Hi everyone!
Me and my partner are travelling to NYC for the first time in August, staying 1 week.
I was looking at purchasing an attractions card to save some money as there is sooo much to see.
Has anyone used one and which one would you recommend?
Thanks in advance :)
I recommend the J Peterman Reality Tour, comes with 3 musketeers (bite-size)
The museums are pay what you want - so don't get a card that includes those
I think the better way to approach this would be to see what you actually want to do and if the pass would be worth it for you. Many of the RRP that are stated on these passes are a bit exaggerated. For instance, if you want to see the Statue of Liberty but not go onto the island, you can just take the FREE Staten Island ferry. Rather than going to Top of the Rock observation deck, you can go to Bar65 and have a great view for the price of a cocktail. American Museum of Natural History is donation for entry (ie FREE).
Jump on to the Trip Advisor NYC forum and ask the question there, or use the search function and look at the answers previous posters have received. The consensus seems to be that the passes are not usually worth it.
Thanks guys! I think i'll go to Trip Advisor and do a bit more research there!
This site rocks :)
I have posted this before, most recently in January, so please forgive me if you have read it before.
From a piece I wrote for a travel website. BTW, anyone have a job for a travel journo? I just lost mine!
All these things to do in NYC are free!
The Brooklyn Bridge
One of the world’s most recognisable landmarks, the main route between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn is an 1800m haven for pedestrians, cyclists and skaters. All three share a two-way walkway that seemingly floats 11m above the six lanes of vehicle traffic crossing the East River.
Actually, the 45-minute stroll across the Bridge is two things to do. As picturesque as the span is during the day, it is truly spectacular at night and provides a great view of the Manhattan skyline from the Brooklyn side. Pack a camera and good walking shoes.
http://www.nycroads.com/crossings/brooklyn/
The High Line
New York’s Meatpacking District is the barometer of all things cool, and the High Line is a great way to see it. The elevated railway line sat abandoned for decades until 2009, when it reopened as a pedestrian walk.
The first section of the green oasis above the city, which is 2.3km long, winds alongside, and through, some historic buildings and offers great views of the city and over the East River. The park closes early during winter months, and the mega-hip Standard Hotel that straddles the walk at West 13th St is a must-see – even if its rooms are way too pricey for us cheapskates.
http://www.thehighline.org/
Big Apple Greeters
Psst! Want your own personal tour guide, to show you exactly what you want to see in New York, for nothing? Forgeddaboudit!
Big Apple Greeters started 15 years ago to give visitors the chance to see the city through the eyes of the locals. You get to choose what you want to see, when you want to see it and BAG will try to match you to someone who specialises in the neighbourhood you choose.
And ‘free’ means ‘free’. You cannot even tip – almost unique in the world epicentre of capitalism – but you may buy lunch for you guide. Tours can take up to six hours (so pack good walking shoes or better yet, buy them in New York) and your guide will even give you a free Subway pass to get you back to your hotel. For anyone who believes New Yorkers are not friendly, this is an experience that will change your mind.
http://www.bigapplegreeter.org/
On the telly
So, you want to see a show in New York, but you don’t want to pay Broadway prices? The answer is to take a seat in the audience of a television show, for free.
Like, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, which is taped at the famed Ed Sullivan Theater on Broadway. The show usually has a great guest list, but the theatre is like an icebox, so dress warmly, even in July. I can confirm that the house band does play all the way through the ad breaks – and they really cook.
If your tastes run to political satire, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah is gaining a big audience, even if they are a little US-centric, but you soon pick up the vibe and join in the laughs. The studio on 11th Ave on the West Side.
The ladies might prefer something a little more conversational, and that’s where The View comes in. Whoopi Goldberg leads the gab-fest, which lives on W.66th Street.
All the shows require that ticket applications are lodged well in advance, and there is no guarantee that you will be successful. You will need to be at the venue early in the afternoon, and don’t plan on getting in and out quickly. But the chance to see some of the biggest names on TV do their schtick, up close and personal, for nada, is irresistible.
www.cbs.com/late_show/tickets/
www.thedailyshow.com/tickets
http://theview.abc.go.com/tickets
Staten Island Ferry
Manhattan Island is, well, an island, surrounded by water on all sides, so there are plenty of ferries to take you to the sights.
The best one is the Staten Island Ferry because it’s free. Compared to Manhattan and the other boroughs, there is a not a lot to see in Staten Island (and what is there is worth seeing) but the trip to and from the Island is worth a lot more than free. From the starboard side on the outbound trip, and from port on the way home, you get a great view of Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, so make sure that there are plenty of spare, um, digitals in your camera.
In winter, rug up. No matter how cold you think you have been in Australia, nothing compares with a fresh ocean breeze in NYC in January.
www.siferry.com
The Forbes Galleries
Publishing legend Malcolm Forbes led a full life, travelling to faraway places on epic adventures, seducing fabulous women and, along the way, he became an inveterate collector of many items.
In spite of his substantial family and business responsibilities, Forbes’s collections more closely resemble those a little boy who never grew up than what you might expect of a media baron. Toy boats and toy soldiers, and classic board games (like, the prototype of Monopoly) lie alongside the trinkets one might associate with the bric-a-brac of the seriously wealthy; fine art and photography, the odd Faberge egg and stunning jewellery.
The Galleries are open from Tuesday to Saturday, though Thursdays are reserved for group bookings.
http://www.forbesgalleries.com/
Cnr Fifth Ave and 12th Street, Greenwich Village
10:00am-4:00pm
The Abyssinian Church
Harlem’s sorry days as a no-go area are in the past, and the borough is transforming into a multi-cultural, redeveloping neighbourhood.
At the centre of its revitalisation is The Abyssinian Church, and its Sunday services are a riot of music and celebration. As such, the 87-year-old Baptist church has become a big tourist attraction – and that means that it is difficult to get into.
There are two Sunday services, at 9:00am and 11:00, and no more than 100 visitors can get into the church with the locals. To even have a chance, you need to be in line well before 7:00am – which in winter can be an uncomfortable experience.
Oh yes; The Abyssinian’s congregation embrace the term ‘Sunday Best’. The regulars dress beautifully, so either take something decent to wear, or hit the sales on Saturday…
www.abyssinian.org
174 W. 136th Street,
Harlem
Central Park
You want free? Central Park gives you lots of free. Like, stage shows, concerts and guided walking tours. The tours, which run from 30 minutes to two and a half hours, are conducted in all weathers other than extremes of heat or cold, and experienced volunteer guides from the Central Park Conservancy Walking Tour Program will highlight different parts of the 280 hectare island of green, in the middle of Manhattan.
Central Park, which opened in 1857, is bordered by West 110th Street and West 59th Street, and by Eighth Avenue and Fifth Avenue.
http://www.centralparknyc.org/visit/tours/guided-tours/
212-360-2726
Grand Central Terminal
Why would you want to see a train station? Well, to start with, Grand Central is a terminal, not a station, as train journeys begin and end there, rather than travel through it. The restored glory of the Terminal, which was rededicated in 1998, is truly beautiful. Jackie Kennedy Onassis led the fight to stop the Terminal from destruction, and the six million people who pass through each day owe the former First Lady a great deal.
Every Friday and 12:30pm, a free walking tour of the building begins. The tour starts across the street from Grand Central, on 42nd Street in front of the Altria/Whitney Museum at 12:30 sharp. You can make a donation if you wish, but the Blue Point oysters at the famed Oyster Bar may be just too tempting. For more information call 212-697-1245.
New York Public Library
Every city has a library, so touring aisles of books may seem a bore – but New York’s library is just breathtaking. It contained a million books when it opened 90 years ago, has many more than that now, and it is fun to watch New Yorkers take their lunch on the famed steps that take you down to 42nd Street.
There are a number of free tours available. Cheapskates will go for the one-hour tours of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, which begin at 11am and 2pm Monday to Saturday, and 2pm on Sundays. Tours of exhibitions in the Gottesman Exhibition Hall run Monday to Saturday at 12:30pm and 2:30pm and on Sunday at 3:30pm.
http://www.nypl.org/
Cnr 42nd Street and 5th Ave
212-930-0830
Thanks for this, I'm in nyc now and am planning what to do and this was a good read!
MoMA has free entry on Fridays from 4pm.
I've used The New York pass before. Pretty good and the benefit of skipping lines is great.
Also 1 week is no where near enough time in New York.