New York For The Broke

Without a doubt, New York's a happening place to be. Who needs the sun and sand when you're young and ready to party? So, maybe you think you've read everything there is about New York. Well, I'm going to tell you something no one else will — how to spend your money where it counts. Here are some tricks and tips on how to sightsee and get cheap eats and sleeps in the Big Apple. Hang Your Hat The first problem is finding a place to hang your hat. Your best bet is to dial up that buddy living in a dorm of one of the New York colleges. Maybe it's someone you haven't seen for a few years — now's your chance to reunite. Look 'em up in their school directory and give your long lost pal a ring. If that doesn’t work out, your second best option is to look for a hostel or a cheap hotel. You’ll be so busy living up the New York nightlife, you won’t have time to crash in luxurious digs anyhow. It’s definitely worth staying in the downtown area, since places like restaurants, bars, and movie theaters close later and the crowds are generally younger and more fun. Check out HINewYork for hostel information or search the web for inexpensive hotels. It’s a good idea to make reservations a few weeks in advance! Take A Look Around Okay, so you’ve got your sleeping station. Now it’s time to plan your itinerary. If you’ve never been here, you may want to explore the sights of NY. You can take an Apple BusTour . If you have limited time and don’t want to lose a whole day waiting on line to hitch a ride to Liberty Island, the Staten Island Ferry is the next best thing for checking out the Statue of Liberty, the Manhattan skyline, Ellis Island, and Brooklyn. Better yet, the ferry is free! Other popular sights to check out include St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the South Street Seaport, which boasts a bit of the historical old New York port, and the New York Stock Exchange. Access to these places is also free. For New York Stock Exchange, tickets are limited! Museums As for museums, you can save your coin for those latenight drinks but still check out dinosaur bones and Van Gogh. Both the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art ask for suggested contributions—which means you, the visitor, can pay what you wish. Obviously, they won’t tell you this, and the itty bitty sign won’t elaborate what “suggested contribution” means, but hey, you’re a student. Trust me, you’re allowed! Other museums which ordinarily have set fees, such as the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Whitney Museum, have days and times set aside for a similar “pay as you wish” policy. MoMA is free on Fridays from 4:30 to 8:15 PM and the Whitney is free on Thursdays from 69 PM. If you’re at a museum that requires set payment, don’t forget to show your school I.D. for a student discount. There are plenty of museums in NY that are free too. You can visit NY.com for a list of free and “pay as you wish” museums. Eating As for eating, if you want to eat at a theme restaurant, expect long waits for expensive and less than spectacular food. One of the more fun restaurants (with a kind of cool bar) is Jekyll and Hyde. Mars 2112 is also one of the better theme restaurants. If you’re going for a pre theater meal, you can also check out The Olive Garden in Times Square , which will give you good service, and decent food for a decent price. But when you’re in the food and culture capital of the world, why not take advantage of it and head on over to Korea Town (30ish Streets), Chinatown (downtown), Little India (6th Street), or Little Italy (Mulberry Street downtown). You can also go on an adventure and take the subway over to Dekalb Avenue, Brooklyn. It’s the home of Juniors — good food and the best cheesecake in town. Theatre You may want to check out some theatre shows while you’re in town. Join the TKTS line to get sameday halfprice tixs for Broadway and off Broadway plays and musicals. There’s a $2.50 surcharge (which still beats the $5+ Ticketmaster/ Telecharge fee) but make sure you hit the bank beforehand. Only cash is accepted. A lot of shows also have seasonal discounts, student discounts and rush tickets available. You can visit a New York Public Library branch or New York University’s Mercer Lounge where 40% discount vouchers are sometimes available. There’s also some great theatre happening at smaller venues, like The New York Theater Workshop , which can be a good way to catch a show before it becomes a hit. "Rent" and "Dirty Blond" both appeared here before making the big time. They offer front row rush seats for $10 and student discount tickets as well. The Nightlife Now, for the nightlife. The East Village is definitely the place to be. Trust me, I used to live there! It is generally cheaper than the West Village. Bars and restaurants also generally stay open later. For cheap late night eats, try the Cooper Diner, Kiev and Veselka for Eastern Euro food (including yummy pierogis and goulash), and Yaffa Cafe for healthy, eclectic eats. There’s also the Life Café — immortalized by a scene in the Broadway show Rent — where you can get vegan and nonvegan friendly food and booze with a view of Tompkins Square Park (try the beer samplers—$4 5). Another place, 7A is open 24 hours and serves one of the best brunches for your buck. If you are on the West Side and stranded for a place to go, check out two popular college spots: XandO (13th St. and 6th Ave.) or French Roast (11th and 6th Ave. open 24 hours). For boozers, you definitely want to hit the Lower East Side. Cheap drinks at these dives come with local music. Make sure you have your ID with you if you’re hanging in this hood though. Most lounges and bars will card before letting you enter. For music, popular hardcore hang outs are The Continental and CBGB, the home of punk rock. Next door is the CB’s Gallery, which features softer, friendlier melodies. Jazz aficionados will want to check out Smalls, where the policy is BYOB (bring your own booze). Smalls supplies juice and water where for $10, you can kick back and enjoy jazz till daylight breaks. Along with Smalls, there’s also some great jazz happening at Cornelia Street Cafe and The Knitting Factory. There’s also the Nuyorican Poets Cafe , where folks like Christina Ricci and Ethan Hawke have been known to read their screenplays in progress. If you’re in the dancing mood, there’s always Thursday night at the Pyramid, which is 80s Night ($5), or you may want to go for one of New York’s megaclubs, like Twilo (DJs like Sasha and Digweed have spun there) or Club NY (remember Jennifer and Puffy?) where the cover can range from $15 to $35 or higher. Your best bet is to check out The Village Voice when you’re in town. These free weekly papers, can be picked up almost anywhere around the village, and they boast the ultimate listing of happenings. Of course, these are only a few tips to help you enjoy Spring Break in the Big Apple on a starving student’s budget. The best way to get around and enjoy yourself is just to do it! We [New Yorkers] are not as mean as we look—if you want to find out the hot spots for drink, food, music, or shopping, just ask! There’s plenty to see and do, but you don’t necessarily have to break the bank to have a good time.