New York on a Budget

Here we go, I'm finally going to tackle the New York posts (only about a month late). This first one is a quick overview of how much I spent for the three day trip, which is relevant because I only recently paid all those bills. To begin, a breakdown of costs:

Day One // Friday, July 29 // Lower Manhattan: total — $44.00
Think Coffee: iced coffee — $3.00
Dominique Ansel Bakery: cronut — I got lucky and got mine for free!
Washington Square Park Arch
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory
Strand Bookstore: postcards — $3.00 (3 for $1 each)
Union Square Park
New York Public Library
Flatiron Building
Central Park: bike rental — $13.00
The Met (from the outside)
Museum of Modern Art: free on Fridays 4-9PM, bookmark — $20.00
Joe's Pizza: slice — $5.00

Day Two // Saturday, July 30 // Brooklyn: total — $73.50
Egg Shop: brunch — $15.00
Ferrara Bakery: cannoli — $3.50
Grand Central Station
One World Trade Center (from the outside)
Nobletree Coffee: mocha — $5.00
Wall Street Charging Bull & Little Girl
Staten Island Ferry & Statue of Liberty
Coney Island Beach & Boardwalk: hot dog — $5.00
Brooklyn Cat Cafe: 30 minutes — $5.00
Black Tap Burgers & Beer: burger & crazy shake — $40.00

Day Three // Sunday, July 31 // Manhattan: total — $81.50
Zucker's Bagels & Smoked Fish: traditional lox & bagel — $12.00
Juice Generation: small juice — $7.00
Top Of The Rock: ticket — $37.00
Starbucks: coffee — $4.00
Chelsea Market: Very Fresh Noodles — $14.00
Magnolia Bakery: key lime cheesecake — $7.50
The High Line

By a very generous estimate, I spent about $15 on the subway and $35 on Uber/Lyft rides, for a total of about $50 in transportation. I easily could have spent less by walking more. Splitting the cost of the Airbnb and bus to and from New York with another person came out to around $200 per person total.

I probably could have done without as much coffee as I did (though honestly I don't know how awake I would have been to enjoy the experience). I also could have cut on expenses with cheaper meals than the Black Tab, or skipped some of the souvenirs.

With these expenses in mind, the total cost of the trip came out to around $450 for three days, or $150 per day. This is by no means wholly affordable, but if this is what your budget looks like, know that New York is doable without having to skimp on fun things to do or good food to eat. ◊