My Favorite Freebies in New York City

Spend all your money in your first few days in the city? No worries, I’ve got you covered. While New York City is known for being crazy expensive, there are plenty of things to do that won’t cost you a dime - life is all about balance, right?

My top five favorite freebies:

5. Walk The High Line - From start to finish, The High Line is 1.5 miles long. An old railroad track rising over the city recently transformed into a beautiful park, The High Line is filled with unique art and plants and offers great views of New York. Bring your lunch, find a bench and spend some time taking in the beauty surrounding The High Line.

4. Activities at Bryant Park - There is always something going on in Bryant Park! They have yoga (My favorite! I’ve written a little about that here), free classical music concerts, movies on the big green lawn, Broadway performances, juggling lessons, putting lessons and so, so much more…and it’s all free! While their events change a bit once the summer months pass, you can check out what they have to offer in the upcoming weeks by clicking here.

3. People watch at Washington Square Park - Washington Square Park has always been one of my favorite places in the city, and that’s because you just never know what you’re going to stumble upon. A folk band, a stilt walker, a street magician, a violinist, a man playing Mozart on a baby grand piano (how in the world did he get that piano to the park??), an acrobatic show - these are just a few of the things you may see in Washington Square Park. Plus, located in the wonderful Greenwich Village, it’s in a less tourist packed area of New York City. Oh, and once you’re done at Washington Square Park, walk down the street to the Friends Apartment Building (90 Bedford Street) and snap a pic.

2. TV Show Tapings - From the Today Show to Saturday Night Live to Good Morning America to The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, New York City is the place to be if you’re interest in television show tapings. The Today Show and GMA also have free concerts on occasion (I seriously cried when I found out missed Jimmy Buffett's concert). My sister-in-law came out to visit us with friends and went to the Late Show with Stephen Colbert filming and said the taping was a blast - we then got to watch it on TV that evening!

1. Tour the New York Public Library - I could spend all day in the New York Public Library (5th Avenue at 42nd Street). Built in 1906, it is jam-packed with history and art and, from its famous McGraw Rotunda to its world-renowned pair of marble lions, Patience and Fortitude, this building contains a ton of character. I enjoy visiting the library and spending the afternoon writing in the Edna Barnes Solomon Room room. They also have a fantastic children’s center for the kiddos - there’s something for everyone at the NYPL!

Bonus:

The New York City Department of Parks and Rec lists all its events, most of which are free, online here. You can modify your search to events in just Manhattan, Brooklyn or any neighborhood in the city. While the free events slow down a bit as summer turns to fall, there is still a ton going on.

On Tuesday evenings the 9/11 Memorial and Museum offers free tickets after 5 p.m. You have to either order them online or show up early to secure them, but it’s worth looking into if you’re in NYC on a budget.

On Wednesday’s the Bronx Zoo offers general admission on a pay-what-you-wish donation basis. With 50-plus animals listed on their website, the Bronx Zoo claims to be the largest metropolitan animal park in the country and is a perfect getaway from the fast pace of NYC for animal lovers.

On Friday evenings from 4-8 p.m. the Museum of Modern Art - the world’s largest collection of modern art and sculpture - also offers free admission.

The obvious freebies…

Every first timer should see Times Square - even if it means fighting your way through the crowds, getting hit in the face with a selfie stick a time or two and trying to avoid the creepy Elmo. In all reality, it’s an amazing place to spend a little time seeing the sights and taking a lot of selfies (everybody else is doing it).

Walk through Central Park - I love Central Park…I LOVE it. There is an endless amount to see and do, you could seriously spend an entire day exploring or partaking in their numerous activities. From the Belvedere Castle to the Balto Statue (I wrote about the Balto Statue here) the history that fills this park is fascinating. Their latest “Monthly Mile” walking tour is pretty cool too - it takes you on an adventure with various stops from the Pilgrim statue to the Hans Christian Anderson statute The Obelisk.

And a few more...

Walk over the Brooklyn Bridge and hang out at the Brooklyn Bridge Park (great views of the Manhattan skyline!)

Visit the beautiful Battery Park

Check out the Irish Hunger Memorial (at Battery Park)

Take the Staten Island Ferry for some of the best views of the Statue of Liberty without spending a dime

Walk Fifth Avenue and check out St. Patrick’s Cathedral

Visit Grand Central Terminal - the largest train station in the world

Visit the National Museum of the American Indian

Well, there you have it, folks, plenty of free things to do in NYC! I hope you and your wallet enjoy all these wonderful free attractions New York City has to offer!

Comment below if I'm missing your favorite NYC Freebie - I'd love to go and check it out!

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