Favorite free or low cost activities in NYC?

[american_mama]

What are your favorite free or low cost activities in NYC? Low cost is $8 or less pp. This is what I found when googling for DD1's upcoming Girl Scout trip to NYC, where the troop budget is low. I am also storing up ideas for a a family trip there, hopefully at spring break next year.

* aerial tram to Rooselt Island for view (free transfer with subway ride)
* Staten Island ferry and Statue of Liberty (night or day)
* walk over Brooklyn Bridge
* rent CitiBikes (poss $3 for a 30 minute ride)
* visit the High Line (inc. free astronomy night on Tuesdays at dusk)
* free walking tour of Central Park by Central Park Conservancy (including Heart of the Park tour)
* kayak the Hudson from public boathouse (Pier 26, Pier 96, Riverside Park)
* outside portion of the 911 Memorial

Really good list here: https://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/new...2-1479d277d566

[lizzywednesday]

How old are the girls? How many of them are there? What do they like to do? It's really hard to throw a bunch of ideas out there without having a sense of what they're into, but I'll try anyway.

People-watching! I like to sit on the steps outside the Met, but you can also people-watch outside AMNH or at the cafe tables near Herald Square. Oh, and DEFINITELY people-watch at Grand Central's main concourse. (Use caution & be courteous if you're there during rush hour. And definitely DO look up at the ceiling.)

Pay-what-you-wish nights at museums, like NY Historical Society (I believe this is every Friday), which sometimes coincide with family programming (free with your admission!)

Depending on how far you are from NYC, the girls may be able to use their school student IDs to get discounted admission to the Met. (I'm still annoyed about the admission policy change, to be honest, because it's kind of my lifeline and DD loves the Egyptian exhibit.)

That said, I think AMNH is still a "suggested" donation, so if you don't plan to see the planetarium show, IMAX film, or a special exhibition (not sure what's there now), you can get in for as little as $1/person if you go to a human cashier. (I suggest choosing a relatively slow entry, like the one from the subway station if it's open, or around the corner through the Rose Center/Hayden Planetarium, because it'll be the least stressful way to get in.)

NYPL branches all have some amazing programming and exhibitions (FREE!) - the Schwartzman Building (Arts & Humanities branch) on 5th Avenue has two that look fascinating right now (one is about the 1960s and the other is about shared sacred sites) but the Performing Arts library has an exhibition about Rodgers & Hammerstein musicals that looks positively amazing, too.

Window-shopping at Macy's & riding the old escalators. (DD and I could do this all day if we let ourselves.)

See if you can visit GSUSA Headquarters, too! I have been there (when DD was an infant; they donated space to an event I was volunteering with) and it's kind of awesome. (Reach out to them to see if you can do a tour or something if you think the girls would enjoy it.)

Street food.

Street fairs. (Not sure how you find out about these, though.)

You may also be able to get group rate admission to places the girls MUST SEE if your group is large enough (usually 10+ people) but don't be afraid to check out LivingSocial and Groupon for lowered cost activities. (Though nothing in the $8/pp range. Even with a coupon, it'll be hard to find stuff.)

Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island (OK, not free and the cost varies depending on what you want to do, but you get BOTH sites with the same ferry ride!)

[american_mama]

[QUOTE=lizzywednesday;4299530]How old are the girls? How many of them are there? What do they like to

Thanks so much! I wasn't looking for ideas for the Girl Scout troop exactly, just general ideas. I found out about the aerial tram when I googled free view of NYC. I went on a great paid walking tour by the Central Park Conservancy last year, and discovered from their website that a few tours are free. So I was just looking for thoughts about other ideas, either popular ones or less known ones.

[lizzywednesday]

...

Thanks so much! I wasn't looking for ideas for the Girl Scout troop exactly, just general ideas. I found out about the aerial tram when I googled free view of NYC. I went on a great paid walking tour by the Central Park Conservancy last year, and discovered from their website that a few tours are free. So I was just looking for thoughts about other ideas, either popular ones or less known ones.

Those are among my favorite things to do when I go into the City, which is a lot less often than I like.

In the wintertime, we also like to browse the outdoor holiday markets at Bryant Park & Union Square (speaking of which, if you're in the Union Square area and like a good browse in a bookshop, turn your back on Barnes & Noble and head to The Strand. You'll have to check your bag at the front, but it's worth a few hours strolling and poking through the stacks - they boast 9 miles of books or something like that. If you need a bathroom, though, B&N is your best bet. Ask for the key to the one in the children's area; it's usually the cleanest.) We also like to watch skaters at the Bryant Park skate rink.

In spring & summer, not much beats the Union Square Farmers' Market for farmers to chat with and interesting produce (and other stuff) to buy. Many farmers have samples and business cards, so if you're not planning to buy anything, but enjoy their wares, you can always check how much it might be to ship.

Friends of mine recommend people-watching (and, on hot summer days, splashing in the fountain) at Washington Square Park, but I don't usually hang out that far downtown.

Also, check out TimeOut New York for more ideas! They update their events pages weekly.