Free Things to Do in New York City

As a native New Yorker born and raised in the City I frequently get ask to give advice on what to do and where to go when I friends come to New York from out of town.

Since New York is one of the most expensive cities in America and I am a thrifty sort of fellow I figured it would be a good idea to share my list of some free things you can do when visiting The Big Apple.

#1) Take a Boat Ride!
It always amazes me how tourist pay good money to see New York City by boat on the Circle Line when there are plenty of good ways to get on the water for free.

The easiest way to do this is to take a ride on the Staten Island Ferry. With gorgeous views of the Statue of Liberty and downtown Manhattan the Staten Island Ferry offers an amazing way to see New York Harbor free of charge.

The 22 minute ride each way from Whitehall Ferry Terminal (also known as South Ferry) in Manhattan to St. George Ferry Terminal in Staten Island runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week with boats leaving every 15 to 20 minutes. And with the money you save on the free ride you can splurge on snacks at the Ferry's snack bar (and yes the Staten Island Ferry's snack bar serves beer)!

Now if the 22 minute ride each way aboard the Staten Island Ferry is too long for you, you can take the free ferry to Governors Island instead. It a shorter ride and gives you a chance to see a part of New York that in the past few people had an opportunity to visit. For more info on the Governors Island Ferry and Governors Island events go to their website at http://www.govisland.com/

For the more athletic and do it yourself boaters why not try kayaking on the Hudson. The New York City Downtown Boathouse http://www.downtownboathouse.org/ gives free kayaks and free kayaking tours on the Hudson River.

The Downtown Boathouse is an all volunteer organization that offers free kayaks and free kayaking tours from May to October from three locations, Pier 40 at Houston Street, Pier 96 at 56th Street and 72nd Street in Riverside Park.

#2) See a Play!
One of the best free activities in New York is Shakespeare in the Park. http://www.publictheater.org/
Although tickets are getting harder and harder to get with a little effort they can be still be had. Tickets are given away for free around 1pm at the Delecorte Theater in Central Park but to get them you usually need to get there early (between 8AM and 10AM) and stand in line.

#3) See a Movie!
With movie ticket prices in New York City averaging about $12.50 (not counting the on-line ordering convenience charge) seeing a movie for free is a great deal. During the summer New York offers many free outdoor movies. It's like a giant drive in without the car and it's free!

The Byant Park Summer Series in Bryant Park on 42nd and 6th Avenue runs from June to August.

Riverflicks at Pier 46 (Charles Street at the Hudson River) offers free movies every Wednesday and Friday at sundown in July and August.

Brooklyn Bridge Movies With a View series runs free films in Brooklyn Park on Thursdays in July and August.

4) Go to a museum!
Not all museums cost an arm and a leg. Some museums in New York are completely free.
The Forbes Gallery on 62 Fifth Avenue (at 12th Street) and The National Museum of the American Indian on 1 Bowling Green are always free.

Also many museums in New York have free days.

On Tuesday The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, NY) and the Staten Island Museum are free.

On Wednesday you can see The Bronx Zoo and The New York Botanical Gardens free of charge.

Thursday evenings the American Craft Museum, the Children's Museum on the Arts and the Museum of Arts and Design are free.

Friday evenings you can go to the Whitney Museum, the Museum on Modern Art (MoMa), The New York Historical Society and the Asia Society for free.

Saturday evening the Guggenheim Museum is pay what you wish from 5:15pm to 7:45pm.

Sundays before noon the Museum of the City of New York is free and The Frick Collection is free until 1pm.

There are many other free offers out there so be sure to check with the museum's website before you go.

5) Here some music!
A concert doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. There are plenty of free music and concert series around NYC.

From the free Central Park Summerstage Series to the New York Philharmonic in the Park to The Metropolitan Opera in the Park there are a lot of free music to hear in New York.

Even hearing good street musicians can be a fun free way to spend the day in New York City!

So remember just because you are visiting New York one of the most expensive cities in America doesn't mean you will have to go home poor.