Where to go in New York City on a budget

After interning in the city for 2 months I fell in love with New York. It's probably my most visited city in the past 5 years that isn't immediately next to my home or school. It has so much to offer and there are so many ways to tour the notoriously expensive city without breaking the bank. It has the perfect (for me) combination of anything you could want in one location all accessible by a subway.

When I go to the city I try my best to walk as much as I can. Most things can kind of be grouped together and often no matter where you end up doing one adventure there's likely something not too far away worth checking out.

My favourite part of the city is the architecture. All the buildings are massive entities that make you feel so small. I love especially going to see landscapes and skylines. When I say this I mean anything between walking across the iconic Brooklyn Bridge to going to the top of skyscrapers in particular at night to see an aerial view of the city.

Getting around the city

The easiest way to travel in the city is by the subway line. Yes, one thing they say about New York City is that the city is gross and smells bad, this is very true. I found a nice bottle of hand sanitizer was a nice addition to keep in my bags and this was for good reason. You're able to buy daily or monthly passes depending on how much time you're planning to be there but often I would pay the $2 to tap my credit card and go on my way. The subway is also awesome because of the sheer amount of traffic you can get on the main roads. At times it's faster to walk than drive just because of how congested the roads get.

On that note, unless you're a very confident driver I would really encourage not bringing your car. Even then - seriously consider other alternatives. Parking is rarely straightforward with signs that only locals would understand and road rules aren't the same as most other places. Even if it says the laws are the same, practices and attitudes are like none other I've seen in North America. Leave the driving to the local pros.

Free iconic locations to visit in no particular order:

Brooklyn Bridge

This classic bridge is seen in many movies and may be one of the most known views of the city. Walk halfway or all the way from Manhattan to Brooklyn, the choice is yours.

Times Square

Definitely really cool to see during the day but would recommend checking it out when the lights stand out more in the evening or at night.

Central Park

This is one of my favourites. This space is crazily big in proportion to the city. There's a pond and old structures and just over the trees, you can see an incredible intersection where these massive buildings lay outside of the park. You could spend days wandering the park.

High Line Park

This old railway track takes you on a short tour through the city. It has recently been converted to a walking path that in places goes above the city. It also pops you out right outside of Vessel, this gold egg-like architectural wonder (pictured to the left) that has been gaining more popularity from tourists recently.

The view from Marsha P. Johnson State Park

A little less known, this park is located in Brooklyn. The park itself isn't spectacular but the view of Manhattan across the river is quite stunning.

The Financial District

Wall Street, duh. For any stock market or finance junkie it's quite cool to see the famous bull or where Wall Street is actually located.

The Edge

Now this is one which is technically not free, but, there is a way to get up relatively cheaply. The Edge has the option to book at their restaurant in advance. They are often quite filled up so it's something worth looking into earlier than later in your trip planning. But, for the price of either food or a drink, I would go back every time I see the city.