10 fantastic areas to stay in New York if you’re on a budget. / NYC and Company
If you feared the new Airbnb regulations slapped on NYC’s super hosts meant bye-bye to an affordable holiday, think again. There are still several areas in New York where savvy travellers can enjoy the Big Apple on a small budget, writes Tamara Hinson.
It’s a myth that visiting New York City means splashing obscene amounts of cash. To start with, many of its attractions offer free admission on certain days (these will often be Mondays, but check the website in question for more information), while its cheap, easily navigable public transport system – which includes the free Staten Island ferry – means getting from A to B can be surprisingly easy on the purse strings, too. Another benefit to New York’s accessibility is the range of neighbourhoods which double as brilliant bases, which is why we decided it’s high time to flag six great areas from which to conduct your exploration of the Big Apple.
Home to one of the world’s largest baseball stadiums and the home turf of the Yankees, the Bronx has countless claims to fame, and it’s one of the cheapest places to stay in New York, too. This is where baseball player Babe Ruth made a name for himself, but it’s also regarded as the birthplace of hip-hop (a genre which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2023). It’s a great spot for travellers watching the pennies - the heart of Manhattan is 8km away and easily accessible via metro or taxi. Base yourself at South Bronx’s Opera House Hotel, just a short walk from the Yankees’ baseball stadium. This beautiful heritage property was once the Bronx Opera House, and Harry Houdini, Lionel Barrymore and the Marx Brothers are just a handful of the performers who took to the stage (don’t miss the reprinted performance reviews that line the hotel’s corridors). Make sure you stop by the Bronx Brewery where you’ll find a beautiful taproom, a mural-daubed beer garden and some of New York’s finest craft beers. Oh, and there’s a resident brewery cat called Gasket. What more could you want?
A small but perfectly formed neighbourhood in Lower Manhattan, Little Italy is a colourful neighbourhood popular with foodies. This is where you’ll find some of the city’s best pizzerias, although there’s plenty of other delicious Italian fare, too. We recommend Di Palo’s Fine Foods, a fifth-generation-owned deli which specialises in Italian cheeses and smoked hams (don’t be afraid to ask for a free sample). Stock up on supplies before heading to Central Park for a picnic – New York’s most famous green space is just a 20-minute metro ride from Little Italy. Check-in at the Nolitan hotel and you’ll get complimentary bike hire with your room, starting from just NZ$342 per night.
Full disclosure - Queens is huge, and there are actually 91 neighbourhoods (more than any other borough) within its boundaries. It’s a fantastically diverse area of New York – one which holds the Guinness World Record for the most ethnically diverse area (over 138 languages are spoken here), but which is also a magnet for culture vultures. Highlights include the Museum of the Moving Image (which is admission-free on Thursdays), the Noguchi Museum, which honours the late American landscape artist Isamu Noguchi, and the riverside Socrates Sculpture Park, which has a constantly rotating selection of spectacular art installations. There’s plenty of green space here too, and our favourite spots include Queens Botanical Garden (which is free to visit between November and March) and Flushing Meadows–Corona Park - the fourth-largest public park in New York City. Fancy hanging 10? Queens is also where you’ll find the Rockaways neighbourhood, which has New York’s only two surf beaches. A sprawling tangle of metro routes means you can base yourself in any of Queens’ neighbourhoods and still have easy access to downtown New York, although we’ve got a soft spot for The Local, a funky hostel in the Long Island City neighbourhood, famous for its buzzing nightlife, riverside parks and contemporary art museums. A bed in one of The Local’s four-bed, single-sex dormitories starts from around NZ$165. Don’t forget to check out the views from the hostel’s gorgeous roof terrace.
Tempted to book a ticket on one of those overpriced ferry cruises that involve handing over your hard-earned cash for a pre-recorded audio guide played through a crackling, well-worn headset? Save your money and hop on the bright orange – and most importantly, free – Staten Island Ferry, instead. And don’t rush to head back once you’ve taken in the breathtaking views of Manhattan – Staten Island, which has 60 neighbourhoods, might well be a great base for explorations of both Manhattan and the wider city, but there are plenty of reasons to stay put. Fantastic spots for a history fix include the National Lighthouse Museum (children aged 12 and under can visit for free, while adults pay just NZ$12), Conference House, where Ben Franklin and John Adams tried to broker peace with the British in 1776, and Alice Austen House, the former home of Alice Austen, a photographer and feminist born in the mid-1800s, who is said to be the first woman on Staten Island to own a car.
The island is also famous for its green space. Don’t fancy doing battle with Central Park’s selfie sticks? Stick to Staten Island and explore its forests, wetlands and hiking trails, all of which are connected via the Staten Island Greenbelt. For the best of both worlds, crash at the Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott New York Staten Island – you’ll be just a short walk from the Staten Island Mall, St George Theatre and Staten Island Zoo, and there’s a free shuttle to the ferry terminal. Double rooms start from NZ$235, including breakfast.
It’s hard to find a cooler ‘hood than Brooklyn, although it’s worth noting that this area is home to over two million people and has numerous neighbourhoods which double as brilliant bases. It’s another great foodie destination – you’ll find some of New York’s best Caribbean cuisine in Flatbush (which has the world’s only Little Caribbean), while the Fort Greene area is known for its diversity – you can feast on wallet-friendly fare at a fantastic deli before a leisurely stroll along the brownstone-lined avenues. Brooklyn also has some fantastic bars. One of our favourite spots for a tipple is Red Hook, a waterfront area where cobblestone streets are lined with bars and whisky distilleries. We suggest raising a toast to New York at Sunny’s Bar, which opened in 1890. Afterwards, visit Steve’s Authentic Key Lime Pie store – grab one to go (individual pies start from around NZ$12) and head to the nearby Louis Valentino Jr Park where you can soak up views of the Statue of Liberty. Rooms at Brooklyn’s Condor Hotel start from around NZ$265pn, and rooms have kitchenettes with microwaves and refrigerators. In other words, you can dine in and have plenty of spending money to offload at Brooklyn’s brilliant bars and restaurants. We suggest treating yourself to an afternoon at the Williamsburg Hotel, which you’ll find in the area of the same name and which is famous for its weekend jazz brunches.
There’s no shortage of eye candy in this fabulous midtown Manhattan district, famous for the huge number of Beaux Arts buildings which line its streets. It’s a brilliant location for anyone who wants to stay in Manhattan but would rather not sell a kidney to do so; in recent years several fabulously hip, but budget-friendly, hostels and hotels have opened here. If you’re craving some luxury, you’ll be pleased to hear that four and five-star hotels here are considerably cheaper here than in areas such as Soho and Central Park. A great example is the Freehand New York, a four-star hotel where rooms have been daubed with murals painted by art students from the nearby Bard College. Rooms start from just NZ$200 a night, and the packed calendar of events ranges from DJ sets to rooftop parties. The daily happy hours provide great opportunities to get to know your fellow travellers.
For some free fun, you can’t beat nearby Little Island, a public park which rises out of the water some 60 feet off Manhattan’s West Side. Connected to the mainland by walkways, it’s a space-age structure supported by 132 shapely concrete pillars of varying heights. The result is an undulating, multi-level park that seems to almost rise and fall with the tide. Highlights include the 350 species of flowers, trees and shrubs, a 687-seat amphitheatre and lawn space perfect for picnics, along with what might just be the world’s coolest instrument - step on the metal plates built into the ground near the park’s entrance to produce piano-like ditties.
For more things to do in the city, see nyctourism.com
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