New York, taking a bite out of The Big Apple!

Well guys, I am back! When I say back, I mean back from my travels and also back in the Steemit world as promised in my previous blog, here is my post about my trip to New York, in November! I may be a bit of a globetrotter but, surprisingly this was my first time in the big apple!

My first piece of advice, if you haven’t already visited New York, would be to go! GO NOW! However you can get there, plane, boat, walk (just kidding about walking) Just make it happen! Admittedly, it is one of the most expensive places I have ever been too, but there ARE ways to visit on a slightly cheaper side. Here are some of the ways In which I feel money could be saved in New York….

1. ACCOMODATION
   One way to save massively on accommodation is too book a hotel far in advance, some hotels will discount their rooms at the last minute, but not in New York! It is in demand 365 days a year! So, be sure to book early for a cheap deal. Alternatively, don’t stay in a hotel. We didn’t. We stayed in an Air BnB. And to be honest, it was freaking awesome! We stayed with a Native New Yorker and her flat was so cosy and warm 24/7. The bathroom was like an Arabian spa. She also had high speed internet! It was a little further out, in Harlem. But I feel by staying far out we got the true ‘concrete jungle’ experience. If you are REALLY on a budget, couch surfing would be a good option! Normally, I would suggest hostels, but we found those to be the same price, if not slightly more expensive than some of the cheaper hotels.

Us in Grand Central Station (free to enter)

1. FOOD
   Hmmm, this is a tricky one in New York! I mean, I don’t really see much point in going to New York and NOT eating the incredible food on offer. We sort of switched it up, we had fast food, ate in sports bars and we also got food on the go. This is also another perk to staying in an Air BnB, you can cook (providing it has a shared kitchen). We had a kitchen in the apartment we stayed in, but we didn’t cook once! A good, cheap way to eat is to grab one of the tasty homemade bagels or pastries from one of the food carts on the side on the pavements (sidewalks). They are seriously cheap as chips and they are so good! After all, you can’t really go to NY and not try and cream cheese bagel, can you!?

2. BROADWAY SHOWS
   No trip would be complete without a Broadway show. Before I went I wasn’t really fussed if I went to see one or not, but OMG I am sold on them now! We watched The phantom of the opera and Spongebob Squarepant’s on Broadway. And we watched Avenue Q off Broadway. Spongebob Squarepant’s had just opened when we went, so we gave it a try and it did not disappoint! The atmosphere was electric, it was so funny! All ages were in the crowd and everyone appeared to enjoy it. It’s very quirky, very different from any show you will see, but I absolutely LOVED it! The phantom of the opera is a show which should be on everyones bucket list. It’s the longest running show on Broadway and with good reason. The phantom was out of this world, when he was singing, I felt like my skin was going to fall off I had chills that bad! So beautiful! The off Broadway shows are more relaxed, smaller audiences and way cheaper. Give any of them a whirl and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. Avenue Q was a puppet show, but an over 18, pornographic puppet show! Bizarre, yet so,so funny! Don’t go and see it, unless you have a good sense of humour! Anyways, enough about the shows, I am supposed to be saving you money here! I got carried away! Right, so to save money on these, there is a ticket office, located directly in the middle of times square, just by the famous lit up steps! Here, you can buy HEAVILY discounted tickets. They are also really good for getting advice on which show’s to see! They are brutally honest and not just in it for the commission, so be sure to get some advice if you are unsure! We entered an online ‘’ticket lottery’’ so we actually got front row tickets for The phantom of the opera, which should of cost over $200 each for $40!!! We were sat directly in front of the orchestra, I felt like that was a once in a lifetime experience. Be sure to enter an online ticket lottery. You can enter them daily for most of the big shows. We tried for Hamilton too, but I guess the tickets are just too hot right now as it’s a new show. We didn’t win tickets for those and we just couldn’t justify spending $300 each on one show when we had seen three already!

3. SIGHTSEEING
   I’ll say it again, New York is expensive. But worth it. One of the things which will add to the cost of your trip will be entry into some of the must see attractions. Sometimes you just have to play tourist and pay it! For one, you have to pay for at least one entry to go to the top of one of the many skyscrapers to choose from. I feel like you only really need to do one. And that’s top of the rock at the Rockerfeller Centre. The panoramic views are incredible and if you time it just right before sunset, you can take day and night photos for the price of one ticket, so savvy!
   There are so many free things to do, that its not really a problem if after flights and accommodation, you are left with not much spending money. Here are my favourite suggestions….
   

   Central Park (duh!) – Did you know that there is a castle in Central Park? No? Well now you do! The park is HUGE! Try and see as much of it as you can. A couple of cool things to do, is to take photos in all the scenes from Home Alone 2, if you are a huge Kevin Mcallister fan, like me! The hotel where John Lennon was shot is also right by the park and there is a memorial for him there too. Its cool to see people sitting and playing guitar, singing etc.
   

Staten Island Ferry- This is totally free! And regularly departs from the ferry terminal. You can take some awesome photos of the statue of liberty from the ferry, as it cruises past.

Coney Island- Such an awesome place to visit and you can use your subway card to get their! The amusement park is seasonal, so it wasn’t open when we visited. But we took some photos of the park and also ate a Nathans world famous hotdog! So yummy! I still dream about those hotdogs, nightly!

Brooklyn Bridge- You have to walk on this bridge, you just have too! I took some of my best photos on that bridge! You can also get some beautiful bridge and skyline background photos, from the Brooklyn side of the bridge.

Sightseeing- Just be a tourist! Walk and see where you end up. There’s just so much to see! New Yorkers are such fun people to watch. We were lucky that the NY Marathon was on when we visited, we spent hours watching the runners and also just people watching. It’s a wild city!

The Natural History Museum- Probably my favourite place in New York. Id wanted to visit since I was a child, so it was very special for me. The Space and dinosaur exhibitions were fantastic, I also loved the classic wildlife displays in the main hall, that’s classic New York to me. Although it is TECHNICALLY free, you do have to make a donation to enter at your discretion. So, its totally up to you what you pay.

The Met- Again this is TECHNICALLY free, but you have to make a donation! It would be so rude not too. Even if you are not overly into art, I think you would still enjoy seeing it. The building in itself, is beautiful. Highlights include artwork by Van Gogh, Monet and the ancient roman wall art from Pompeii (one of the only full displays of this In the world, so after our trip to Pompeii last year, we were excited to see this!)

Iconic Sights- When I say Iconic sights, my first thought would be Grand Central Station. What a beauty! Its a timeless classic! The ice rink at Rockerfeller Centre, The 'Friends' Central Perk building in Greenwich Village and The Chelsea Market, The World trade centre memorial is a very moving, emotional place, but it is such a monumental piece of modern history, please visit and pay your respects. Again all free sites, although we did pay to ride the elevator to the top of the new world trade centre. Beautiful views and the entrance price helps to preserve the world trade monument, so its really worth paying the entrance fee.

An awesome Stranger Things Billboard in Times Square! Its such a happening place! Every NY tourist needs a Times Square selfie! At night its more dazzling for sure!

1. GETTING AROUND
   The easiest and cheapest way to get around (apart from walking, but that’s tiring to do all day, everyday) is to take the subway. Its also very fun! It is full of character and there is always people performing on the platforms and even on the subway carriages themselves! Its part of the New York experience, so save money for this before your trip and also save your feet and take the tube! We didn’t travel by taxi cab at any point, so I cant comment on this. We took the bus a couple of times, you can use your subway tickets for the bus also, the same way as the oyster card works in London.

So, that’s my advice on saving some money in New York. Try not to be sucked into these ‘’cheap New York weekend breaks’’ I am 100% positive that if you research and book your flight and accomodation separately and at the right time of year (not in peak season) you will be able to get a cheaper deal. Remember that travel companies do not work for free, they work for commission. So whatever deals they are selling, you can find without the added fees on top! I’m not trying to put anyone out of a job here, I just feel if you put in a little effort and research beforehand, you can find the travel bargains, which saves more money for spending money, or even more travel! Which, for us, is what its all about! Happy days!

So, I think that just about covers everything! All that’s left for you to do is too start saving money. Take extra shifts at work, sell some of your old stuff maybe? Just do what you have to and start planning your trip! I hate hearing excuses as to why people don’t go to places that they ‘really want to go to’ don’t put every excuse in front of you. Its really easy to prioritise travel, even if it takes you a few years to get their, you can do it! Life is short and your days are precious. Get out and see the world! You wont regret it!

I promise not to leave such a big gap between my posts In the future. I'm already planning my next post, once I have uploaded and edited my Yosemite, California photos, I will be ready to go! I only got back two days ago and I'm still feeling the jet lag, I am back to work on Saturday after nearly a whole month off! :(

From a jet lagged Haylien,

Peace out

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