Cheap Day Trip to New York City

With so many things to do in New York City would couldn’t just say this is a day trip because you could go back to New York City many times and have a different experience each time. This is our experience on one day in New York City in July of 2010. We hope you get to try some of the things we experienced and go back often to explore all the city has to offer.

Because we are always trying to find fun things to do and save money in the process we also wanted to include some of the free or cheap things we did on our day trip. Some of these did cost and we were willing to pay the extra money while others were free or very cheap.

Big Apple Bus Tour

This was the first time we were able to actually be tourists and take one of the double-decker bus tours around the city. It is well worth it because you get a bird’s eye view of the city and you get to see neighborhoods you might not go to if you had to walk or take a taxi. I thought that you got a choice of sitting inside of the bus or sitting on top but no, you sit on top no matter what. So you probably will want to take on of these New York City bus tours when the weather is good. It was sunny but extremely hot when we were on the bus. We got to see Times Square, Wall Street, Chinatown, Little Italy, SOHO, and lots more.

Columbus Circle

We walked around the city for quite awhile and ended up at the Columbus Circle Mall. It is huge and if you go on the third floor it has a fantastic view of the city streets and you can look down and see people eating in the bottom floor (see pictures). All of the major brands are in this mall as well as a Whole Foods Store and shops like Williams Sonoma and the Samsung Experience where you can see the latest 3D TVs, phones, and the kitchen of the future. Walking around this mall didn’t cost us a thing and the view was worth the visit.

Near the mall are other great shops. We stopped in the Coach Flagship store and took a look around. The flagship store has much more to offer than the regular store and had all of the latest purses and Coach accessories.

Central Park is near Columbus Circle and we saw the horses and carriages making trips around the city and through the park. They are a site to see and once again something free to do.

A little further down is the Metropolitan Opera House and the New York City Ballet. We included pictures of these but we didn’t go to them. We were invited to a party on the top floor of a hotel so naturally we needed to get pictures of the view.

Times Squares and Street Vendor Food

Times Squares is always a fun place to end up in when you go to New York City. Once again, free or very cheap. Just taking in the view of the city with all of the people and the sky scrapers is something to see, even if you have bee there a bunch of times. When we were there we spotted Justin Timberlake filming a spot with his crew and a crowd of extras for an upcoming movie. This just added to the New York excitement.

To save money we often eat from a street vendor cart. You can get things like jerk chicken, roasted nuts, pretzels, and the chicken & lamb combo platter. We learned the hard way, if there is a long line at a cart there is a reason and it usually means it is worth the wait. Many street food vendors sell the same thing but not all of them are good cooks. Eating this kind of food will save you a lot because you can get a full meal for around $6 to $8. We usually take our food somewhere safe and then people watch.

Italian Restaurant Pazza Notte

We ended our day trip with a nice dinner at an Italian restaurant called Pazza Notte, located between 42nd and 59th street. There was no line and no waiting. We asked for a table by the sidewalk and easily got one. You could sit inside of the restaurant if you want but it feel so European to sit at a table in the open doorway. They have white linen tablecloths on the tables and the food is spectacular. I can taste it even now when I think about it. Greg ordered the Pasta Dell Estate and I ordered the Spaghetti Carbonara. We can’t wait to go back. It was a fabulous dining experience. The food was served super fast and while we waited we had warm bread.