Monday, May 21, 2007

New York is one of the top cities to visit in the world, and it can also be one of the most expensive. But with a little planning, comfortable shoes, and CRSHotels.com, you can have a great trip to New York on a budget.

Start your New York City trip with a free tour by Big Apple Greeter, a nonprofit organization that matches visitors with enthusiastic New Yorkers who share the city they love. The service is free, but there is a size limit to the group, and you need to submit a request 3-4 weeks prior. Besides showing you some sights, your Big Apple Greeter guide can also initiate you into the mysteries of making your way around New York using the subway.

Plenty of New York City's sightseeing is free. For great views of Lower Manhattan, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, take the free commuter ferry that runs between Battery Park and Staten Island. Enjoy the graceful ice skaters -- maybe catch a future Olympian -- at the ice rink at Rockefeller Center (between 47th and 50th St and Fifth and Seventh Ave). You might catch a celebrity of a different sort at the Little Church Around the Corner (29th St between Fifth and Madison Ave), a favorite of New York's acting community. Relive the movie Ghostbusters, enjoy the beautiful architecture and the impressive book collection at the famous New York Public Library (Fifth Ave and 42nd Street). Window shop to your heart's content on Fifth Avenue, with its tony shops and exclusive boutiques. Catch up on the latest news on giant screens and revel in the sights and sounds of the world-famous Times Square (Broadway and 42nd St). Bring out your kid energy at FAO Schwartz (Fifth Ave and 58th St) or your musical groove at MTV (Broadway and 46th St). Enjoy the magnificence of St. Patrick's Cathedral (Fifth Ave between 50th and 51st St), which seats 2200 people and has hosted famous ceremonies. Take in a free concert at the renowned Juilliard School at the Lincoln Center (Broadway and West 65th St), often daily during the school year. And, of course, don't miss Central Park, with over 800 acres of water gardens and open space, including the Shakespeare Garden, Strawberry Fields, Belvedere Castle, and the Central Park Zoo.

When it is time to eat, you can nosh like a New Yorker for under $10 at:
-Papaya King (rumored favorite of Sarah Jessica Parker): the classic NYC hot dog stands (200 West 14th St and 7th Ave; or East 86th St at 3rd Ave)
-Dumpling House: watch your food being prepared (118 Eldridge St, Grand & Broome) -Café Edison: known as the Polish Tearoom (Edison Hotel, 228 West 47th St)
-Channai Garden: get the lunch buffet at this South Indian restaurant (129 East 27th St, Park & Lexington Ave)
-Eisenberg Sandwich Shop: since 1929 (174th Ave, 22nd and 23rd St)
-Corner Bistro: great burgers, fries, and cheap beer (331 West 4th St, Jane St)

CRSHotels.com has great hotels for you, even when you are traveling on a budget. New York hotels with low rates include the Portland Square Hotel, a long-time theater hotel, serving both Broadway fans and cast members (check out the great CRSHotels.com deal below); the Grand Union Hotel, well-located in midtown Manhattan; the Marrakech Hotel, on the trendy Upper West Side (see the special deals below); the Americana Inn, around the corner from the Empire State Building; the Clarion Hotel Park Avenue South, in Murray Hill (with special deals below); the Edison Hotel, in the heart of Broadway; the Gershwin Hotel, in the historic Flatiron District; or the Sohotel New York, a recently-renovated historic hotel near Little Italy and Chinatown.