When discussing the most expensive cities in the world, New York City sits right near the top of the list along with places like London, Paris, and Zurich. However, despite having this reputation, it’s not as difficult as you might think to plan a trip to NYC on a budget, even if you’re spending a lot of time in Lower Manhattan. If you take advantage of free walking tours, affordable restaurants, and cheap activities, you can enjoy the city at your leisure without spending a small fortune.
Lower Manhattan consists of several popular neighbourhoods, including Greenwich Village, Chinatown, and the Financial District. It’s home to some of the oldest streets and buildings in the US, dating all the way back to when the first Dutch settlers inhabited the area. Lower Manhattan offers a unique mixture of cobblestone streets, historic landmarks, and modern skyscrapers, so there’s certainly a lot to take in. Even if you’re visiting NYC on a budget, you can still enjoy Lower Manhattan’s most prominent attractions and have a memorable experience.
What’s considered Lower Manhattan?
Lower Manhattan makes up the southernmost section of Manhattan Island. It’s a very compact and fairly walkable area. However, it doesn’t adhere to the same grid pattern as the rest of Manhattan since it was built before this layout was put into place in the 19th century. There are various definitions about where Lower Manhattan starts, but typically it begins at 14th Street and stretches all the way down to the Battery and New York Harbour.
Key neighbourhoods that are located within Lower Manhattan include: Chinatown, SoHo, Little Italy, the Financial District, Greenwich Village and Tribeca. There are a lot of prominent neighbourhoods located in Lower Manhattan, so it’s not a bad area to base yourself while visiting NYC on a budget.
Best things to do in Lower Manhattan on a budget
Join a food tour of Nolita and Little Italy
One of the best things to do while visiting NYC on a budget is to join a food tour. This not only saves you time, since you get to see key attractions during the tour, but it also saves you from buying food which can be very expensive if you don’t know where to look. Each neighbourhood in Lower Manhattan has different food tours to join, but for a unique experience in Manhattan I’d recommend booking the Tasty Global Bites tour with Ahoy New York Food Tours.
This incredible food tour in NYC focuses on Nolita, which stands for North of Little Italy, with a short stop in Little Italy too. There are six tastings to enjoy which are a mixture of on-the-go and seated stops, where you’ll get to sample food and drinks from locally run businesses. You’ll also try a variety of cuisines in just 3 hours while learning all about the history and culture of Nolita and Little Italy.
Ahoy New York Food Tours conducts their tours in small, intimate groups so it feels very personal. I’d recommend visiting their website to see what other food tours they offer as well, because you may want to book more than one from this woman-owned business!
Walk along the High Line
What’s great about planning a trip to NYC on a budget is that there are a lot of free things to do in Lower Manhattan. Walking along the High Line is a very unique experience and a great way to enjoy greenery, art, and architecture without needing to travel all the way up to Central Park. This elevated greenspace is built on top of a historic freight rail line in the Meatpacking District. It’s completely free to access and you’ll be treated to some stunning city views as well as public art installations during your walk. It’s located very close to Chelsea Market too!
Explore the indoor food markets
Eating out can be pricey in New York City, so finding affordable places to eat while travelling on a budget is essential. In Lower Manhattan, there are two indoor food markets I’d recommend trying: Chelsea Market and Market 57.
Chelsea Market is perhaps the most well known, and you can even book a Chelsea Market food tour if you want to learn more about it. The market is located inside a former factory where the Oreo cookie was invented, but today it’s filled with food stalls, boutique shops, and event spaces. This is a great food market in Manhattan with plenty of cuisines all in one building.
Alternatively, a short walk away is the more modern Market 57, located at Pier 57 in Hudson River Park. The food stalls here shed a spotlight on women and BIPOC-owned vendors, so it’s a nice place to come to support smaller businesses. The food market is housed in a 1950s marine terminal too, blending the industrial past of New York with modern dining.
Wander around the Financial District
The Financial District may look very modern, but it actually dates back to the early 17th century when the area was settled by the Dutch. As you walk along the streets of this part of Lower Manhattan, you’ll notice that they can be quite narrow and they don’t follow the grid system. That’s because they were designed in the colonial-era layout instead, which is significantly less symmetrical.
Some key attractions in the Financial District include Wall Street, the New York Stock Exchange, the Fearless Girl sculpture, and the Charging Bull Statue. I’d also recommend visiting the 9/11 Memorial and Museum if you have the time too.
9/11 Memorial
If you’re visiting NYC on a budget, one of the most significant places to visit in Lower Manhattan is the 9/11 Memorial. It’s located where the World Trade Center once stood and it was built to honour the victims of the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001 as well as the people who died during a bombing on the same site in 1993.
The memorial features two large reflecting pools where the Twin Towers stood, and every victim’s name is inscribed around them. It’s a very solemn spot to visit, and there’s also the 9/11 Memorial Museum nearby which may be of interest as well, though there’s a fee to enter.
Enjoy the street art
As we were walking around Lower Manhattan, we came across a number of incredible pieces of street art. One of my favourite pieces is located in Little Italy, depicting Audrey Hepburn on the outer wall of a restaurant. There’s also some unique street art in the Financial District and around the High Line which you can view from the top of the railway tracks. Going on a self-guided street art tour is a great activity to do if you’re visiting NYC on a budget as there are so many art pieces to see in the city.
Take a stroll through Greenwich Village
One of the most historic neighbourhoods in Lower Manhattan is Greenwich Village. This is where you’ll feel like you’ve stepped back in time, with historic houses popping out among the tree-lined streets and lots of cozy corners to explore. Greenwich Village was a key site for the LGBTQ+ rights movement and bohemian culture, which you can still find evidence of today through its jazz clubs, theatres, and cafes.
It’s a beautiful area to explore on foot, and it’s very different from other, busier parts of NYC. Don’t forget to check out the Friends apartment building and Taylor Swift’s old apartment too!
Ghostbusters Headquarters
If you’re a fan of visiting filming locations, you have a lot to choose from in NYC. Tribeca is a very popular neighbourhood in Lower Manhattan, and it also happens to be home to the Ghostbusters Headquarters, which is a fully operational firehouse. The building, dating back to 1903, was used in the original Ghostbusters movie and its sequels, and the front of it still looks like it came right out of a movie set. You can’t visit NYC on a budget and not stop here for a couple of photos.
See the Statue of Liberty for free
The Statue of Liberty is one of the most visited attractions in NYC. Unfortunately, it’s not the cheapest to get into, which is why I’d recommend taking a free ferry around the island instead. The Staten Island Ferry operates 24/7 between the Whitehall Terminal and St George Terminal on Staten Island (where you’ll find an outlet shopping centre). The ride takes 25 minutes each way, and you’ll get an incredible view of the Statue of Liberty from the deck of the boat during your journey.
Make sure you stand on the right side on the way to Staten Island and the left side on the way back to Lower Manhattan. You’ll be required to disembark the ferry and board another one to return. They run very frequently though, so it won’t take too much time out of your itinerary. Many people recommending hopping on the Staten Island Ferry near sunset for an even more picture-perfect view.
The Vessel
Although you need a ticket to enter the Vessel, walking around its exterior is completely free. This honeycomb-shaped structure is located in Hudson Yard, and it only opened in 2019. It features 154 interlocking staircases, and from the top visitors are treated to a beautiful view of the Hudson River and the city. If you’d rather save your money for something else, I’d still recommend visiting so you can take a photo of this unique landmark from below. For NYC residents, you can enter the Vessel for free on Thursdays which is a nice perk.
Where to stay in New York City
Staying somewhere that’s central in Manhattan can be tough on a budget. We found that Paramount Times Square – A Generator Hotel offers great value for money, even if you visit during a holiday weekend when prices are higher around the city. This boutique hotel is located near Times Square, and they offer dorm and private rooms, depending on your personal preference. It’s a very modern budget-friendly hotel in NYC, and the location can’t be beat for the price.
Can you visit NYC on a budget?
Planning a trip to NYC on a budget isn’t as difficult as you may think. Yes, the main attractions like the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty can cost a small fortune to go inside, especially if you’re travelling as a family, but there are a lot of things to do in Lower Manhattan in particular that are either free or cost very little. NYC is a big city to explore, so no matter what area you want to spend your time in, you’re sure to find a lot of activities that will fit within your budget.
If you have any questions about visiting NYC on a budget, or things to do in Lower Manhattan, please feel free to reach out. You can get in touch through the contact form on my website or by dropping me an email. Don’t forget to check out my Instagram and TikTok pages too, where you can find more travel tips and inspiration.
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