A few years ago, I discovered my passion for traveling.
But unfortunately, for a long gime, I was under the misconception that traveling to faraway places was expensive.
I was convinced that I could only enjoy my travels if I had a lot of money.
How wrong I was!
Over time, I realized that I don't even have to dig that deep into my pockets.
Today, I find out in advance what options I have to pass the time locally without spending a single cent.
Especially in New York City, the giant metropolis on the east coast of the USA, I was surprised. There, I had numerous options to enjoy a great time without spending any money.
Past the Statue of Liberty with Staten Island Ferry
Since the Statue of Liberty is the city's landmark, many tourists naturally want to see this sight up close.
For this, however, I found only one provider in New York that would take me by boat to Liberty Island.
However, tickets for the trip to the Statue of Liberty cost about 20 US dollars.
In addition, the owner of the hostel where I stayed during my vacation in New York pointed out to me the high rush.
A trip to the island where the Statue of Liberty stands would mean for me to endure almost the whole day security checks over me.
In addition, I would have had according to the hostel owner also hardly a free view of the gigantic statue because this is constantly surrounded by a crowd.
But I found out that a certain ferry passes very close to the landmark of New York. This is the Staten Island Ferry.
Especially among employees who live in Staten Island but work in Manhattan, this ferry is extremely popular.
I was especially pleased that I don't have to pay anything at all for the ride to Staten Island. In addition, it runs every 15 to 30 minutes.
During the trip, the ship also gets pretty close to the Statue of Liberty.
I opted to grab a seat at the outside deck.
Fortunately, the ferry was only partially full and most preferred to stay inside.
So, I had no trouble at all finding a good spot from which to see the Statue of Liberty.
But actually, the view of the Statue of Liberty was not even the highlight of the crossing.
Because at the same time, I could get a breathtaking view of the striking Manhattan skyline while aboard the ferry.
Walk across the Brooklyn Bridge
Since my hostel was in Brooklyn, I really wanted to walk over the famous Brooklyn Bridge to Manhattan.
In fact, this was the first thing I did on my first morning in New York.
In my opinion, it belongs to the mandatory program of a visit to the US-American megacity.
Sure, to me, walking across a bridge didn't sound that exciting at all first.
But in this case, it was an experience that even today, 5 years later, I still remember with pleasure.
Above all, the breathtaking view of Manhattan that I could enjoy while running is what makes it so appealing to me.
From the Brooklyn Bridge alone, I had numerous opportunities to admire the impressive Manhattan skyline.
In fact, I took so many photos that I could have filled a whole new photo album just from my walk from Brooklyn to Manhattan.
Learn more about the city on a Free Walking Tour
Meanwhile, the so-called Free Walking Tours are no longer an insider tip.
Especially in European cities, I have already participated in some of these free city tours.
Of course, I was quite excited when I found out that New York also offers this kind of tour throughout its city.
I especially like the concept of a free walking tour. Instead of paying a fixed price beforehand, at the end of the tour I simply tip exactly how much the tour was worth to me.
If I have had a lot of fun during the tour and the tour guide was sympathetic to me, then I am of course a little more generous.
However, it was pointed out to me at the beginning that no one is forced to spend any money at all.
Even if I didn't have any money, I would learn a lot about New York this way that I didn't know before.
In New York, I could even choose from numerous operators.
The most famous operator is Sandeman's, but they operate exclusively in southern Manhattan. Nevertheless, I also participated in a tour with them.
However, I would rather recommend the Big Apple Greeter.
They work on a voluntary basis and have more than 300 guides who know their way around.
Especially the opportunity to get to know New York from the perspective of a local made me happy. This way, I could also learn a lot about Brooklyn or the Bronx.
Free admission to New York museums
Many of the museums I visited in New York offer free admission on certain days or times of the day.
Among others, had the opportunity to visit the Museum of Modern Art without paying anything.
This is because on Fridays from 16:00 to 20:00, anyone who wants to admire the exhibits can do so at no cost.
The Guggenheim Museum is another museum that also allows its guests to pass without paying anything.
Some, however, have a “pay what you wish” concept.
There, although there is a price at the entrance, it is only a suggestion for a reasonable price. In this way, I could also further save my wallet.
Worth it!
So during my trip to New York, I realized the city is not as expensive as I initially thought. I could indulge in many activities without paying a single cent. Even if I fly to New York again sometime in the future, I will definitely walk across the Brooklyn Bridge or take the ferry to Staten Island one more time!
P.S.
Hey guys. This article was made by a german writer. He seems like a nice guy and his article actually had a lot of value, but you can tell, he's not a native speaker. Let me know how you feel about it.
The magazine is going pretty slow, since the price of POB fell so much, that posts won't be able to pay for themselves. But I have one more post coming up, before I have to decide where to go from here.