NYC for 3 days in Jan

[Anonymous]

Is Bryant park Christmas market still open? Maybe ice skating and a hot chocolate.

[Anonymous]

Agree with FIT and NY public library. Both are free and interesting.

If you have ice skates, you can book a free session at Bryant Park rink (at least you could last year.) Bryant park is adjacent to the NY public library.

The Roosevelt Island Tramway is only the cost of a subway fare but is a neat experience.

My family of teens enjoys going to ethnic grocery stores in NYC. It’s interesting and you may score some cool and cheap snacks.

I think the Brooklyn museum is pay-what-you-can. We also like going to thrift shops in Brooklyn but the stuff in them is not always cheap.

[Anonymous]

What about stand-up comedy? lots of clubs right? it's been like 20 years since i've gone so not sure the pricing but it wasn't too bad before.

Also what about standby tickets to a TV show taping:
https://www.nbc.com/tickets/pages/tickets-and-nbc-studio-tour

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here-

Thanks for the ideas.

The $150 for all four of us is accurate.

No hotel, we’re staying with friends in Hoboken, NJ.

We have two meals out planned (dinner and lunch); we expect to spend under $300.

We will go to the Metropolitan Museum ($100 for two adult and two student tickets).

We’ll check out the Broadway lottery idea. While I’d love to see a Broadway show, it’s just not a choice we can make right now. Just going to NYC for three days is a huge treat for our family.

If your friends are OK with it, you may be able to use their NJ ID to get free tickets (the Met is pay what you wish for NY, NJ, CT residents).

This is also a good list of museums that are free for everyone on certain days (or always): https://www.nyc-arts.org/collections/35/free-museum-days-or-pay-what-you-wish/

I actually think NYC is a great place for an inexpensive vacation, if you have lodging covered. Walk around different neighborhoods, ride the bus to anywhere, walk the High Line, the SI Ferry, any public park, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is Bryant park Christmas market still open? Maybe ice skating and a hot chocolate.

Not in mid/late Jan. It ends today. Its really a bad time to go to NYC TBH. None of the markets, holiday storefronts, etc.

[Anonymous]

I would research cheap ethnic restaurants in Queens and check them out. Many are amazing and dirt cheap. Queens is an amazing place. Agree with the FIT museum, which is also easily accessible from the path train. If you like shopping for luxury goods, the Real Real now has a store near the Met that is fun to check out.

Have fun!

[Anonymous]

We toured the NPS African Burial Ground last year and it was free, just required a reservation. The 9/11 memorial is also free. Walk over the brooklyn bridge. Go to the Essex Market on the lower east side for lunch. Walk the High Line. Do a walking tour of central park.

[Anonymous]

Louis Armstrong house museum in Queens is supposed to be well done...you could take the 7 train to Jackson heights and try different kinds of food before you go to the museum. Yes to free museums, high line, Roosevelt Island tram, and other things mentioned. If you do the Staten Island ferry, there's good sri Lankan food not too far away.

[Anonymous]

If cold weather doesn't scare you, NYC is a great place to visit and will be less crowded. Lots of cheap ethnic food, lots of places for walking.

[Anonymous]

I believe that you can see the cloisters and the met on the same ticket...you might be museum-ed out after the met but if you are up for the trip, the cloisters are cool.

[Anonymous]

Hamilton Grange is free (may need to book tickets in advance though) and interesting. You could also see if there are events at any of the colleges in the area... concerts, lectures, sports...

[Anonymous]

I love exploring Central Park. It’s a healthy activity, free, and beautiful. There is always fun people watching.

[Anonymous]

Cortlandt Alley is free to walk through, can buy fake bags nearby on Canal, and go to the WTC site, battery park, Brooklyn Bridge or the High Line to walk

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Agree with FIT and NY public library. Both are free and interesting.

If you have ice skates, you can book a free session at Bryant Park rink (at least you could last year.) Bryant park is adjacent to the NY public library.

The Roosevelt Island Tramway is only the cost of a subway fare but is a neat experience.

My family of teens enjoys going to ethnic grocery stores in NYC. It’s interesting and you may score some cool and cheap snacks.

I think the Brooklyn museum is pay-what-you-can. We also like going to thrift shops in Brooklyn but the stuff in them is not always cheap.

Roosevelt Island tram is a good one. I live a few blocks away and enjoy doing it myself. There’s a nice rooftop bar at the hotel on Roosevelt Island, but it is pricey if you’re on a budget ($20/cocktail, I think). You could have beers there, though, and presumably the kids would have sodas. Otherwise you could grab coffees and walk around, but dress warmly. There’s also an awesome Japanese market right by the tram station (Katagiri) with relatively cheap sushi, ramen, and rice balls - it’s a fun place to pop in for a snack.

[Anonymous]

Restaurant week is Jan 16-Feb 4. Take advantage of it. List of participating restaurants should be out soon. There may be some restaurants participating in Brooklyn, too.