NYC Weekend on a Budget

Our Local Expert Says:

The Cosmopolitan, first opened as a boarding house in 1845, is possibly New York's oldest hotel structure.

Description:

Rooms at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Tribeca are basic and plain, but modern and clean, and the larger loft-style rooms have an added character. Beyond its frugality, the Cosmopolitan's best asset is its location: on the corner of Chambers Street and West Broadway in fashionable Tribeca, near such fun spots as The Odeon and more upscale restaurants such as Nobu. It is a great home base for exploring neighborhoods such as Lower Manhattan and South Street Seaport, Soho, Chinatown and Little Italy.

Description:

This Upper West Side hotel is a little far from the center of the action in New York City, but only a short subway ride to Midtown Manhattan. The neighborhood is residential and close to both Central Park and Riverside Park. The rooms are fairly large, and the suites have all the comforts of home including a mini-refrigerator, microwave oven, iron and ironing board.

Our Local Expert Says:

After viewing such masterpieces as Monet's Water Lilies, Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, and van Gogh's Starry Night, visitors to the MoMA can relax and recover in the museum's stunning restaurant, the Modern.

Description:

Opened in 1929, the Museum of Modern Art was one of the first museums with a focus on modern art, and it boasts one of the world's most comprehensive collections. Its permanent collection numbers 135,000 paintings, prints, photographs, drawings, sculptures, films, and design objects, including works by Picasso, Cézanne, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Dalí, O'Keeffe, Pollock, Warhol, and some of the best more contemporary artists, like Richard Serra, Cindy Sherman, and Chuck Close.

MoMA reopened in 2004 following a $425 million expansion program that marked the museum's 75th anniversary. Led by the Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi, the renovation nearly doubled the capacity of the original building and revamped its appearance completely, starting with the striking entrance. A 110-foot-high atrium towers over an indoor walkway, extending over 53rd Street to a new entryway on 54th Street. The new six-story David and Peggy Rockefeller Building houses the main collection and temporary exhibition galleries, while the restored and expanded sculpture garden, named for museum founder Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, boasts more than 30 masterworks of modern sculpture. The MoMA's sleek next-door restaurant, the Modern, is also worth a visit.

Description:

This restaurant is a veritable home away from home. Offering breakfast and more, the all American traditional dishes delight both, the palette and wallet. Have fried eggs with bacon, gorgonzola and frisee for breakfast, with a cappuccino to kick start the day. If you happen to swing by at lunchtime, the soup of the day with a Turkey Sandwich should ease those hunger pangs. Still hungry? A chicken or tuna salad should put a smile of satisfaction on your face. Wrap it up with an ice cream or a cupcake from their dessert list, and you're ready to go!

Description:

Built by the steel magnate and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie in 1890, the hall is one of the most famous venues in the United States for classical music and popular music. The legendary building, renowned both for its beauty and its incredible acoustics, was designed by William Tuthill and constructed of brick and brownstone in an Italian Renaissance style. Until 1962, it was the official residence of the New York Philharmonic orchestra, but since then has had no resident company (the Philharmonic plays at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall). Visitors flock to the historic hall to hear the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and big bands from cities around the country and world. Carnegie Hall also hosts piano recitals, world music, choral evenings and even pop music and rock concerts. Among the legions of stars that have appeared throughout the hall's history are Tchaikovsky, Gustav Mahler, Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, John Philip Sousa, Pablo Casals, Yo-Yo Ma, Maria Callas, Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Liza Minnelli, Fats Waller, and Frank Sinatra.

After being saved from demolition in 1955, Carnegie Hall was made a historic landmark in 1964. In 1986, it was renovated extensively and reopened in its current elegant incarnation, with plush seats boasting excellent views of the stage throughout the house, a pristine gold and white lobby, and a swanky cocktail bar, the Travelers Café Carnegie, on the parquet level. Carnegie Hall contains three separate concert halls. The Main Hall, renamed for Isaac Stern in 1997, seats 2,804 people on five levels; Zankel Hall (originally the Recital Hall) and the Weill Hall Recital Hall (the Chamber Music Hall) are smaller venues. The building also contains the Carnegie Hall Archives, established in 1986, and the Rose Museum, which opened in 1991. Founded by the Susan and Elihu Rose Foundation, the Rose Museum chronicles the hall's and exhibits its archival treasures to the public. The permanent exhibit contains a chronology of events from 1891 to the present, a history of the building, and items relating to the many notable figures that have walked through the Hall's doors.

Description:

This is undoubtedly New York City's best free ride. The 25-minute one-way trip across New York Harbor should give you ample opportunity to see such nearby sites as the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and lower Manhattan's skyscrapers. The fare for the ferry, which runs every 20 to 30 minutes, actually went down from 50 cents a few years ago. During rush hour, it is filled with Staten Island residents going to or from work in Manhattan. Cars and motorcycles are no longer allowed on the ferry.

Our Local Expert Says:

South Street Seaport (11 Fulton Street, to be exact) is home to the acclaimed Bodies: The Exhibition, an up-close-and-personal tour through the intricate and seemingly miraculous workings of the human body.

Description:

This historic trading port, which dates back to the 1600s, is located on the edge of the Financial District, where Fulton Street meets the East River. It was restored and revitalized for tourist use in the late 1960s, and now boasts more than 120 shops, restaurants, and bars, as well as the South Street Seaport Museum, the Pier 17 Pavilion, and the New York City Police Museum. Visitors to the Seaport will also find some of the oldest architecture in downtown Manhattan, including renovated original mercantile buildings from the early 19th century, renovated sailing ships, and the former Fulton Fish Market.

With its cobblestone streets and broad piers, South Street Seaport offers a welcome escape from the congested, skyscraper-lined streets of downtown. There are usually free outdoor performances going on - check out a number of prominent and up-and-coming acts at the outdoor stage set up in the summertime - and the cool breezes, fun people-watching, and beautiful views of the Brooklyn Bridge can all be enjoyed for free.

Our Local Expert Says:

The line for Shake Shack's celebrated burgers, fries, and frozen custard snakes through the park and sometimes back towards the subway entrance—but fans say the food is well worth the wait.

Description:

Billed as a modern-day "roadside" burger stand, Shake Shack goes back to the basics of the hamburger (no truffles, foie gras, pork belly or Kobe beef in sight). As a result, it's won over legions of fans since its opening in Madison Square Park in 2004 (around the corner from owner Danny Meyer's upscale star Eleven Madison Park), and has been a perennial contender for best burger in the city. In addition, the Shake Shack hot dog and frozen custard--a creamy twist on soft-serve ice cream--help build the lines in warmer weather to epic proportions in the park location.

Our Local Expert Says:

This small but not cramped East Village Korean institution features great food at good prices. Standout dishes include bulgogi (marinated beef) and the bibimgooksu (cold Asian vermicelli noodles topped with spicy kimchi, cucumber and beef salad).

Description:

The name means 'little kiss' in Korean. It is a favorite among artsy East Village locals and downtown visitors seeking good cuisine at reasonable prices. There is usually a wait to squeeze into this place, but it is worth it; special dumplings, delicious noodle soups and Bibimbop (a rice casserole) draw the crowds. A skilled staff keeps a friendly attitude as they maneuver heavy trays through the closely packed tables. They accept cash only.

Our Local Expert Says:

Veselka's famous borscht, made with beef stock and pork butt, draws beet-loving fans to proclaim it the best borscht in the city.

Description:

Whenever the craving hits for hearty eastern European fare at old-world prices, Veselka fits the bill with fluffy and light (if that's possible) pierogi (small doughy envelopes filled with potatoes, cheese, or sauerkraut), kasha varnishkes (cracked buckwheat and noodles with mushroom sauce), stuffed cabbage, grilled Polish kielbasa, freshly made potato pancakes, and such classic soups as a sublime borscht. Breakfast is special here. If all you want is a burger, don't worry -- it's a classic, too.

Despite the authentic fare, the diner is comfortable, modern, and appealing, with an artsy slant and delicious house-made desserts. Veselka surpasses its status as a popular after-hours hangout with clubbers and other night owls to be a favorite at any hour.

Our Local Expert Says:

The Cosmopolitan, first opened as a boarding house in 1845, is possibly New York's oldest hotel structure.

Description:

Rooms at the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Tribeca are basic and plain, but modern and clean, and the larger loft-style rooms have an added character. Beyond its frugality, the Cosmopolitan's best asset is its location: on the corner of Chambers Street and West Broadway in fashionable Tribeca, near such fun spots as The Odeon and more upscale restaurants such as Nobu. It is a great home base for exploring neighborhoods such as Lower Manhattan and South Street Seaport, Soho, Chinatown and Little Italy.

Description:

This Upper West Side hotel is a little far from the center of the action in New York City, but only a short subway ride to Midtown Manhattan. The neighborhood is residential and close to both Central Park and Riverside Park. The rooms are fairly large, and the suites have all the comforts of home including a mini-refrigerator, microwave oven, iron and ironing board.

Our Local Expert Says:

For just a few of the many diversions available in the park, check out some advanced roller blading skills at "The Hill" west of Sheep's Meadow, or have a drink/meal at the Boathouse, near 74th Street on the east side of Rowboat Lake and open all summer.

Description:

The idea for Central Park was born in 1858, which a competition was held to choose a design for what would be the first public park built in America. The winners were Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, whose Greensward plan proposed an entirely man-made park that would be intended only for public use, as a refuge from the relentless rhythms of New York City's already overcrowded streets. It took more than 15 years and $14 million (the equivalent of about $200 million today) to build the Park, with its 843 acres and six-mile perimeter extending from Central Park West to Fifth Avenue and from 59th Street to 110th Street. Those 843 acres include 136 acres of woodlands, 250 acres of lawns, and 7 different bodies of water totaling some 150 acres.

Starting in 1980, a public-private partnership between New York City and the Central Park Conservancy restored and preserved Central Park, and attendance has only been rising in recent years. Now, more than 25 million visitors per year stroll its 58 miles of pedestrian paths, go horseback riding on 4.5 miles of bridle paths, bike or jog on its 6.5 miles of winding roads, or simply relax on the grass or on the nearly 9,000 benches provided. The famous Tavern on the Green restaurant - the location of the finish line for the New York City Marathon - was originally a sheepfold, housing the shepherd and the flock that grazed Sheeps Meadow until 1934. In nice weather, the still lush meadow now welcomes hordes of sunbathers, picnickers, and people-watchers, all of whom enjoy lounging underneath some of the only sky in Manhattan unmarked by tall buildings. Other special features of the park include the Central Park Carousel, the Marionette Theater, the Central Park Wildlife Center, the Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, the Delacorte Theater, the Great Lawn, the Central Park Zoo, the Henry Luce Nature Observatory, Wollman Rink, Lasker Rink, the Loeb Boathouse, and the North Meadow.

Description:

The plays produced by the New York Shakespeare Festival and held in the Delacorte open-air theater every summer are free. In the past, they have attracted such big-name actors as Meryl Streep, Kevin Kline and Christopher Walken. However, the wait for tickets is certainly a test of endurance the line stretches forever, and it is quite possible that after suffering from the heat, bugs and lack of shade, you will be told that a show is sold out. If you manage to get a ticket, the recently renovated theater provides a lovely setting.

Description:

Do you think you will never be able to land tickets to the Metropolitan Opera? You may get your chance in the form of free, open-air summer concerts. Every year, the Met sets aside a month of park performances throughout the five boroughs and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut. Call or visit the Web site for information season schedule.

Our Local Expert Says:

Though the price of a hot dog keeps going up, this is still the best deal in NYC dining--by a longshot.

Description:

A New York favorite for almost 30 years, this hot dog joint offers a long-running special--one juicy hot dog with a slightly mysterious "papaya" fruit drink--that stakes a claim as the best dining deal in town. The store's famous facade has featured in several movies, and star chef Mario Batali is among the prominent New Yorkers who have proclaimed themselves fans of these dogs. There are three locations in the city, including this Upper West Side branch, the West Village (402 Sixth Avenue at 8th Street) and Hell's Kitchen (539 Eighth Avenue at 37th Street).