the ferry terminal you will be approached by those trying to sell you onto a tourist boat (a lot of money, similar view) say no, always. They will then try to push the helicopter on you and that decision is up to you. But you get beautiful views from the Staten Island Ferry. Good f ood doesn?t al ways mean f ancy rest aurant s Get off the major tourist streets and wander around and you will find amazing food at fantastic prices. If you are going to a restaurant make sure you go before 7pm if you don?t have a reservation, before it gets to busy.