I promise not everything in this city is expensive.
I KNOW a lot of it is, TOO much of it. For you, I have a collection of nice lil NYC easter eggs that I’m not sure every New Yorker even knows about. Cheap thrills in the Big Apple, curated by moi, great for the Summer. Now of course this isn’t an exhaustive list, so don’t kill me if I missed ‘x obscure Greenpoint basement tattoo shop that does free flash Fridays.’ My list for you is predominantly museums (as someone who frequents them, it pays to be in the know), but also other offerings that the city has for you to do.
To simplify, I’ve broken these down into 3 different categories: Pay what you wish, FREE, and Very Inexpensive. These’ll help your pockets know what to expect.
Pay what you wish NYC residents:
The MET
The Metropolitan Museum of Art is always pay what you wish for New York City residents. I think I literally paid with 2 pennies once (had to give Hatshepsut & David my two cents)
The Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History is always pay what you wish for New York City Residents! 50 Cents to sit under Big Blue to your heart’s content.
The Guggenheim
The Guggenheim Museum of Art is minimum $1 pay what you wish on Mondays and Saturdays after 4pm. A deal like this could leave your head in a spiral.
FREE
The Whitney
The Whitney Museum of American Art is free if under 25 ALWAYS. It’s free for everyone Fridays 5-10PM, and Second Sundays of the month.
MoMA
The Museum of Modern Art is free Friday nights for NYC residents 5:30-8:30PM. Perfect start to your Warhol themed weekend.
Bronx Zoo
The Bronx Zoo is free on Wednesdays with advance tickets the Monday before.
Brooklyn Museum First Saturdays (Free with RSVP, museum and party)
The Brooklyn Museum of Art hosts a party every First Saturday of the month which allows free admission to the museum and a free vibe. Make sure to RSVP before you go!
Noguchi Museum
The Noguchi Museum is free first Fridays with tickets 2 weeks prior, and for these selected groups.
Staten Island Ferry
Staten Island to FiDi, and back. It’s a chill ride, perfect for a great day. And you’ll finally have a reason to go to Staten Island.
Bryant Park Movie Nights
During the summertime, free movies are screened right in Bryant Park! Each Monday there’s a film for you and other New Yorkers to enjoy. Check out the schedule here.
Pier 26 Downtown Boathouse Kayaking
(Pier 26 has a boathouse that hosts free Kayaking on weekends and evenings in the summer. All you need to do is know how to swim, they give you a waiver, and you’re out on the water. It’s extremely fun, and extremely chill too, perfect for a post work de-stresser.
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Poster House
Poster House is a super awesome museum on 23rd street featuring different exhibitions focused around poster design from different eras and different parts of the world. Completely Free on Friday afternoons.
Very Inexpensive
NYC Ferry
The NYC Ferry is only $4.50 for a fare and it is a really nice ride! The ferry runs mostly along the Eastern side of Manhattan in the East River, and offers fantastic views of the Manhattan skyline.
Union Square Park Greenmarket
The Union Square Greenmarket is absolutely amazing and if you haven’t been yet… how? Open every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, you can pull up and get farm fresh produce and goods from local farmers at pretty good prices.
When you go, get the apple cider, trust me.
Queens Night Market
I hear the Queens Night Market in Flushing Meadows Corona Park has had a slight price hike since its inception, but for a weekly food festival, they’re still excellent prices ($6-$8 or less for almost every item). I hear it gets packed though, so be prepared for that.
