10 Almost Free Things to do in New York

10 Almost Free Things to do in New York 

I moved last year to what we affectionately call "Upstate Manhattan."  Washington Heights had a scary reputation in the 80's but things have changed radically and it is now a very friendly, safe, family neighborhood  The 2008 Tony Award winning musical "In The Heights" is composer (and my son's 7th grade substitute English teacher(!)) Lin-Manuel Miranda's love letter to the neighborhood he grew up in and still calls home.

sunset in Washington Heights

So I thought I'd start this invitation to visit New York with a Northern focus.  Fort Tryon Park and the Cloisters are really the jewel of this neighborhood.  The Cloisters feature art and architecture from the Medieval era and a reconstructed monastery,  You can easily transport yourself back to the days of Romeo and Juliet!  The Cloisters are part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and admission to one gets you same week admission to the other. The suggested entrance fee is pricey - $25 for adults, $17 for Seniors, $12 for students, under 12 free - but remember this is a recommended price.  You can (and should if you need to) pay less.

Fort Tryon Park offers beautiful gardens, a dog run, gazebo, two playgrounds and a spectacular view of the mighty Hudson River.  Of course, Central Park is essential to the New York experience, but there is a lot of breathtaking nature up here (also free) and it's easy to forget you are in NYC!

The Highline is a unique public park that has become the most popular tourist destination in NYC (because it's free?)!  It is built on a historic freight rail line that is elevated above the streets on the West Side of Manhattan. And here in "Upstate Manhattan" we now have the High Bridge.

Old Croton Aquaduct 

The oldest bridge in Manhattan, it was built to carry water from the Croton Reservoir to "Upstate Manhattan" (are you sick of this phrase, yet?) for the burgeoning population in the 1830's.  It was considered an engineering marvel!

Today, it is a perfectly pleasant walk (or bike ride) to and from Manhattan and the Bronx, with benches to stop and drink in the same view enjoyed by Edgar Allen Poe back in the day.

If you are visiting NYC for the first time, there is a great, free way to see 2 classic tourist destinations: a ride on the Staten Island Ferry which gives you a glorious free view of the Statue of Liberty.  You can just turn around and come back on the ferry for another look a Lady Liberty, or if it's baseball season, why not check out a Staten Island Yankees game?  Minor league stadiums are really old time fun and you can tell your friends back home while you were in New York you saw a Yankee Game!

Another free classic attraction is the world famous Brooklyn Bridge.  Take a walk over it for free!

Of course, everyone wants to see the Empire State Building. It's right there on 34th Street, waiting for you to take pictures!

Empire State Building

 If you must go inside and up to the top for the view, I recommend you buy a City Pass.  It gets you in to 6 major attractions including the 9/11 Memorial (which is free on Tuesday evenings but you still need a ticket) for $114 and you don't have to wait on lines.  If you don't like all of the attractions on the City Pass, the website nycgo.com has a variety of cards which will save you money on the specific attractions you do want to see and again, no waiting in lines. Highly recommended.

Moving along to the Upper East Side, one of my favorite places to take out of towners is the Roosevelt Island Tram.  For the cost of a subway ride ($2.75 at this writing) you take a short cable car ride over the East River to Roosevelt Island.  In the summer there are riverside eateries and if you walk down to the southern end of the island you'll see Four Freedoms Park built in honor of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Grand Central Station (or I should say Terminal to be accurate) is stunning and free.  Look up at the stars on the ceiling, and at the glorious architecture all around you.  There is an impressive market where New Yorkers pick up food for dinner on the way home from work.  You can do the same or just get a seductive cheese snack to calm the hunger pangs.

While in Grand Central, you can visit the Apple store or the dozens of shops that line the corridors.  I love to simply observe how there are thousands of people walking in every conceivable direction and no one ever seems to bump into one another - unless they are walking and texting.

Finally, some free fun for the kids - or the kids at heart.  SONY Wonder is a four story technology lab in midtown Manhattan that makes learning about technology way cool! Interactive exhibits make this place very popular, so get your timed and dated (free) ticket in advance.  I took my son here when he was young and he loved it.

I think I've given you more than 10 free things - but hey, this is New York!  I'll do another post later this year for the holiday season!
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Keep calm & carry on...Lori