When you live near NYC, you become a permanent tourist. We seek out the free stuff, but we're not afraid to pay as well, because we're on permanent staycation, and that means travel and lodging are dirt cheap.
When not specified otherwise, the event is on Manhattan Island.
* NOT YET: denotes that we would like to do it but haven't done it yet
* START HERE: denotes where we left off trying to flesh out this list
Started this list from memory Sept 4 2018
- Big Bus Tours (August 2018)
- We bought sixty dollar tickets (they last two days) $120 total
- We took part of the lower and all of the upper Manhattan busses
- This tour has an upper deck and a good tour guide
- The tickets were two-days access to all Big Bus, plus Circle Line Liberty Cruise
- "Experience The Ride" bus (August 2018)
- We took the one with Virtual Reality into the past
- "The Ride" has other "rides" but the one we did was called "Downtown Experience." That's the one with VR
- This is a bus where everyone sits sideways, inside the air conditioned bus
- The seats are tiered so everyone can see
- There's a tour guide, plus small tv displays above our heads, plus VR headsets
- Included a street performer with a microphone wired up to the bus, he did a rap about 9/11. We think they have several of these street performers so that all the "Rides" has one.
- Circle Line Tours
- We did the one hour Liberty Tour which was free because the day before, we had taken the $60 Big Bus Tour which gave us extra stuff (August 2018)
- We took the entire tour around Manhattan which is two and a half hours (2017)
- Cucina Liberta (August 2018)
- A cafe at 17 Battery Place
- Cheap deli you can almost miss, and if you're a tourist, you do miss it
- Yummy three dollar bean soup
- Outdoor seating in the back
- Upstairs indoor seating
- It has everything -- pizza, Mexican, you name it
- Le Pain Quotidien (August 2018)
- This is a chain all over Manhattan
- Funky decor, good sandwiches
- Ulysses on Stone Street (August 2018)
- Stone Street is an historic cobblestone street in Lower Manhattan
- On Mondays they offer a lobster special $20 all day
- Beckett's on Stone Street (August 2018)
- They offer a lobster special Sat, Sun, Mondays from 4 pm on for $25, but the one time we went there, it took them a long time of us waiting to tell us there's no lobster that day and they charged us for the drinks
- Another time we had a nice lunch there
- Umami in Brookfield Place (August 2018)
- All the way to the back of the NY Eats food court, it has terrific lemonade for three dollars. That's all we got
- It's easier to find seating back there too
- The Borbourg at Le District in Brookfield Place (August 2018)
- This faces the marina and has ample outdoor seating
- The tables are pretty close together
- Linda had branzino, Mike had blackened swordfish. Very good
- Merchants River House (summer 2018 and previous)
- Outdoor seating
- On the other side of the marina
- Mike's Tours (August 2018)
- Mike has other tours, but we did the Garment District Tour
- Mike was very funny
- His whole tour has a thread of his own family running through it and it's great
- The tours are free and we tipped him $20
- The tour was three hours
- New York Water Taxi (2018)
- We took the Liberty Tour which takes you near the Statue of Liberty
- Good tour guide
- Fleet Week (May 2018)
- We saw the divers at Times Square
- Linda saw the band that plays for free at South Street Seaport
- The band from 2018 was from Virginia and had a fantastic singer
- We missed entirely the Parade of Ships
- They also have a special event at the memorial but we missed that
- We went to the Intrepid for a free tour of the coastguard ship and something else. We got on the line at the front desk and asked for the free Fleet Week event, and they handed us the tickets that are limited to that event. (Can't remember if we had to print something out first.)
- Tribute in Light (Sept 11 2016 and 2017)
- Displayed from the Battery Park parking lot rooftop
- We can see from our apartment
- Barbalu (May 2018 and July 2018)
- A restaurant we like at South Street Seaport
- We have ordered fish; always good
- Has a very nice skylight
- Whale Watching Rockaway Beach out of Riis Landing, Queens (Summer 2018)
- There's a whole blog post about this
- We discovered we can pick up the whale watching ferry at Wall Street/Pier 11 instead of making our way all the way to Riis Landing, but only on weekends. Check the blog.
- We can also stay on the boat after whale watching because it returns to Pier 11
- Bourbon Street Bar & Grill (August 2018)
- On 46th street where there are a zillion restaurants
- 46th street is known as restaurant row
- Has a few tables out front in a recessed area which separates us nicely from the street
- To die for meals:Mike had Jambalaya with Shrimp and Creole Sauce, Linda had Crab Stuffed Shrimp with mashed and spinach
- Community House Rockaway Beach (Summer 2018)
- Seems like a place that tourists don't know about
- Definitely return there when we go to Rockaway
- Great bar food, great venue, cheap
- Coney Island Brooklyn (Summer 2018 and Summer 2017)
- NYC Ferry doesn't go there
- It's easy to get there by subway
- We heard that Luna Park is expanding; expect it to be much bigger in 2019
- The carousel looks easy but not good climbing for Mike
- We need to visit the aquarium
- We walked the entire boardwalk to Brighton Beach
- There are multiple parts to Luna Park that are not connected, so that means if you have a Luna Park pass, you're not restricted to the Luna Park that's in front of your face. The carousel is part of Luna Park too.
- Rockaway Beach Queens (Summer 2018)
- Can get there by subway or by NYC ferry
- Fun to just walk there but things are far apart and it's very long
- Skyscraper Museum (August 2018)
- Small museum in Battery Park across the street from the Holocaust Museum
- It's five dollars to get in
- We got in for free through our NYC Library card (see Lastpass for how to get tix)
- Very interesting; done in an hour
- Tour of Lower Manhattan
- Agency: Tours by Foot (free but you tip them at the end)
- Tour of 9/11
- Agency Tours by Foot
- Tour of Brooklyn Heights
- Agency Tours by Foot
- Tour of Courthouse area
- Agency: Tours by Foot
- Tour of Tribeca and Soho
- Agency: Tours by Foot
- Tour of Grand Central Terminal
- There are several different tours, including Tours by Foot, but we got the free tour through Grand Central Partnership
- Walk the Brooklyn Bridge (2017)
- This is free and can be done any time, best if it's not too hot
- There are often street performers by City Hall
- Walk the George Washington Bridge (Summer 2018)
- This was through a walking club called "Freewalkers." We are on their mailing list. Steps were approx 37,000.
- Walk the High Bridge (Summer 2018) Upper Manhattan a 15-minute walk from the subways on each side and I think the bridge itself takes half an hour to cross
- Walk the High Line (2017 and 2018)
- Ride the Roosevelt Island Tramway
- Roosevelt Island
- New York Hall of Science Museum in Flushing Queens
- Liberty Science Center -- been there a few times but not since the planetarium was re-opened
- Participate in Messiah Sing at Judson Memorial Church (2017)
- This has no audience
- If you show up, you're singing
- They give you a score that you have to give back
- We already own the same score that they give out (orange cover)
- They serve snacks after the singing
- We ate dinner in the city before the singing (at Cuba which we liked)
- Hayride Decker Farms on Staten Island
- We took a bus from lower Manhattan
- The bus crossed the Verazano Bridge
- This is a kids' event, but we loved it
- Very small and not commercialized
- We took a free shuttle bus back from Decker to Richmondtown, and then walked to the Staten Island RR and took that to the ferry
- Maybe we could take the shuttle bus from Richmondtown to Decker Farms next time
- Walk around Bay Ridge
- This was about visiting family roots
- Walked to the base of Verazanno Bridge
- We took NYC Ferry
- Subway would have been better in terms of the amount of walking we'd need to do
- If we do it again, ask Peggy for addresses
- Staten Island ferry to Staten Island RR
- Got off the railroad to see the Verazzano Bridge from a high point
- Staten Island ferry to Staten Island RR to Richmond Town
- They gave us a tour. Not pricey
- Sometimes they have a blacksmith and a glassblower
- Free ride to Staten Island on Staten Island Ferry
- Goes near Statue of Liberty but no tour guide
- Runs every half hour
- Runs 24 hours a day
- Visit the construction at Harrison PATH station, New Jersey (summer 2018)
- Complete reconstruction which will gentrify Harrison
- Several easy spots from which to watch the workers, including on the platform
- October 1 2018 is the grand opening of the westbound side
- Liberty State Park
- The Warren Street Ferry is only a dollar to get over there
- Liberty State Park has some special events in the summer
- Visit Chelsea Piers
- We watched a hockey game sponsored by the New York City Gay Hockey Association (NYCGHA)
- Intrepid Museum
- Also Interpid has some free stuff for which you get a pass from some other entity; when you show it they let you in to just certain parts of the museum. (See Fleet Week for example.)
- Houses the Enterprise Shuttle
- The 9/11 Memorial (not so fun but interesting)
- The 9/11 Museum (not so fun but interesting)
- One World Trade Center Observatory
- Fun for visitors
- Elevator ride was fun because we see a film of the building of lower Manhattan over time
- The Oculus
- They have special events there. We went to see a Rockettes autographing event
- The Rockettes at Radio City
- Near Central Park
- We went in 2016, but not 2017
- In 2017 they drastically changed their show
- Great for guests, would like to go every few years
- The Tree Construction at Rockefeller Center
- The week after Thanksgiving -- around five days
- This is more fun than the tree lighting
- Not covered much in the news
- Can go during the day
- We haven't caught watching the tree being transported to the site. That's done on a Sunday. Find a new story from last year to find out exactly when
- The Tree take-down at Rockefeller Center
- This was fun too, but we don't remember when it was. Maybe the week after New Year's Day? We think we remember it was two days
- Park Avenue street closing
- July?
- Starts in Foley Square
- Goes all the way to around 80th street
- We walk the whole thing
- Some of the stops along the way are interesting
- Took about six hours including lunch and some stops
- Bronx Zoo
- I have a separate post with the best mass transit instructions but it's gotten even easier because we can take the 1 train directly from the Oculus, and then switch to the 2.
- Wednesdays are free admission and the special exhibits are discounted
- Their chili is really good and very cheap
- Bronx Botanical Gardens
- Near the Bronx Zoo. Can take the same route
- Queens Botanical Gardens for a wedding
- This was the location of Tiff's wedding
- We got there easily enough by mass transit
- Donna Bella Pizzeria at Chambers
- Can walk underground all the way from inside the Oculus. Take the hallway next to Sugarfina which is on the second floor
- Great deal on two plain slices
- Limited seating but it always works out
- PJ Clarke's at Brookfield Place
- Nice outdoor seating, view of the harbor and the Hudson
- Very close to Brookfield Place/Battery Park City Ferry
- Bar food, bar is crowded on Thursday and Friday night but not the tables
- Transit Museum
- Has an annex in Grand Central Station with rotating interesting displays but very small
- Saw the map exhibit
- Cost 10 dollars per person
- Pretty big
- Lots of trains to go into
- Museum of the City of New York NOT YET
- Cuba by Judson
- We liked it
- Traditional Cuban food
- Small, well decorated
- Attended concerts at Judson
- Colin's concerts
- Get tix in advance with discount from Colin if possible
- Cuba is a nice place to eat nearby
- Central Park
- Use the app to find out events
- Some events not free and have to be reserved in advance
- Madison Square Park
- Art installations
- Union Square Park
- Bryant Park
- NBC Studio Tour NOT YET
- Radio City Tour (NOT YET)
- Southwest Something at Bryant Park
- Governor's Island
- Unicycle Festival
- 20's Jazz once a year
- Historical Visits
- Storytelling
- Tents
- That high point at the south end
- The Oyster shells
- Brooklyn Heights walk the Promenade
- Could be closing for a few years for construction
- Architecture Weekdn (NOT YET)
- Manufacturing Day
- 2018 October 5 (we didn't go)
- 2019 October 4 (we think)
- Jersey City Arts Festival we think September
- Friday Night kickoff . The 2018 kickoff was at Harborside
- Hoboken Street Festival Saw Spyro Gyro
- Taphaus Jersey City by the water
- City Diner
- Chili's Jersey City
- Lobster house or wheatever it's called in Jersey City
- Mike's birthday dinner Jersey City
- Planetarium at Liberty Science Center (NOT YET)
- Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium
- Spy Museum just opened (NOT YET)
- We ate in Little India with Dwight at Dhaba
- Charthouse
- Marcy's birthday in Hoboken
- Vintage Train
- Gotham Jazz at Lincoln Cneter
- Double Dutch competitions at Lincoln Center end of July outside (did this in 2017)
- Double Dutch competitions at the high school
- Double Dutch Holiday Classic at the Apollo (NOT YET, conflicts with Messiah)
- Columbus Day Parade
- Philadelphia
- By train
- Linda took Bolt Bus back
- Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island preferably weekday NOT YET
- Discover Bayonne on a weekday NOT YET
- The Beast at Circle Line (get goldstar discount) NOT YET
- Governor's Island in the fall https://govisland.com/calendar NOT YET
- Library walking tours NOT YET
- Free one-hour tours of the Stephen A. Schwarzman Building begin at 11 AM and 2 PM on Monday through Saturdays. Tours meet at the reception desk in Astor Hall. Tours are available on a first come basis and are limited to 25 people.
- Schooner to statue of liberty instead of ferry NOT YET
- VB3 in Jersey City for Thanksgiving Dinner
- Trinity Church Tour NOT YET
- Central Park Tour using the Central Park Rangers NOT YET
Started this chronological list Sept 17, 2018
- Sunday, Sept 16: San Genarro Street Festival in Little Italy. Extends north of Little Italy and becomes multicultural. Can be very crowded. Don't go if too hot. There were empty tables for sit-down dining at multiple spots
- Sunday, Sept 16: Seamore's Restaurant in Brookfield Place. We had a long wait and there was a strange leak in the outdoor seating, but they made good by comping the whole check. Mike had the very good lobster roll with potatos and very good coleslaw. Linda had snapper with a side of scallion sauce which turned out to be wonderfully spicy. They offer four different sauces for approx 3 different types of fish. Decent prices. Right across the street from El Vez.
- Saturday, Sept 21: NJPAC sang in a 300 plus voice choir at the consecration of the new bishop. It was good we brought plenty of food. NJPAC stage chairs very tight. We were in Prudential Hall. Mike needs comfy shoes instead of dress shoes and now we know that nobody cares. Also Linda can wear comfier shoes than this time. Chiro before and after would help.
- Sunday, Sept 30: Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers.
- After standing around at the IKEA parking lot staging area for walkers, they didn't let the walkers start until 10:17.
- Next year bring toilet paper in our pockets for the Royal Flushes.
- We have to always wear the bib on the front, not the back
- The information had said no bags, but we wondered about a fanny pack and Linda's Baggalini. Well, the announcement while we were at the parking lot said specifically no fanny packs inside the tunnel. So next year again, so fanny pack, no Bagallini. Mike held Linda's driver's license in his wallet.
- We took the ferry at around 6:30 We reached the Ikea lot around 7. Then we had to wait around until they finally let us walk at 10:17. Maybe next year take a subway, and we don't have to meet at IKEA. THe tables there are only for people who are not registered at all, or who did not pick up their packets in advance like we did (at the Conrad Hotel in lower Manhattan a few days in advance.)
- When we first arrive in Brooklyn (Red Hook) by ferry, they funnel us through the Fairway Store. We can eat there or make purchases but we didn't need to.
- The night before, Linda made two egg bagels with ham, salt, pepper and oil. Then wrapped them in aluminum foil. Then upon waking, I turned the oven to 350 then took a shower. We got up at 5 am and left at 5:45. We ate our bagels while traveling.
- October 6 through 7: Visit Madeline in Philly.
- Stayed at the Study at University City very close to the 30th street station. Total without the meal was around $370. Looking back, our previous two hotels were cheaper, in the low 200's.
- Our usual route: PATH to Newark Penn, then NJT to Trenton, then SEPTA to 30th street station
- Get tickets for combined septa and nj transit from a Septa machine or NJ Transit.
- Linda needs her own septa card for future visits to use on the trolley and subway because they don't let Mike swipe twice.
- We visited an art installation called "Magic Gardens" on South Street but they were sold out so we saw the outside, which actually pops up in many places over several blocks.
- We ate at a restaurant called Vientiane Cafe (Thai and Lao food) in walking distance of Maddie's home. 47th and Baltimore.
- Next time make the suitcase full of her stuff lighter.
- One king bed was a mistake. Next time get rollaway or two beds
- Next time target the 8:32 Newark Penn train instead of the 9:32. We didn't have enough time in the day.
- We set up a SEPTA account for Mike but it can't be replenished and we can't seem to put more money on the card. It has zero right now. Next time we are planning Philly, log into the SEPTA site again and see if it's working
- Friday October 12 through 14 OHNY Open House New York.
- Some visits require early registration. Others are walk-in. The first day, Friday, is known as Factory Friday.
- We reserved two but they were in two different boroughs with time constraints, so we only did one
- We did Tech Products in Staten Island which was really good. Port Authority uses them for bridge signs. Easy to get to by Staten Island Ferry, then short SIR ride. After this visit we ate lunch at River Dock Cafe which is at the SI Ferry Terminal. They both liked Linda's house chardonnay. We learned it is Gatto Negro.
- Tuesday October 16 Gigino at Wagner Park
- Marcy and Linda took ferry from Harborside to BPT, walked Esplanade to Gigino, a seventeen minute walk
- Cold outside but we chose to sit in their outdoor area that was surrounded by plastic, but not heated
- We both had pasta meals that have shrimp in them. Delicious food, great service, will go back again
- Sunday October 28 Brooklyn Transit Museum
- Special map exhibit that will be there for about a year
- Stopped by Trader Joe's but they aren't allowed to sell wine in New York
- A few minutes walk from Borough Hall -- easy to get there
- $10 per person. Senior discount starts at age 62
- Friday through Sunday October 12-14 Open House New York
- We found out that some tours of retail actually mean seeing it under construction, which would have been cool
- Friday is always factory Friday
- We saw a factory on Staten Island Tech Products. Worth going back.
- The guy at Tech Products also told us about an annual Sept event not associated with OHNY that is about seeing manufacturing or factories or something.
- Wednesday November 7 Liberty Cruises
- Bought tix through Topview site but can buy them from Liberty Cruises site
- Tix last six months
- Have to make a reservation but easy to change the reservations
- Brookfield Place/Battery Park City Terminal is where the boat comes in
- We chose the Select tix, which have more time availability than the other two choices
- We chose 1 pm. Have to be there half hour early
- Guided tour was good
- Using either of the websites gives a decent discount
- We noticed that there's another Liberty Cruise from the same ferry terminal. City Sightseeing uses Hornblower for a Liberty Cruise.
- Saturday November 11, 2018 Train Show at NYC Botanical Gardens
- It's in Queens
- D train bedford or take metro North to botanical gardens station
- We took the 2 train to Alerton but it was a long walk from the east gate to the main gate
- Train show is great
- Ate at Seamore's. Don't get the sides of quinoa and mashed cauliflower
- Wednesday, December 19, 2018: Saw Pentatonix at the Beacon Theatre. Ate at SaraBeth's. Both excellent.
- May 18, 2019: Prospect Park 1800's baseball game. Then the dance parade down Broadway. Then ate at La Palapa Cocina Mexicana which is on St Mark's Place (8th avenue). Great food! Mexican.
- May 27, 2019: Aba is a Turkish Restaurant on 57th near Columbus circle. Chicken Kabobs to die for.
- May 27, 2019 Fleet Week tried ot visit a ship at the Interpid but I couldn't because I was wearing flip-flops.
