Cheap Vacations: New York City

For the ultimate vacation, go to New York City and yes, it can be done on the Cheap. The key to finding thrifty airfares and budget hotels is to enlist the help of countless websites that enable you to name your destination and get alerts when there is a flash sale. Be prepared, flash sales sometimes only last a couple of hours.

One website is Travelzoo– Deals on Hotels, Flights, Vacations, Cruises & More which sends out a Top 20 every Wednesday morning. Many of the deals I have found and bought have been on this sight, but as they say you can’t dilly dally.

Here’s how I found us a trip to New York City on a budget of $500 per person for four days. The key is know the product. After comparison shopping for airfare and hotels, you will know when you see a bargain and can hop on it. In the past we have gotten round trip airfare Atlanta to New York City for as low as $106 including tax, but this past trip, the lowest was $160, but still way below the average of $250.

Friday and Sunday are the highest price airfare, prices vary the rest of the days. We went in February and expected cool, even cold, weather, but the first day the high temperature for the day was 72 degrees and we were shedding our coats. The news announced that day broke a 150 year record for high temperatures.

Cheap Flights, Airline Tickets & Deals – Airfarewatchdog is an excellent website to find bargain airfares and also they will send you alerts every day sometimes more than once a day. You have to register with them and name your destination. Checking airfares for September, 2017, New York City or Newark are $160. Check both cities for the best price.

Hotels—the most expensive item and again Travelzoo has provided lots of budget choices. For our last trip in February, 2017, Travelzoo had a special, a double room for two with breakfast for $86 base price per night. After New York state tax, New York City tax, transportation district surtax, New York city occupancy tax, New York State Javitz fee, facility fee, taxes on facility fee, the charge per night was around $120 for two, an excellent bargain. This hotel, The Manhattan at Times Square Hotel, located a few blocks from Times Square, surrounded by restaurants, and being circled 24 hours a day by Yellow Cabs, is an ideal choice just for its location.

Transportation to and from the airport—we used the NYC-Airporter bus at a total cost of $28 round trip. You can buy tickets online or at the airport. Round trip is $2 cheaper. The bus stop is right outside baggage at LaGuardia and Newark airports. Very reliable.

Broadway show tickets—check the website Discount Broadway Tickets and Free TV Show Tickets to see if you can buy at the box office on the day of the show, known as Rush tickets. Look for box on website “Current Broadway Discount Ticket guide.” On our trip in February, we lined up at the box office an hour before opening that morning and were able to get front row seats for $39 to “School of Rock” which just happened to be across the street from our hotel. During a week in September, off and off-off Broadway theaters offer “$20 at 20,” you get any available seat in the theater for $20, 20 minutes before curtain.

We also went to a toe-tapping show at B.B. King Club in Times Square, “The Decade of Soul.” Tickets were only $10 on the website, Goldstar. The singers were spot-on entertaining with the hits of the 50’s through 70’s. Janelle Jones, pictured above with our group, originally from Augusta, Ga., sings Tina Turner, Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight. If you go, tell Lady Jae hello from the girls from Monticello.

Sightseeing either FREE or for a few dollars—The Staten Island ferry is always free and leaves from South Port, the southern most point on Manhattan Island. Once on the ferry you will pass very close to the Statue of Liberty, get some great pictures of Lady Liberty and of the Manhattan skyline and enjoy a 30-minute cruise, before getting off at Staten Island and following the signs to get on the return ferry. Figure two hours for this ride. The subway station is right outside the door, taxis and buses also serve the port.

Frick Collection—Pay as You Wish on Sunday from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. One of the only palaces left from the Golden Age of the Industrial Era. Frick was one of the founders of U.S. Steel. His home sits directly on 5th Avenue and faces Central Park. His collections are astounding, art, sculpture, tapestries, porcelains, clocks, watches, china. You will need the two hours to enjoy this home.

Times Square—open 24/7 with a cast of characters, tourists from around the world, ABC Good Morning America sets up a temporary stage each day for part of its show, there is always entertainment, the light show advertising Broadway shows, hard to drink it all in without being overwhelmed. Grab a seat on the lighted red staircase and be a part of the most famous square in the world.

The Fashion Institute of New York—designers train here, but they also have two free museums. Each museum has several shows each year of famous designer clothing, and costumes of the stars.

The New York Public Library currently has an exhibit of Broadway show costumes including the white satin top hats worn by the dancers in the closing song of the original “A Chorus Line,” animal costumes from “The Lion King” and many more, mock stage sets, play scripts with original notes from directors, a Tony Award and the British version, Laurence Olivier Award. All free.

Attend a TV show taping or live, Stephen Colbert show is filmed in the historic Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway for example. Register for free tickets on the website- www.1iota.com.

Also free is the 9/11 Memorial fountains, a moving visit to the starkly cold fountains surrounded by marble plaques with all the names of victims of 9/11 engraved. You will see white rose beside some of the names indicating their birthday. You can make a donation to maintain the memorial at several kiosks located on the grounds.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral and Rockefeller Center are across from each other on 5th Avenue, both must sees.

Try to squeeze in a few minutes to go inside Grand Central Station for a peak at the most famous railroad station in the world. Jackie Kennedy led a fund raising and awareness campaign to save the station and it has been restored to its original beauty. Tours are available or you can do one yourself.

First time visitors might want to take in a bus tour to give you an overall picture of the city or you can just pick and choose doing your research. Hawkers selling tickets to the bus tours are everywhere in the Broadway district.

Eating—one of the great pleasures of a visit to NYC are the hundreds of varied restaurants that serve food from all over the world. For a genuine pizza experience stop in at an Original Ray’s Pizza or for just a slice for $1 seek out 2 Brothers Pizza.

Juniors Restaurant, right in the heart of Broadway, serves up the “real thing” cheesecake, and pages of mouth-watering appetizers, sandwiches, full meals. This place is always busy and has been a favorite in the NYC area since 1929.

Viand Restaurant takes you to the Upper West Side for a chance to eat at a traditional Greek place serving not only Greek favorites, but just about anything. Carmines on West 44th Street is Italian and serves up quarter pound meatballs, delicious.

One trip will never be enough, the city changes minute by minute and this article has only hit a few highlights. Adventure awaits you. And by the way, it is my favorite city besides my hometown, Memphis, to visit in the world.