Budget for NYC trip

[stinkerbelle's mom]

My ds (19) and his gf (18) are taking a day trip to NYC in October with his college. They plan on just taking the bus up and roaming around NY without seeing a show. It's the first time for both of them.

I'm trying to give them some suggestions of things to see and do within their time frame. Here's what I have listed so far: Empire State Building and/or Top of the Rock Observation Deck, Central Park/Central Park Zoo, Times Square( Rockefellar Ctr, MTV, Naked Cowboy), Macys, Statue of Liberty, carriage rides. Those kind of things. If you have any suggestions please add.

I'm kind of worried about sending them (him) about with cash. I was thinking about sending him with about $100-$200 cash and then just letting him use his visa/debit card. I've already suggested she not take a big purse and both creating a phony wallet in case they get.......... compromised.

Sorry for the book, but my questions are how much money should they plan to have? What are some do not miss things? and should I worry about them being mugged?

 

[Ava]

Don't worry about them being mugged. NYC is a very safe city. As long as they use common sense, i.e. keep their bags close to them & don't carry wallets in back pockets, they will be fine. The suggestion to not take a large purse is a good one, just because she will be more comfortable if she's not lugging around a big bag all day.

How much time will they have in the city? That will determine how much they can do.

The only thing on your list that's not convenient to anything else is the Statue of Liberty. If they have their hearts set on going there, they'll need to buy tickets in advance (they're timed tickets for the ferry) and it will also take up a big chunk of their day.

Everything else you've listed is pretty close together; they could walk from the Macy's area (Herald Square), through Times Square & Rockefellar Center, up to Central Park.

If they want to have a nice dinner, I'd recommend going over to 9th Avenue, between like 42nd & 54th Streets. Lots of great restaurants along that stretch, & not too pricey (by NYC standards).

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

I was hoping to get them as much as possible in the same area so they can do alot and won't get too lost. I only included the SOL because I wasn't sure if they'd really want to see it. I'll leave that up to them.

The trip says 7 am to 11pm, but I think he said they will expect to get to NY at 11am and will leave NY at 11pm and arrive home at 3 am.

Do you think they'll be ok carrying about $200 each and any other money on their VISAs? Also do u know if the Disney store is in that area?

 

[hoosiergirl7]

Avoid Empire State building and do Top of the Rock instead. It's less expensive and I personally like the view of the Empire State from the Rock and you're closer to Central Park from there. Also, for us when we went the 1st week of June, there was NO wait for Top of the Rock but Empire State was crazy busy. We stayed in a hotel in Times Square and easily walked down to Macy's & the Empire State Building as well as Rockafeller Center. The subway system is easy to navigate. We rode it a lot.

As for the Statue of Liberty, we did it only because we went out to Ellis Island to look for some family history. Would I do it again, no. It's about $30 per person and they will not be able to go up inside the statue. In order to do that they need to be in line before the crack of dawn in hopes of getting a very limited number of passes they give out. There are lots and lots of other things to do in NYC that are more worth it than touring the Statue of Liberty and you honestly need to allot about 1/2 a day to go to Liberty & Ellis Islands. Not sure they'd be up to doing that only having 1 day there.

I think between DH and I we took about $500 in cash. We kept most of it in our hotel safe while we were out and about. But for the day they should be OK with $100-$200 on hand and a debit card. We did 2 Broadway shows which were fabulous. One of the best parts of the trip. It's going to be hard for them to fit in a lot on a day trip. Their best bet is to stay in the Times Square, Rockafeller Center & Central Park area. Definitely have him keep his wallet in his front pocket and if she can avoid carrying a purse and putting a small wallet in her front pocket too. If not, something small that she care wear across her chest with the bag in front.

 

[nymets]

They should be alright with that amount of money, just keep the wallet in the front pocket. My husband still work in the city and keeps his wallet in his jean pocket front. NYC is very safe just use common sense when walking around.
Hope they see the naked cowboy in Time Square they can get their picture with him Central Park is alot of fun just to walk around also do not miss Strawberry Fields it in memory for John Lennon If you have any questions just ask I go to the city at least 2 times a month just to walk around always find something interesting to do

 

[etail]

I agree the NYC is safe with common sense. Just go where people are and don't ignore your surroundings.

Most of the younger folks I know coming to the city for the day just walk unless they are accustomed to the subways and know the lines and stops. "Streets" run east/west and Avenues run north/south (sort of) in Manhattan. Sometimes we like to change the name just to confuse you but recently have included the # name instead of just "Avenue of the Americas"...

Breakfast on the go would be about $10 for the two but sit down can push it to $20 easily. Lunch is similar and once they get clear of the really touristy spots they should look for lunch specials. Dinner I'd budget $40 unless they have really expensive tastes.

So $100 dollars will see that they don't starve or die from thirst. Shopping is another story...

Top of the rock(fee), Central Park, Time Square and Macy's are thing's I'd recomend as well. Grand Central station has the best ceiling in New York, a priceless opal time piece and a hidden whispering corner that can be fun and free to explore. The Central Park zoo has a charge but the chimes in front are free and unique. Horse carraiges are in my opinion cruel to the horses and in anyone's opinion are really expensive. FAO Schwartz is free to browse and most folks stop in the Apple stores to check e-mail in the middle of the day. Free! Between Time Square and Grand Central is Bryant Park and the New York Public Library. Often with noon concerts and sometimes free exhibits inside the library.

 

[mjkacmom]

They're 2 adults spending the day in NYC - kids here take the bus in all of the time! I don't know if he's immature, or you are a worry-wart, but if you hadn't put their ages, I would've assumed they were young teens (sending him with $).

 

[minpin3]

Unless they are really wanting to go to high end restaurants I would just go for it and be adventurous with food. My daughter (16 at the time) and I went a couple of years ago. We went to dinner at Mr. Chow and although delicious it wasnt our scene. Best meal we had was from a street vendor directly across the street from the hotel. I'm going back in Nov. and this time looking forward to a corned beef sandwich, bagels and NY pizza! Definitely budget conscious but I don't plan on going hungry! LOL

 

[crazyme5kids]

They'll be fine, don't worry. I agree with posters who said they will just have fun walking around. It's what I always did at that age. Well, that and hit the bars, but at that time the drinking age was 18 not 21 .

 

[MamaPotts]

I second them not going to the Statue of Liberty (it really does take a chunk of time). If they want to really see it from the water, they can take the Staten Island Ferry to the Staten Island side and back for free. But it will take a chunk o' time.

I agree that Top of the Rock is the way to go and that way they'll also see Rockefeller Center (and can cross over to St. Patrick's Cathedral if they want to as it's practically across the street). From there they can head north up Fifth Avenue to Central Park.

If they're going for just one day, the $200 is more than enough.

As for where to eat, the suggestion of Ninth Avenue is a good one. Not many tourists venture that far from the beaten path and there are lots of good (cheaper) ethnic restaurants in that area.

My last suggestion would be that they pick a part of the City they want to visit (kind of like picking just one park at WDW), and take the time to explore it. That could be midtown for a first visit. Depending on when they come, the new Disney Store in Times Square may be open.

And don't worry, Mom! My 14 year old travels into Manhattan every day on his own as do bunches of other kids. Your son and his GF will do fine!

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

Thanks for all the positive feedback. They are both just out of high school so this will be their first trip anyways w/o chaperones or anything so I'm more worried about them getting lost. I think that "tourist" look might be what would give them trouble. Honestly, I think they will do fine and I'm really excited for them to have a great trip. I'm not sure what things cost so I don't want them to be w/o the spending money they need. I haven't been to NY in years so I'm a bit out of touch with prices.

They're 2 adults spending the day in NYC - kids here take the bus in all of the time! I don't know if he's immature, or you are a worry-wart, but if you hadn't put their ages, I would've assumed they were young teens (sending him with $).

Thank you for commenting on my post, but I fail to see how your comments have answered any of my questions. The questions were where are good places to go, how much should they carry, and should I be worried about them getting jumped? Those things happen all over no matter how old a person is.

 

[lila]

I would not worry about them "being jumped." That's being more than a little dramatic and I would be more worried about their safety in Baltimore! The budget you proposed will be more than fine and they will be fine too. Being the age group they are in, they may have a good time hanging out in the Village/exploring the NYU area.

 

[MichelleinMaine]

Our first trip into NYC, we took one of the double decker bus tours. It's hop on/hop off for 24 hours and covers most of the highlights. They'd have the option of getting off or just driving by and listening to the guided tour narration. It was a great way to get a feel for the layout of the city.

I forget how much it was, it was with Gray Line tours. We got on just outside NBC at Rockefeller Plaza.

 

[nymets]

I agree with the above post I'm sure they will love the village just to walk around. My son hangs out in the village on weekends with his friends [ just like his father did in the sixties.] They will love Time Square Hard Rock Cafe, MTV and all the Broadway Lights.

 

[Green Tea]

I was hoping to get them as much as possible in the same area so they can do alot and won't get too lost. I only included the SOL because I wasn't sure if they'd really want to see it. I'll leave that up to them.

The trip says 7 am to 11pm, but I think he said they will expect to get to NY at 11am and will leave NY at 11pm and arrive home at 3 am.

Do you think they'll be ok carrying about $200 each and any other money on their VISAs? Also do u know if the Disney store is in that area?

This is a college organized trip? I honestly can't imagine my college kid taking suggestions from me on what to do with a bus full of college kids loose in NYC. HE wants to go to the Disney Store?

 

[VAN]

I think the suggestion of the Greyline double-decker bus tour is a good one. We've gone to NYC the last two years for a short time and did the tours both times ... very good use of time to get an overview of the city.

Regarding the SOL ... we also did it both times and both times went up in the Crown. Those crown tickets are sold on-line in advance ... usually months in advance ...

The SOL/Ellis Island (if done right) is at least a full half-day event so I would skip that if you only have one day. For anyone with more time in the city, get your Crown tickets 2-3 months in advance from the on-line site and get the audio tour for Ellis Island .... extremely memorable. I think every American who spent the time to really do SOL/EI correctly would come away with a new appreciation for what our families went through to immigrate here and what it means to be an American! Okay, I'm off my soapbox.

Seriously though, I'd recommend they do both the downtown and uptown bus tours. You can get a AAA discount if booked on-line ... then you just turn your voucher in at their tour office near Time's Square. On the tours they will see most of the iconic areas/places one associates with NYC.

We felt very safe in NYC ... just use common sense.

 

[stinkerbelle's mom]

Our first trip into NYC, we took one of the double decker bus tours. It's hop on/hop off for 24 hours and covers most of the highlights. They'd have the option of getting off or just driving by and listening to the guided tour narration. It was a great way to get a feel for the layout of the city.

I forget how much it was, it was with Gray Line tours. We got on just outside NBC at Rockefeller Plaza.

Cool idea thanks.

This is a college organized trip? I honestly can't imagine my college kid taking suggestions from me on what to do with a bus full of college kids loose in NYC. HE wants to go to the Disney Store?

He knows that I put this post up here and he's liked the suggestions that people have made so far and shared them with his gf. They are not sure if they'll go with the other people on the bus or everyone will just go their seperate ways.

I think every American who spent the time to really do SOL/EI correctly would come away with a new appreciation for what our families went through to immigrate here and what it means to be an American! Okay, I'm off my soapbox.

Seriously though, I'd recommend they do both the downtown and uptown bus tours. You can get a AAA discount if booked on-line ... then you just turn your voucher in at their tour office near Time's Square. On the tours they will see most of the iconic areas/places one associates with NYC.

We felt very safe in NYC ... just use common sense.

Thanks for the tips on the buses. I know what you mean about EI, I ordered info from their about my grandmother's journey and surprised my mom one year for Christmas.