Budget NYC trip?

[la79al]

I came up with the idea of giving DSD (15) a trip to NYC for Christmas. She has been wanting to go for years and it's never happened. I have a cousin living in Brooklyn who she/we can stay with and we live in PA so no plane ride. I asked DSD what she wants to do in NYC and it sounds like she just wants to experience being in a big city. She mentioned hanging out in a coffee shop to people watch and seeing a city view from your window so I don't know if she's even interested in the touristy stuff. I was thinking about doing the saran wrap ball thing (with a guide book and note in the middle) under the tree to tell her and then letting her plan. Can anyone give me any pointers or an idea of how much I should budget for this? My cousin has offered to take her in and play tour guide and I'm thinking she might have more fun that way but I'm going to let it up to DSD.

 

[Traveling on cc points]

Everything is very expensive in NYC as I'm sure you already know. We live in CT and go almost every year for a couple days. You didn't say how long you plan on staying. Do you plan on eating meals at you cousins house? The answers to these question will make a big difference on the budget.

 

[Bete]

You can take a city tour by bus for about $75/person. We did this a couple of weeks ago and we saw all the highlights. You do get off the bus to see the special places like Time Square, Rockefeller Center, St. Pat's Cathedral, Empire State Building, 9-11 Memorial and so forth. You don't have to pay for parking that way, you don't have to walk as much, and you don't have to worry about traffic. We were so happy with what we saw and in such a short period of time we accomplished all the main attractions.

You can go to a museum and/or do a Broadway show. Hamilton is practically impossible to get tickets. Do a subway ride.

 

[suebeelin]

Couple of tips:
1. Food is very good but possibly expensive unless you do ethnic like Chinatown. Even then it may not be as cheap as your would like. But the food is GOOD (esp Japanese food including Sushi or even Ethiopian). Budget out what you want to eat and where.
2. Museum of Natural History is technically "donations" only. You can offer $5, and go in even though the recommended amount is $20+. I believe the Metropollitan Museum of Art is similar.
3. Money for Subway. I believe they have a day pass or week pass. I would do that and ride the subway as often as you want.
4. I lived in Manhattan for 17 years and barely went to Broadway shows, but I'm not a Browadway person. I preferred Operas instead, and was able to get tickets at the City Opera for much less than the Met Opera. Walk around-- Lincoln Center. Rockefeller Center. Columbia university. Chinatown. West Village. Chelsea.
5. If youre driving in from PA, figure out parking Is there parking in Brooklyn near where you are staying? Otherwise you may consider parking in a lot in NJ (Secaucus Station?) and going to NYC via NJ Transit to cut costs. I know that daily parking in NYC was $50/day or else you're driving around aimlessly for an hour to find a spot in a residential neighborhood. I kept a car in the city for 2 years. I was towed twice. It was a pain and very expensive.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[js717]

What month/time of year are you going??

While yes, things in NYC can be expensive, if you are looking for the atmosphere and experience you can do tons of free things

- Walk around Central park!
- Times Square
- Bryant Park
- Go down to Battery Park to get a cool view of the Statue of Liberty
- You can even jump on the Staten Island Ferry to get an up close view of Statue of Liberty... then when you get to Staten Island... unload and get back on the ferry to go back to Manhattan (Its free!)
- Walk the brooklyn bridge!
- Walk around Macys, its huge
- Rockefeller Center
- Museums are normally donations
- If you do want to see a Show - either look for discounted tickets online or there is a TKTS half price ticket booth in Times Square

Love the idea of this trip as a gift - Enjoy!!

 

[happily single]

I like your daugther's thought of wanting to feel like a New Yorker. Two years ago I spent a weekend doing some work training. My trainer was kind enough to offer me her guest room. It was really the best experience. She lived somewhere in mid-town. I would wake up and walk to a local dinner. It felt right out of Steinfeld. I really enjoyed just strolling the residential streets and looking at the different buildings. Really took my time to appreciate the life in NY. I also did Starlight (or Stardust) Coffee Shop, enjoyed a piece of cake and hot chocolate, and watched people go by. This was one of my favorite trips to NY. Yes, I did Times Square, but I really just wandered (carefully) around the neighborhoods.

 

[QueenIsabella]

I've done a few day trips with my older DD when she was younger. Highlights were: the double-decker bus tour--very informative and fun; Museum of Natural History (splurge and go in the planetarium), the Rockettes; and a Broadway show. One of the biggest hits, believe it or not, was the 2-story McDonald's. She loved sitting by the window and looking out at the passers-by. Talk about cheap entertainment!

You could probably do a few days, and have a plan for going into the city each day. Maybe get her a guide book and have her pick which sights on which day? If I were doing it, I would give her an overall budget, and have her pick which things to do within that--maybe, $100 pp for sightseeing, but have a splurge day followed by a "hang in Central Park" day. Meals are trickier, but maybe work together to find places that are reasonable? She's old enough to understand budgeting and have some good input in the planning.