How much money for NY?

[Sawyer86]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 1:16pm

Hey Guys,
How much money would you bring with you if you were going to spend a week in New York?

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 1:53pm

Depends on what you are doing, where you are eating, and how much you are planning to buy.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 1:54pm

A LOT !!!!!!!!!
Updated On: 12/3/08 at 01:54 PM

[shpants]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 1:56pm

I second that...A LOT!

Esp. for a week

[Gothampc]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 1:59pm

Are you eating at McDonalds or Le Cirque?

Taxi or subway?

Full admission or senior citizen discount?

Shopping at Daffys or Saks?

It all depends on what you are spending on.

[Jack King]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 2:10pm

Whoa! The BIGGEST expense is LODGING. Unless you have friends & relatives that will put you up, hotels are very expensive. However there's the YMCA and several hostels. I stayed at the Y near the United Nations once. And it was cheap. Must have been an off-season because I got a room to myself. If you are now a member or retired member of the military, there are very good deals.

Otherwise, you can get deals on meals. Transportation is a good buy with buses and subways. I suggest buying a passcard, otherwise you will be fumbling for change. And you save on the passcards.

Plane fare is lower priced now, of course.

[Sawyer86]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 2:27pm

Hey thanks to all that have responded to this post.
I would be willing to bet I'm not going to the expensive resturants, nor the super cheap ones. I would really like to try the Subway system. I'm not to sure if I could function in a hostel, it just seems strange.
So when I am in New York, what is one thing that you would reccomend doing?

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 2:29pm

what bank do you use? if it's a national bank, then don't carry wads of cash with you. you can always use an ATM.

[mywonderwa11]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 2:39pm

There are lots of ways to save money on a trip to New York City! I prefer cabs, but a 7 day unlimited MetroCard is only $24, I think.

And there are many reasonably priced places to eat.

If you in the mood for a burger and fries...The Burger Joint is awesome! It's located in the Parker Meridian Hotel on 56th Street in between 7th and 6th (once inside the hotel, just look for the curtain to the back room and the neon hamburger sign). Burger, fries, and a drink for $13.

Vinyl is on 9th Ave. in between 50th and 51st Street. They have really good mac 'n cheese.

Blockheads on 50th in between 8th and 9th. Mexican food...cheap. Quesadillas for $6, taco dinner for $9, margaritas for $3, etc...

I also really like Chelsea Grill on 9th Ave. in between 46th and 47th Street. Italian food. Good wine and great food at a decent price. A glass of wine and an entree will cost you around $25 here...and then add in the tip, of course.

If you're in the mood to spend money on a fantastic meal then go to the Redeye Grill (where I work) on 56th and 7th across the street from Carnegie Hall. Delicious seafood! A full meal including: wine, appetizer, entree, dessert, coffee will cost you around $80 minimum...plus tip.

There are also some really swank and not so swank bars in the area...PJ's, Faces & Names, Social...all within blocks of each other.

And for shows...I always do student rush, general rush, lottery, or standing room only. I hate paying more than $30 to see a show.

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 2:48pm

I usually go for 7 to 10 days. I do stay with a friend. out of 6 to 8 shows I usually see I don't always pay for all of them and usually buy them discounted ahead of time. I am usually treated to one expensive restaurant. With that said, I usually go through about 400 to 500 bucks. I eat a lot of pizza at Ray's pizza and cheesesteaks at Ziggiz. I have shopped at Duffy's (I like that place!). The rest goes to cocktails, t-shirts from shows, and food. Since I don't bank with a national bank, I take a lot out before I leave and just leave some at my friends. I make sure that if I need more, I only have to hit an ATM once during my trip. I did traveler's checks one year but wasn't really crazy about those. If you have a debit card, that works good also. You can carry less cash. I also like to eat a few times downstairs at Grand Central Station. Not dirt cheap but not expensive. And there is a lot to choose from. I also like to hit one of the many delis. You can get some good food in them for a decent price. I always hit one after the bar for knishes, bagels and a greek olive salad. If you smoke, take cigarettes with you. They are VERY expensive there. I think a bulk of my money goes to cocktails! Last I was there, last December, a mixed drink was around 8 bucks. Beer was about 5 bucks. And I almost always end up grabbing a hot dog when I am running to a show and don't have time to stop and eat.

[Greekmusicalfan]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 3:04pm

Is this your first time ? If yes, Top of the Rock, Times Square, Central Park, Metropolitan Museum, 5th Avenue, Flatiron Building, Brooklyn Bridge and of course BROADWAY are some of the umissable sights for me ! But there are sooooo many things to do in the GREATEST city on Earth !!

[uncageg]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 3:37pm

MoMa is always a must for me. And the store and vendors across the street from MoMa are fun. There is a cool exhibit there this month. I always like to walk up through the Upper West side to the Dakota and over into the park to Strawberry Fields. A walk through Chinatown is always fun. I second Top of the Rock. The elevator ride up is pretty cool. Also a walk through Rockefeller Center goes without saying. I always like to walk through Bryant Park. Went into the Library for the 1st time last December and glad I did. It is beautiful inside.

[Jack King]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 3:39pm

That $24 passcard is good for bus and subway. I like the bus because you can see everything. And unlike Minneapolis, I've found that everybody converses on the bus. You can actually join a conversation. People sit like zombies in buses here.

I'd heartily recommend a walk through the theater district at night. There's safety in numbers. So many people walking about that you won't have to worry, although someone else may tell you otherwise. That's my experience. The theater marquees are awesome!!!

Foodwise, there are so many places to eat for not much money. Since the wife and I stay at the Soldiers Club at Lexington Ave btwn 36th & 37th, we go to Sarge's, just around the corner on 3rd Avenue. No, it's not a military place. Good kosher and other stuff on the menu. They serve a HUGE cup of coffee, literally. The cup is like cartoon-size. You will be waited on by auntie-type ladies. :)

Scotty's at Lexington Ave & 39th is open 24 hours! You can get a complete meal for easily less than $10. I think they serve breakfast 24/7 also. You can get a bkfst that will fill you up for less than $7, including tip. It's run by Greeks. Ask what's new in the neighborhood. They'll tell you!

Back to the Soldiers Club. I'm retired military. So the wife and I pay $50 each for a room of our own. Total-$100. That's it! NO HOTEL TAX! No, you don't sleep in a barracks! :) If you do go alone, you will have a roommate. Not to worry though. No elevator. Four floors. Go to your browser and type in "Soldiers Club, New York City. It will tell you all you have to know. If not, they have a 1-800 # listed for complete info.

But you must have spent some time in the military. Doesn't matter what rank or what service.

There's a ballroom on 2nd floor. Meeting rooms. Two nice lounges. Refrigerator to store your food. I suggest going to a supermarket and bringing food back. That's what we do. You can save a LOT of money doing that.

Whew!
To Life!

jk

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 5:56pm

A lot.

[DefyGravity777]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 6:12pm

When I go to NY now for more than a day I stay at the Big Apple Hostel. It's 40 bucks a night and right in the heart of Times Square. 45th Street to be exact. You can't beat the location and it books up fast(especially on weekends). They have a kitchen so you can cook alot of your own meals to save on eating out.

[wonkit]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 7:08pm

$24? No, wait, that was just Manhattan.

[wonkit]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 7:08pm

Historical joke - doesn't bear repeating. Updated On: 12/3/08 at 07:08 PM

[Sawyer86]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 8:25pm

This will be my very first time in New York. I bought a DK New York book through Amazon, and the city looks just amazing! I cannot wait. Thank you for all of the advice.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 12/3/08 at 9:12pm

It's a great city....I get in about once a month or so and get incredibly excited each and every time. It's never commonplace!

Have a fabulous time!