A Fresh Perspective: A day in the city that your wallet is sure to appreciate

There is nothing to do on campus on the weekends. To that I say, “Go into New York City. You can do it for less than $100!” Yes, you did just read that correctly. I am here to tell you how to do New York City for less than $100.

The first step is how to get there. Well, you will want to take the train. I suggest taking the New Jersey Transit train leaving from Hamilton Station, only 15 minutes from Rider. One round-trip ticket from there to New York City is around $20. If you drive to Hamilton Station, you will need to pay a few additional dollars for parking, usually about $5. This will get you into New York Penn Station in about one hour. Don’t drive into New York. Between the money that you will spend on gas and parking, your total for the first step will double in price. This step should cost about $25.

The second step would be what to do in the city. There are so many different answers to this question. One thing that you could do is see a Broadway show. Many shows currently running on Broadway offer “student rush” tickets. This is where students, on the day of the performance, can receive discounted tickets. Most of these tickets run between $25 and $30. Some shows that offer this discount are Billy Elliot, Bye Bye Birdie and Next to Normal. For a full listing, visit playbill.com.

If musicals are not for you, do not worry. For as little as $12, you can visit some of New York’s finest museums. One of the best is the Museum of Modern Art. This museum has all contemporary art and, on Nov. 17, will be featuring an exhibit on the drawings of director Tim Burton.

If you want to spend no money at all, you are in luck. You can simply sightsee around New York. One of the best free places in New York is Central Park. It is located in the heart of New York City and usually has everything from street entertainers to street vendors for you to enjoy. This step will cost you anywhere from zero to $30.

Next, where to eat. You can eat wherever you want. If you want to spend as little as possible, there is a food cart on every corner of the city with surprisingly good food. You can usually find everything, like hot dogs or Chinese food in these carts. Also, there are several McDonald’s in the area. If you want to spend a little more, there are plenty of coffee shops in New York. There is everything from Starbucks to Cosi. If you are really going all out, there are plenty of regular restaurants. New York has everything from Bubba Gump Shrimp Company to Olive Garden. A good tip is to read the menu outside of the restaurant. This will give you an idea of how much money you are going to spend before you even step foot inside. Dinner can cost you anywhere from a few dollars to $30.

Finally, how to get around. Well, if you want to save some money, the best thing to do is walk. But, the easiest way would be to take the subway — it will just cost you more money. Four rides on the subway should cost you $8.

So, there it is. You can now go to New York City for less than $100, depending on what you choose to do. One last thing that I am going to recommend is that you always plan your visit. Always have a back up plan just in case something goes differently than you planned. And most of all, have fun.

– Ryan Oliveti

Sophomore elementary education and theater major