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Cost

A trip to New York City is one that can be a bit pricey, but a little research can help with enjoying your trip and saving a bit of money in the process. I will not take the cost of airfare into consideration since flights vary from place to place. I will admit I did not look for the cheapest options here, but I did look for a good deal with the best price. I went to Arlo Midtown and for my week stay, it costed me about $950. I paid for the ticket to go to the top deck of the Empire State Building and that ran $86. It cost $33 for my week long use of the subway system, and the ticket for the One World Observatory was $49. Admission to the American Museum of Natural History was $28. My budget for food was about $80 per day (some days cheaper some days a bit more expensive). I did not eat at any fancy restaurants while here, but I did go for mid-tier and cheaper options for food to get the most bang for my buck. I got a few souvenirs while there of course. Everything, not counting the flight came out to about $1,650. You should be able to enjoy yourself on a $2,500-$3,000 budget here with flight included.

Getting around

Recommendation

I recommend flying into LaGuardia Airport if taking a flight. They have a free public transit to get you to various points into the city. MTA Q70 from the airport will take you to Queens, Manhattan, Long Island, and also has connection to the 74 St./ Roosevelt Avenue subway lines. This is what I recommend doing when you first land to get to your accommodation. I suggest doing some research for the subway lines to ensure you take the quickest route to your accommodation.

Things to Do!

The options in New York are plentiful. There are many things to do such as take a stroll in Central Park, explore museums, explore bites around the city, and you may encounter an event you did not expect to participate in. There is a lot to do in this city and I must admit I was unable to do them all on my first trip. My biggest regret was not walking the Brooklyn Bridge for a great view of the skyline.

Central Park

I enjoyed Central Park more than I thought I would. The first day in New York City I took a walk through Times Square and got to Central Park, then I fell in love with it. I was there around Christmas time and they had a market with some nice crafts, foods, and various delicious selections of hot chocolate available.  I went on a small walk through the park and then decided to have a personal goal of walking the entire park before I flew back home.  I started by Columbus Circle made my way north to the pond that is in the northern part of the park which I thought was a stunning view, then took the walk South back to Columbus Circle. I loved this park and it was truly beautiful and peaceful!  There are a number of statues, some baseball fields, great scenery, during the day you’ll find squirrels and various birds around, and at night big RATS!  I went into this trip thinking I’d mildly enjoy the park, yet it winded up being a place I found myself going to regularly, and enjoyed very much throughout my trip!  Central Park, for me, was a wonderful experience. I highly recommend checking it out and seeing if you enjoy this park as much as I have.

Times Square

Times square was alright. I enjoyed the digital boards and the abundant shops around the area.  For Disney fans, there is a Disney store here that I enjoyed checking out . Other than the boards, Times Square is a one and done type of deal for me. If it is your first time in New York it is a must see. If you like shopping, there are many high-end stores to peruse, however I am not the biggest fan of shopping.  If you enjoy marketing and seeing various advertisements, I recommend going here because the ads displayed are amazing.  I was amazed at the ads displayed here and would gladly spend an entire day watching each display cycle through.  

For your first time, I recommend walking through as a must do, but after that I recommend skipping it all together unless there is a certain store you enjoy, you want to check out the ads on the boards, or just see what characters are walking around.

Which brings me to a very important point, Times Square is full of hustlers.  Every sidewalk and every corner has someone trying to make a buck.  They sell jewelry, bags, clothing, shoes and many other items that could be found at the luxurious stores around.  These items are most likely fake.  There are people in costume and I advise watch at a distance.  Don’t take pictures of these people because they will harass you for payment for that service. They aren’t dressing up for fun and that is how they are trying to make some money.  

The best way to avoid the scammers and people who want to make quick money, fit in with the crowd.  This will be hard to do in Times Square since most people there are tourists, but ignore everyone especially if they try to pitch something or call for your attention.  The residents of New York ignore most of these people around them so if you pay attention to those people they know you are a tourist and will attempt to make a quick buck off of you

Statue of Liberty

The Statue of Liberty is probably the most iconic symbol when it comes to the United States. While I definitely think it is worth seeing, I do not think spending money to ride the boat to the island is worth it.  For my view of Lady Liberty, I took the Staten Island Ferry. It goes across the river and provides a very good photo op of this iconic piece! The ferry ride is a free service. In my opinion a lot better than paying to go to the island.  Perfect for a group wanting to see the Statue of Liberty, a family or someone who is just wanting to save money but still get some great pictures!

To get to the Staten Island Ferry by train, you’ll want to make way to Whitehall St – South Ferry Station. When you get off the train, go up the escalators and the ferry station should be right in front of you.  When the ferry embarks, the Statue of Liberty will be on the right side of the ferry. You can stay inside, or go outside to enjoy the view and take a few photos! On the way back, it will be on the left side. 

If you choose to go to the island, tickets start at $29 and there is an option to go to the crown for a higher price. I preferred saving $30 and taking the free option with the ferry but, maybe you’ll prefer going to the island and possibly standing atop this iconic landmark

*WARNING* Be wary of scammers there are people trying to sell tickets to see the statue, or people trying to sell admittance to the ferry which is a FREE service.

Empire State Building

The Empire State Building has been the first attraction on my to see list ever since I can remember, and I will say it is an amazing experience.  I decided to get the ticket for the 102nd and 86th floor observation decks. This building was astonishing. It provided a great view of the entire city and a museum showcasing movies, comics and celebrities that either reference or have visited this iconic building.  At the top deck, it provides an amazing view of the city and it is breathtakingly beautiful. Easily top two, if not first, for my favorite attraction on this trip!  

If you plan on visiting, tickets are required for entry and I recommend getting them in advance.  Tickets sell very fast, and the price of tickets go up tremendously around the time of sunset. I recommend getting tickets before or after sunset to save money and if you are able to, purchase the tickets a day or so before instead of the same day so you aren’t trying to purchase tickets and losing them because someone bought them already.  I had this issue and I was trying to purchase tickets at 8 in the morning for same day visit and the ticket availability changed constantly within minutes of trying to secure tickets.  

I also highly recommend going to the top deck for a great view of the entire city, however the regular ticket just to the 86th floor is amazing as well. An experience I recommend everyone to take in and the money spent is definitely worth it.

Prices start at $44 and you will need to select a time frame of entry. Going to the top deck costs a bit more, and booking tickets for sunset is a major price spike compared to other prices. If you purchase tickets in advance, they do not allow early entry so make sure to show up for the allotted time. If a ticket is not purchased in advance, there is a very long line to purchase tickets there.

In preparation for your trip, check the website listed below to see what colors may be used for the Empire State Building to possibly have your favorite colors to enjoy while in New York City. This is a must do on any itinerary!

To see information and get tickets go to:  https://www.esbnyc.com/

One World Observatory

The One World Observatory was THE experience to enjoy.  This is the other attraction that is the top or second of my favorite attraction for my visit.  Another attraction that requires a ticket, I recommend going in the morning and get tickets in advance for this attraction as well which can be purchased online.  Starting the attraction past security, there is an elevator with a video playing above you and it is a good video to watch. The video showcases the growth of New York City over time from the point of view from the building and ends with the construction of the building.

After getting out of the elevator there is another scene to be played out that opens with a great view of the city.   I loved the view offered and thought the experience was mesmerizing, you can see the horizon and it was an amazing experience.  It offers the best view of the entire city, as well as the entire area around New York. 

To me, this is a must do on any itinerary to New York City. This was another experience that took my breath away and was so much better than I expected originally.

Get tickets for The One World Observatory at: https://www.oneworldobservatory.com/

American Museum of Natural History

When it comes to New York, there are multiple museums to visit and so many amazing ones to consider.  If there is one I highly recommend paying a visit to, it is the American Museum of Natural History!  With five levels to explore there is a little bit of everything in it.  A person could easily spend all day inside this museum, I personally recommend at least 4-6 hours to fully experience the museum, maybe more depending on if you are a person who enjoys looking at and reading every exhibit within a museum. I was in the museum for about 6 hours and arrived as soon as it opened! This attraction has always been on my list of must see ever since I was a kid, and it further grew when the Night at the Museum movies came out.

It seemed to me as if there was always another exhibit to see, more to explore and it had so much inside to enjoy.  There are special exhibits they may have up, these cost more to observe but to each person I would ask is it something you’d be willing to pay for, or are you okay with not seeing that exhibit.  When I visited, they had a shark exhibit and I cannot remember the other exhibit they had open. I recommend looking on the website to see what special exhibits they have on display before going to the museum to see if there is one that may interest you.  I also recommend getting the tickets online and getting a specific time to enter for faster entry.

I very much enjoyed and appreciated the dinosaur, reptile, and aquatic animal exhibits within the museum. If you enjoy museums, this is one to enjoy!

To find more information on the American Museum of Natural History visit the link here: https://www.amnh.org/

Other items of Interest

Unfortunately, I did not have the time to do everything on this trip.  A few items on my list were the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) which was closed for maintenance when I was there,  the Rockefeller Center, Wall Street and the Brooklyn Bridge.  I saw the Brooklyn Bridge and Rockefeller Center but just couldn’t get the time to enjoy them. There is so much to do in this city and the options go on. I was able to take some time to see Yankee Stadium, and I plan on returning for a tour of Yankee Stadium.

Food and wrap up

The food of New York City did not impress me much, the pizza was good, I enjoyed the big slices of pizza for relatively good prices.  The bakeries were great, the places I went for breakfast were nothing impressive but it could have just been the places I tried. The coffee was good at every place I went to, but a breakfast of eggs, bacon, and pancakes was cold when I received it and I was not impressed. The burgers I had were good, and the street food stalls were honestly some of the best food out there! When I go again I plan on trying more places to eat, I was just on a college student’s budget to New York so Little Italy restaurants and any pricey spots were avoided. For the restaurants I did try, I did some research on the spots to ensure I would get some good food since I love food, and they heavily disappointed me. Eating in New York seemed to be a hit and miss scenario with some places being very good and some places being very bad. In my opinion there was no middle ground of “this is okay.”

I may be biased because I love skylines and buildings since I enjoy architecture, but my favorite items were hands down The Empire State Building and One World Observatory.  Both of these were phenomenal experiences.  I loved Central Park and the American Museum of Natural Science was amazing.   I enjoyed New York and definitely will return again, next time hopefully will be able to catch a baseball game with the Yankees.  I was not as thrilled about Chinatown or Little Italy to my disappointment, and I expected to enjoy those. Chinatown had a nice market but I was not impressed with the area. Little Italy had a nice strip of all their Italian restaurants and as I walked down that street all I could hear was “My food is the best food, my pasta is the best, you should eat my food, If you eat my food you will love it.” Next time I am in New York I will try a couple of the restaurants in Little Italy, as well as some other restaurants in the city.

New York City was an amazing experience and it is one I highly suggest anyone to take. With so many attractions to see, restaurants to try, and things to enjoy there is a little bit of everything to do in this bustling city. On my next trip to New York City I do plan on having a bigger budget to try some other restaurants to maybe get some better eats. Of course my budget may be better since I might not have some major attractions such as the One World Observatory, Empire State Building, and American Museum of Natural History going into the budget. I will admit there was some good food, however there were many places that left me extremely disappointed.

The sights were amazing, and I thought it was a very nice place to visit. On your trip to the Big Apple you must go to the Empire State Building and One World Observatory. Those were the best attractions to see. A trip to New York is also not complete without a stroll through Central Park. Go to a hotdog stand or any of the food carts set up and try them, they have some very good food. While you are there you should also get a slice or two of pizza. Most streets and corners have a pizza place that have cheese pizza for $1-$2 per slice and the slices of pizza are pretty sizeable.

If you like what you see, please leave a like. Also, please leave some feedback on how this could be better or if there was something you enjoyed! Thanks for checking this out and as always, It’s Turtle Time!