A Guide to Visiting NYC in an Affordable Fashion

New York City is one of the most exciting places to visit, especially if you are from out of town. However, the city can be very expensive if you don't choose the right things to see or do. Thankfully there are many different tourist activities you can take part in for little to no money.

Some of the most popular places that tourists visit are Rockefeller Center, Times Square, 5^th Avenue and the Statue of Liberty.

Rockefeller Center is known for having Radio City Hall, which daily hosts television shows and special events. There are some great stores to go window shopping, and some inexpensive New York style deli's and restaurants in that area. You can also find the famous Ice Rink located at Rockefeller Center, and it can cost you under $20 to enjoy the great skating experience smack in the center of downtown New York City. The rink is open from 9:00AM - 10:30PM Monday through Thursday, and open from 8:30AM - Midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and 8:30AM - 10:00PM on Sundays. If you are more into sightseeing, you can visit the top of the Rock Observation Deck, or go on a tour of NBC studios. These attractions can both be done for under $20 each as well.

Times Square is a major attraction for tourists. It is known to be the landmark of the city. Sites you can visit are Virgin Records and Lowes Theatre, which often hosts popular movie premiers. On a premiere night, you can often see celebrities walking the red carpet to get into the theatre. Times Square is quite the vision at night, and it's a free sight to see.

5^th Avenue is known for its extravagant stores, but especially for their window displays. NYC is known to do their advertising through window displays, and it's quite entertaining to walk up 5^th avenue to see the difference all of the store windows and you don't even need to tempt yourself by walking inside. The only thing you'll want to keep in mind is that most of the stores shut down before 9:00PM, so the lights might not be on after hours. However, the stores do open between 9:00AM and 10:00AM every morning.

For only $14, you can get a ferry ride and a tour of the statue of liberty on Ellis Island right off of the coast of NYC.

Getting around NYC is actually very simple, the subway goes to every major spot in NYC and you can buy passes for a very little amount. Taxis are also a simple way of getting around the city; they save you the trouble of having to rent your own car for $30 dollars a day, and then have to deal with the awful traffic that can be found in the city.

There are many great hotels that can actually be found for under $200.00 a night, and they are right in the city. You can stay at the Hampton Inn Manhattan/ Time Square South for $199.00 a night, the Holiday Inn Express - Madison Square Garden for $192.50, or you could try the Lotus Hotel for only $124.00 a night.