Mini guide: Budgetproof New York City

© Lonely Planet Mini guide: Budgetproof New York City

New York is a vibrant superpower of world class architecture, fashion, art, entertainment and restaurants and bars. You can also experience a lot of them when you are frugal: this way you can get a cheap snack from the Big Apple.

See

Brooklyn Bridge Park

brooklynbridge park .org

This 34-hectare park, on an East River bend, extends from just beyond the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO to the west side of Atlantic Ave in Brooklyn Heights. The formerly bare quays have been thoroughly brightened up and abandoned piers have been transformed into a beautifully designed park with breathtaking views of Manhattan. You can see and do everything here for free.

Chinatown

explorechinatown.com

No two walks through the Manhattan's most colorful neighborhood are the same no matter how often you go. Admire temples and exotic shop windows. Hear the ticking of mahjong stones on makeshift tables, see roasted ducks through shop windows and buy everything from rice paper lanterns to a pound of pressed nutmeg.

MoMaPS1

momaps1.org

At the hip MoMA location in Long Island City, you watch videos through floorboards, chat at DJ parties, and contemplate exhibitions from Middle Eastern video art to industrial boilers covered with gold leaf. PS1 Warm Up, one of the hippest cultural events in New York, takes place on ten Saturdays in the summer.

Food

Burger Joint

burgerjointny.com

You can find this citizen tent behind the lobby curtain in the Parker New York hotel; your only clue is a small neon burger. It is no longer as secret as before (you can see the rows), but it is still a winning recipe of painted walls, retro benches and brilliant hamburgers.

Fette Sau

fettesaubbq.com

The atmosphere is relaxed, but the respect for smoky meat is palpable in the best barbecue restaurant in Brooklyn. The cement floor and the feeling that you are sitting outside come from the garage company that was once located here. Shared tables and an ordering system per pound will put real meat lovers at ease.

Smorgasburg

smorgasburg.com

The largest foodie event in Brooklyn includes more than 100 sellers at varying locations, selling an incredible range of goodies: Italian street snacks, Indian flatbread, vegan Ethiopian food, passion fruit donuts, specialty beer and more.

Drink

Ear Inn

earinn.com

Do you want to experience SoHo from the time before the trendsetters entered? At the crackling old Ear Inn the walls overflow with vintage advertising posters and typical American curiosities. Every Sunday a corner of the bar is made available for a jazz ensemble.

Shrine

shrinenyc.com

Forget that it looks like an obscure tent from the outside: the friendly Shrine is one of the best places in Harlem (or even New York) to listen to live bands at no extra charge.

Opening image: GCShutter / iStock

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