Monday, November 17, 2008
Cheap Date: New York City
The greatest cities in the world are often some of the most expensive cities in the world to stay in. However, with a little know how, and a sense of adventure, a great vacation in a world-class city can be made on a tin can budget. This is the first of an occasional series on this world traveler to show just how easy it can be. This week: New York City.
Housing
For a city of 8 million, affordable hotel availability seems relatively scarce. Even a Holiday Inn Express can run upwards of $200 a night on any given weekday. Staying across the Hudson in New Jersey might save you some cash, and looking into hotels near JFK airport might also save you some money, even though they are quite far away from most of the sights and scenes of the New York City that is worth experiencing. For the more adventurous, Loftstel might be the right place to stay. No private rooms, all bedrooms are shared with at least three other people, the stay seems like its in its own enclosed NYC house with gorgeous kitchen accomodations, free wi-fi and a lot of other extras. Starting at $25 a night, it might just be one of the best bargains out there in New York City.
Food
New York City is home to many of the world's best restaurants and any kind of food can be found here. If there was one thing worth splurging on in New York City, it would be the restaurants. But if the budget is tight, there are a number of places worth visiting.
The best fries in the city are undoubtedly at Pommes Frites off St. Marks. The regular size is extremely filling and affordable. It's possible to get filled with potatoes and any of 40 different frites sauces for under 6 dollars. Strongly recommended: the "Frites Sauce," a danish tangy mayonnaise that's available for free with the purchase of an order of fries.
Dirty water dogs are available at every street corner for about a dollar or two and they are quintessentially New York. They also may get you a little sick. For something that's an NYC hot dog tradition, skip the overpriced dogs at Nathan's and head to Gray's Papaya (3 locations in Manhattan including 37th Street and 8th Ave, just off the A/C/E subway lines at 34th st) for the "Recession Special." Two dogs and a drink for $4.45. Worried that the recession will be over before the visit is possible? No problem, the recession special is even available in boom times.
Looking for something with more bite? Try Oasis, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Amazing falafel, schwarma and just about everything else. Pricing is extremely reasonable too for a great takeout meal in one of the most happening neighborhoods in the city. (On 7 Street, just off the L train at Bedford Ave)
Getting Around
The best and cheapest way to get across New York City cheaply is the subway system. Day passes are available for just $7.50 and this will get you unlimited access for the day. Also, get a great view of the Statue of Liberty without paying to get there by taking the Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island and back. The ride is free and offers some wonderful views.
Things To Do
There's so much to see and do in New York City, and much of it is cheap or free. Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Coney Island, Times Square. All those places are worth hitting up and they don't cost a dime. A lot of museums have free admission occasionally as well. The Museum of Modern Art on 53rd Street is free on Friday evenings, and the New Museum on the Bowery in SoHo is free on Thursday nights. Also in more than a handful of spots in the city, ice skating is possible during the winter for just the cost of skate rental.
Looking for nightlife? That's a bit more costly, but there is one spot in Williamsburg where there's always live entertainment and never a cover charge. Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg (Lorimer Street, off the L train at Lorimer) hosts three or four performance a night ranging from indie rock to poetry readings and spelling bees. Plus $2 drafts for happy hour. It's one of the best values and most pleasant venues in the city.
There's plenty to do for very little money in New York City, enough to easily fill a weekend. NYC can definitely be a cheap date.
Housing
For a city of 8 million, affordable hotel availability seems relatively scarce. Even a Holiday Inn Express can run upwards of $200 a night on any given weekday. Staying across the Hudson in New Jersey might save you some cash, and looking into hotels near JFK airport might also save you some money, even though they are quite far away from most of the sights and scenes of the New York City that is worth experiencing. For the more adventurous, Loftstel might be the right place to stay. No private rooms, all bedrooms are shared with at least three other people, the stay seems like its in its own enclosed NYC house with gorgeous kitchen accomodations, free wi-fi and a lot of other extras. Starting at $25 a night, it might just be one of the best bargains out there in New York City.
Food
New York City is home to many of the world's best restaurants and any kind of food can be found here. If there was one thing worth splurging on in New York City, it would be the restaurants. But if the budget is tight, there are a number of places worth visiting.
The best fries in the city are undoubtedly at Pommes Frites off St. Marks. The regular size is extremely filling and affordable. It's possible to get filled with potatoes and any of 40 different frites sauces for under 6 dollars. Strongly recommended: the "Frites Sauce," a danish tangy mayonnaise that's available for free with the purchase of an order of fries.
Dirty water dogs are available at every street corner for about a dollar or two and they are quintessentially New York. They also may get you a little sick. For something that's an NYC hot dog tradition, skip the overpriced dogs at Nathan's and head to Gray's Papaya (3 locations in Manhattan including 37th Street and 8th Ave, just off the A/C/E subway lines at 34th st) for the "Recession Special." Two dogs and a drink for $4.45. Worried that the recession will be over before the visit is possible? No problem, the recession special is even available in boom times.
Looking for something with more bite? Try Oasis, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Amazing falafel, schwarma and just about everything else. Pricing is extremely reasonable too for a great takeout meal in one of the most happening neighborhoods in the city. (On 7 Street, just off the L train at Bedford Ave)
Getting Around
The best and cheapest way to get across New York City cheaply is the subway system. Day passes are available for just $7.50 and this will get you unlimited access for the day. Also, get a great view of the Statue of Liberty without paying to get there by taking the Staten Island Ferry from Manhattan to Staten Island and back. The ride is free and offers some wonderful views.
Things To Do
There's so much to see and do in New York City, and much of it is cheap or free. Central Park, Rockefeller Center, Coney Island, Times Square. All those places are worth hitting up and they don't cost a dime. A lot of museums have free admission occasionally as well. The Museum of Modern Art on 53rd Street is free on Friday evenings, and the New Museum on the Bowery in SoHo is free on Thursday nights. Also in more than a handful of spots in the city, ice skating is possible during the winter for just the cost of skate rental.
Looking for nightlife? That's a bit more costly, but there is one spot in Williamsburg where there's always live entertainment and never a cover charge. Pete's Candy Store in Williamsburg (Lorimer Street, off the L train at Lorimer) hosts three or four performance a night ranging from indie rock to poetry readings and spelling bees. Plus $2 drafts for happy hour. It's one of the best values and most pleasant venues in the city.
There's plenty to do for very little money in New York City, enough to easily fill a weekend. NYC can definitely be a cheap date.
Labels: budget travel, cheap date, cities, hostels, new york, new york city, tips, travel
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
North Korea Opens Its First Hostel... in Berlin
Where you sleep when you visit Berlin may just have become political again. According to Bloomberg News, the North Korean government is taking some of its unused embassy space, left over from when their operations were much larger in the former East German capital, and turning a section of their building into a Hostel.
Expected to open in May, Cityhostel Berlin will include a Korean restaurant and a Grand Piano apparently. The cost per night? 20 Euros a night (or roughly $31) for a bed. That's actually on the high end of competitive for Berlin, where even in high season, dorm beds generally run for about 14 or 15 Euros a night. But they don't get the added benefit of funding one of the world's most repressive and horrifying regimes in the process.
Sometimes it makes sense to consider where your travel dollar is going. A lot of hostels in the developing world can make you wonder if the money you are spending is going to the community around you, or going back to the owner's home country. In this case, where the money is being headed is most definitely worth consideration. After all, in this Korean restaurant it might be worth considering that eating Kimchi in this hostel isn't keeping North Koreans from eating tree bark to stay alive, even if the money is going to North Korea.
Expected to open in May, Cityhostel Berlin will include a Korean restaurant and a Grand Piano apparently. The cost per night? 20 Euros a night (or roughly $31) for a bed. That's actually on the high end of competitive for Berlin, where even in high season, dorm beds generally run for about 14 or 15 Euros a night. But they don't get the added benefit of funding one of the world's most repressive and horrifying regimes in the process.
Sometimes it makes sense to consider where your travel dollar is going. A lot of hostels in the developing world can make you wonder if the money you are spending is going to the community around you, or going back to the owner's home country. In this case, where the money is being headed is most definitely worth consideration. After all, in this Korean restaurant it might be worth considering that eating Kimchi in this hostel isn't keeping North Koreans from eating tree bark to stay alive, even if the money is going to North Korea.
Labels: berlin, germany, hostels, north korea, travel
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Four Crazy Nights: Unexpected Overnight Accommodations
You might be the same way. Love traveling, hate spending money to make it happen. Over the last few years, I've found a lot of different places to catch some shut-eye. Some amazing, some just amazingly bad. Nonetheless, I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything. Except maybe the Larouche cult trying to convert me to their style of politics. But even that was kinda fun, in a Jim Jones without the Kool-Aid kind of way. Anyway, here are some of the crazier, not so savory spots I've slept over the past few years.
1. The Tent - Munich, Germany
Is there anything better than a place to crash, hundreds of like minded travelers, and breakfast in the morning for eight dollars a night? If there is, I haven't found it yet. I spent three wonderful nights there in 2003, near the end of their season. The stay was pretty incredible. Meeting up with a lot of broke American backpackers, and a lot of Germans there for various reasons - including a few on business! The place sleeps about 300, all on the floor. They provide bedding, but bring your own sleeping bag. The bedding I got consisted of a foam pad, and four not-so-clean blankets. Including one with gum stuck to it. But when the beer is cheap, who cares where you sleep?
During my stay, I got attacked by Larouchites. Lyndon Larouche, political crackpot of the US, apparently has a political party in Germany and these people were staying there to campaign for their local slate of candidates in the Bavarian elections at the time. Larouchites from all over Europe came down to the Tent to headquarter a big weekend of campaigning. Problem was, none of them knew who the local candidates were. Their campaign consisted of protesting the US Presidency. Somehow this was going to get them votes, for local candidates.... in Germany. By the second night of inculcation, it got annoying, but the free beers I scored were pretty sweet - so I'd call it a wash.
This year the season opens June 15, and goes through early October. Rates for a spot on the floor of the big tent are Euro 7.50 a night. Click here to visit The Tent.
2. Amtrak
Need a cheap way to get across the country? And do you have a few days to kill? Than America's attempt at passenger train service is the right fit for you. Travel from Chicago to New York in a break-neck time of just 27 hours! That's only 15 hours longer than driving!
Seriously, though, when you catch sale fares, you can literally get from Chicago to New York for about 10 dollars sometimes. It's definitely an option for the budget conscious. Nights in the coach car, however, leave something to be desired. Seats are comfortable, but I always had the feeling I was one step away from being in a knife fight. Something there didn't feel entirely safe. And the feeling wasn't helped by when I woke up to find someone rifling through my bags directly over my head.
3. Botafogo Easy Hostel - Rio de Janiero, Brazil
There are few places I've found more relaxing than the Botafogo Easy Hostel. The name pretty much says it all. And it seems unique from other hostels in Latin America in that the vast majority of people there are actually from all over. So many of the travelers that were there said that in months, this was the first real international hostel they'd stayed at.
In some ways, the place felt like Cheers. There was a little bit of everything there. Cute Gay Brazilians, Drunk Canadians, Homeless French guys, Hot Belgian Women. Well, maybe not quite like Cheers - but close enough. It was a comfortable place to stay and there always seemed to be someone to talk to and pal around with. I don't think my visit to Rio would have been nearly as enjoyable anywhere else.
Check out cheap, comfortable digs here.
4. Den Roda Baten - Stockholm, Sweden
What better way to see the islands that make up Stockholm then by staying on a boat? Well it turns out, many. I was sick when I stayed there. Unfriendly staff. A Samoan guy picking pockets of the Japanese tourists in my room, bathroom sinks that didn't work and showers without hot water. All for 25 dollars a night! This makes my "Crazy Nights" list only because it was, without a doubt, the single worst hostel experience I've had. People find this place kind of hot and cold though. Some love it, some hate it... and some get bedbugs.
You might be the same way. Love traveling, hate spending money to make it happen. Over the last few years, I've found a lot of different places to catch some shut-eye. Some amazing, some just amazingly bad. Nonetheless, I wouldn't trade these experiences for anything. Except maybe the Larouche cult trying to convert me to their style of politics. But even that was kinda fun, in a Jim Jones without the Kool-Aid kind of way. Anyway, here are some of the crazier, not so savory spots I've slept over the past few years.
1. The Tent - Munich, Germany
Is there anything better than a place to crash, hundreds of like minded travelers, and breakfast in the morning for eight dollars a night? If there is, I haven't found it yet. I spent three wonderful nights there in 2003, near the end of their season. The stay was pretty incredible. Meeting up with a lot of broke American backpackers, and a lot of Germans there for various reasons - including a few on business! The place sleeps about 300, all on the floor. They provide bedding, but bring your own sleeping bag. The bedding I got consisted of a foam pad, and four not-so-clean blankets. Including one with gum stuck to it. But when the beer is cheap, who cares where you sleep?
During my stay, I got attacked by Larouchites. Lyndon Larouche, political crackpot of the US, apparently has a political party in Germany and these people were staying there to campaign for their local slate of candidates in the Bavarian elections at the time. Larouchites from all over Europe came down to the Tent to headquarter a big weekend of campaigning. Problem was, none of them knew who the local candidates were. Their campaign consisted of protesting the US Presidency. Somehow this was going to get them votes, for local candidates.... in Germany. By the second night of inculcation, it got annoying, but the free beers I scored were pretty sweet - so I'd call it a wash.
This year the season opens June 15, and goes through early October. Rates for a spot on the floor of the big tent are Euro 7.50 a night. Click here to visit The Tent.
2. Amtrak
Need a cheap way to get across the country? And do you have a few days to kill? Than America's attempt at passenger train service is the right fit for you. Travel from Chicago to New York in a break-neck time of just 27 hours! That's only 15 hours longer than driving!
Seriously, though, when you catch sale fares, you can literally get from Chicago to New York for about 10 dollars sometimes. It's definitely an option for the budget conscious. Nights in the coach car, however, leave something to be desired. Seats are comfortable, but I always had the feeling I was one step away from being in a knife fight. Something there didn't feel entirely safe. And the feeling wasn't helped by when I woke up to find someone rifling through my bags directly over my head.
3. Botafogo Easy Hostel - Rio de Janiero, Brazil
There are few places I've found more relaxing than the Botafogo Easy Hostel. The name pretty much says it all. And it seems unique from other hostels in Latin America in that the vast majority of people there are actually from all over. So many of the travelers that were there said that in months, this was the first real international hostel they'd stayed at.
In some ways, the place felt like Cheers. There was a little bit of everything there. Cute Gay Brazilians, Drunk Canadians, Homeless French guys, Hot Belgian Women. Well, maybe not quite like Cheers - but close enough. It was a comfortable place to stay and there always seemed to be someone to talk to and pal around with. I don't think my visit to Rio would have been nearly as enjoyable anywhere else.
Check out cheap, comfortable digs here.
4. Den Roda Baten - Stockholm, Sweden
What better way to see the islands that make up Stockholm then by staying on a boat? Well it turns out, many. I was sick when I stayed there. Unfriendly staff. A Samoan guy picking pockets of the Japanese tourists in my room, bathroom sinks that didn't work and showers without hot water. All for 25 dollars a night! This makes my "Crazy Nights" list only because it was, without a doubt, the single worst hostel experience I've had. People find this place kind of hot and cold though. Some love it, some hate it... and some get bedbugs.
Labels: amtrak, brazil, germany, hostels, munich, rio de janeiro, stockholm, sweden, travel
