In this season when all our expenses south of the border are automatically increased by a good 30%, because of the exchange rate, let’s discover not so much the Upper West Side or the Lower East Side as the “Cheap Side” of the Big Apple.
No, the weakness of the loonie will not get the better of the annual “pilgrimage” to Manhattan! To us, Renzo Piano’s new Whitney, the MET Breuer, the High Line Park, the new observatory at One World Trade Center, Eataly et cie … which will also crowd this year the record number of 59.7 million visitors, according to forecasts from NYC Company, the city’s promotional agency.
But, in order not to blow up the entire summer vacation budget over a long weekend and make the most of our stay, we will have to make judicious choices … Choices which, let us be clear right away, nevertheless exclude stinginess ( and the bedbugs that sometimes come with it), our “not too expensive” being here synonymous with “not ruinous” and “good value for money”, all against a background of comfort and chic, at the very least of style.
And how do you get to the city of dear Bill (de Blasio, the mayor)? At the end of May, the best ticket we could find for the Canada Day long weekend was $ 345 at American Airlines; or a non-stop round trip making us land in New York at a reasonable time in the evening, Thursday, June 30, and take off in the late afternoon on Sunday, July 3. Not bad at all, but still too expensive for our budget?
So let’s take the bus late on Thursday evening and return to Montreal on Sunday afternoon for $ 144, round trip, with Greyhound. While the site Travelmath We learn that the Montreal-Manhattan-Montreal trip by car costs $ 105 in gasoline, to which must be added at least $ 100 of parking at destination and the boredom, at least for some, of having to drive. Everyone to see!
Find decent and affordable accommodation
Finding decent and inexpensive accommodation is quickly resolved in Manhattan as long as we live in a stranger’s apartment. Indeed, still at the end of last May, we could still find on Airbnb a small apartment on the Lower East Side for around $ 150 a night (actually, more like $ 200 with service and cleaning fees) for our long weekend.
For comparison, near Central Park, a standard category room at theHudson, a hotel with ordinary exterior but the interior of which bears the signature of Philippe Starck, cost US $ 215 per night, all taxes included, for this long weekend of July 1st. One thing is certain, whether you stay there or not, head for its pretty roof terrace with a view of the river, the aptly named Sky Terrace, at aperitif time!
At the end of last April, we stayed at the Best Western Plus Hospitality House, which enjoys a prime location on the corner of 49th Street and Lexington, right in the heart of the action. This boutique hotel has 35 suites, which are actually apartments with one or two bedrooms, a large living room and a full kitchen.
That weekend, the rate for a one-bedroom suite was $ 240 a night, including a generous breakfast for two – a real bargain for such a location, but one that probably won’t happen again. not until the next off-season. It is still an address to remember.
This way, the outings!
If this is your first visit to New York, you might be tempted to take a scenic coach ride like the Big Bus, but, unless you want to get stuck in a traffic jam, let’s save the US $ 52 from this bill and walk, or take the subway. On the other hand, to see Manhattan dressed in light at night, or to travel around Brooklyn, all on board!
Similarly, during a first stay, you might want to get a City Pass which gives access, for $ 159, to six iconic New York attractions, including the Empire State Building, the Metropolitan Art Museum and the Statue of Liberty, but that might not be a good idea during a long weekend, unless you want to visit everything at a run…
In addition, the statue can be seen very well during a half-hour cruise, free in addition, to Staten Island. After a walk in Battery Park, all you have to do is go to the Staten Island Ferry pier. Guaranteed departure from Whitehall Terminal every half hour, and in the evening the view of the city is fantastic.
Regarding the MET, did you know that at the box office of this museum like that of the Met Breuer (the former Whitney), the entrance fee of US $ 25 per person is just a… recommendation? In fact, we pay what we want, while still being invited to be as generous as possible.
Another must-see summer outing, especially for those who want to take a dip in nature, is the great Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which is free to enter on Saturdays between 10 a.m. and noon. But two hours is more than enough to explore the Japanese garden and fill your eyes with beauty.
Finally, who says New York also says Broadway, and to see a musical is for many a must. Are we ready to see anything? In Times Square, the TKTS kiosk sells tickets at 40-50% of their value for day or night performances.
But it is better to buy your ticket in advance on the website of The Broadway Collection when you want to make sure you have good seats for a musical as popular asAn American in Paris, winner of numerous awards, including Best Show of 2015 from the Outer Critics Circle.
Given at the Palace Theater, this musical, whose songs are by Ira and George Gershwin, presents a very thin frame, but the numbers combining contemporary dance and ballet are spectacular, and the sets are very impressive.
Dining: “atmospheric” addresses
In Manhattan, let’s do like the Manhattanians: at lunchtime, if the weather permits, let’s improvise a chic picnic. On the Central Park side, we will stop at the daily Le Pain bakery (site of a refreshment bar where, at the end of the 1800s, mineral water was served) to stock up on sandwiches and salads, which we will then go to. nibble under the sun of Sheep’s Meadow, the adjacent meadow.
On the side of the Meatpacking District, we will get something to eat at Gansevoort Market which, in July, should be installed in its new neighborhoods, located in all probability at 353 14th Street West. (At the time of publication, the said address seemed to hold a state secret …).
These provisions can be savored nearby, at the High Line Park, comfortably installed in one of the many public deckchairs along the old railway line. Then we can continue with the visit of the new Whitney Museum of American Art, not far.
Do we prefer to sit down? In Herald Square, The Pennsy is a new food fair offering several restaurants with a tempting menu where you can eat on the terrace. Eataly, chef Mario Batali’s market and the “Canadian Tire” of Italian gastronomy, is another gourmet option. Psitt: for a lunch with a view, head to La Birreria, on the roof.
If he falls from the ropes, we will look for the chain signs Wichcraft for their amazing sandwiches or we will enjoy a bowl of pork ramen at Momofuku Noodle Bar, Korean-American chef David Chang’s unpretentious Asian restaurant on the Lower East Side.
In Midtown, an insider address is The Good Soup for its salad, soup, dessert and glass of house wine menu for less than US $ 25.
In the radius of bouis-bouis full of atmosphere, the mythical Carnegie Deli, where Woody Allen’s aura hovers; Lombardi’s, the first pizzeria in Little Italy ; and Russ Daughters, the diner Lower East Side history immortalized in documentary Sturgeon Queens (to see on YouTube!) are sure values.
At sunset, we will sip a cocktail at the hotel’s Loopy Doopy Rooftop Bar Conrad New York, in Lower Manhattan. On this other pretty terrace with a view of the Hudson River, we will have plenty of time to think about a place to go for dinner. Maybe we’ll come to the conclusion that with all the savings we can even treat ourselves to a feast tonight!
Our reporter was the guest of NYC Company for part of his stay.
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