Big Apple Deals - From Free To Cheap

[Pages:4]Big Apple Deals - From Free To Cheap

By Kristin Finan and Patrick Badgley

Published on 6/14/2009 *Updated June 1, 2011

When you hear the term budget travel, we know what you think: cheap hotels, C-list attractions and meal portions that wouldn't satisfy your average toddler.

But what if we said you could save hundreds of dollars on a weekend trip to New York without missing any of the things that make the city great?

When we visited earlier this month, the Big Apple was ripe with good, solid deals. Here are our favorites:

HIS PICKS:

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL GAME: $6

Twenty-four World Series titles, several decades of history and a good deal of star power separate the Yankees and the crosstown Mets. But these days, the clubs have one thing in common: cheap tickets. A week before the game, , a ticket resale Web site associated with Major League Baseball, had seats for as low as $6 for the Mets. (The Yanks were out of town, but the site shows similar deals for them.) Combine that with a train that drops you off right at the doorstep of the Mets' brand-new CitiField and boisterous fans, and you've got yourself a great baseball experience. 718-507-8499; mets.;

TOUR OF CENTRAL PARK: FREE

To our passionate and knowledgeable volunteer guides, Central Park is a magnificent work of art. And like great appreciators, they clearly enjoy discussing the 843-acre wonder. The Central Park Conservancy, the group that provides the tours, realizes that money doesn't grow on any of those 26,000 trees, so they give the tours at no cost. Several are available, and they occur most days of the week. The "Views From the Past" tour mixed anecdotes from the 150-yearplus history of the Frederick Law Olmsted- and Calvert Vaux-designed space with a look at sculptures such as the Angel of the Waters. 212-360-2726;

UPSCALE LUNCH: $28

Believe me, "$28 lunch" and "bargain" aren't two things I'd typically say in the same sentence. I've eaten for a week on that amount. But this was a three-course lunch at Perry St., one of celebrity restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten's spots. Pick two dishes - Arctic char sashimi, spinach and goat cheese omelet, roasted chicken sandwich, among many others. The restaurant has a crisp, bright layout, and the service was excellent. Perry St. also offers an affordable wine list with the prix fixe menu, but I strayed and went with the refreshing passion chili cocktail, a bourbon concoction that was first-rate. 176 Perry St.; 212-352-1900; jean-

COCKTAIL IN TIMES SQUARE: $3.50

Sparkling marquees and flashing neon JumboTrons are the norm in Times Square. Who would have thought a narrow, cramped dive heralded only by a faded maroon awning would stand out? At Jimmy's Corner, owned by former boxing trainer Jimmy Glenn, the air is filled with good tunes and after-work chatter, and the walls are plastered with boxing photos and posters. Squeeze your way through the bar, grab a table and order a couple of drinks. We had two well drinks for $7, a steal in Times Square. 140 W. 44th St.; 212-221-9510;

WALK ACROSS THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE: FREE

Get an up-close look at an engineering and architectural feat that is a piece of history and take in some fine scenery. When the weather's cooperating, you can't ask for more. Along the way, you'll see delightful views of Manhattan and Brooklyn, so have a camera ready. We took the subway to the Manhattan side and walked across to Brooklyn, but you can do it either way subway stops are near both ends.

HER PICKS:

DESIGNER HAIRCUT: FREE

In a city where you can expect to drop $200 on a designer haircut, here's a hint: Skip the salon and head to its training grounds. Many major styling companies and smaller salons do in-house training, and on classroom days, if you're willing to be a hair model, you can score a free, or at least cheap, cut or color. Before our trip, I used to find a Bumble and Bumble student who was training to cut bobs a la Paris Hilton and Gwyneth Paltrow. Although I was prepared to come out looking less Paltrow and more Estelle Getty, my stylist and her supervisor (who was there to make sure no one tainted the company's good name with a catastrophic coif) paid close attention to my hair's thick, wavy texture to create a fun, fresh - and free - style. ; newyork.bts

"LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": FREE

About a month before the trip, I signed up for free tickets to our favorite NYC-based shows. The View didn't call us back (Patrick was devastated), but Letterman's people did, asking us to answer a trivia question about Alan Kalter (hint: know what he does on the show) and then putting us on the list for a Tuesday Late Show taping. After a pep talk from a couple of letterjacket-wearing interns who must have had a few too many Red Bulls with lunch, we were escorted into the chilly and smaller-than-expected Ed Sullivan Theater for the one-hour taping. For a longtime fan of the show, it was great to see Letterman in person - he looked exactly the same - and his rapport with the night's guests, particularly Alec Baldwin, was hilarious. lateshow.

BROADWAY SHOW: $10

I had always wanted to see a Broadway show, but the ridiculously high ticket prices kept that desire squarely on my "one day when I'm rich" list. Until, that is, I came across HipTix, a service of the Roundabout Theatre Co. that offers people ages 18-35 $20 tickets to select Broadway shows. After signing up for the free service, we received another e-mail offering two-for-one tickets ($10 apiece!) to "The Philanthropist," in which Matthew Broderick plays a likable but morally flawed dimwit. Full price for our seats would have been about $100 each. 212-719-1300;

CULINARY TOUR: FREE

When several locals listed Chelsea Market among their go-to places for olive oil, meats and treats, I knew it must be something special. A former National Biscuit Co. complex, the building once cranked out saltines, Fig Newtons and Oreos. Today, you can watch freshly baked loaves as they're plucked from the oven at Amy's Bread, marvel at the intricate little cookies and cupcakes at Eleni's bakery, buy a whimsical gift for your nephew at Kico Kids or simply watch the passing throngs. Chelsea Market is easy, cheap entertainment. 75 9th Ave.;

DECADENT DESSERT: $2

Doughnuts should be next after cupcakes in the line of "it" desserts, but no one (except maybe Dunkin' Donuts executives) seems to agree. So when I stumbled into the Doughnut Plant to find creme brulee, tres leches and blackout cake in doughnut form, I'd found a place close to my heart. The offerings are moist, generous and rich enough for you to trade a fancy $10 dessert elsewhere for a $2 doughnut here, and the service is friendly. Just don't expect the atmosphere to match the decadence of the doughnuts - the place has only two chairs. 379 Grand St.; 212-505-3700;

FIVE FREE THINGS:

Staten Island Ferry:

Service between St. George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street in lower Manhattan, this free, 5-mile ferry ride offers views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, and the Manhattan skyline. Ferry runs daily; round-trip rides are about an hour.

Friday Night Museum:

On Friday evenings, many museums including MOMA and the Whitney waive their $15-$20 admissions and let the public wander their halls for free. Check with museums for details.

Crocodile Lounge Pizza:

The formula here is simple: Buy a drink, get a free personal-size pizza. Plus, the beer list is extensive. 325 E. 14th St.;

Governor's Island:

A former command headquarters and military post for the U.S. Army, governor's Island is now open for free guided and self-guided tours. gois

Brooklyn Brewery Tour:

The makers of Brooklyn Lager and Black Chocolate Stout offer free tours on the hour 1-5 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays. 79 N. 11th St. in Brooklyn;

ONLINE RESOURCES:

museums/free.html

* The information contained in this email is does not express or imply endorsement by the military or any other part of the federal government. Content is copy and pasted from other websites and is not confirmed. MWR holds no responsibility if an event has been cancelled or moved, always check with the event for more information.

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