NYC-25$ - NYC under 25$
Get to know the best of New York City without spending too much money. All (or most of all) here is under 25 dollars. Only the best tips and attractions.
Tuesday
New York CityPASS® - Visit 6 New York attractions for just $79.00
Monday
Sony Wonder Technology Lab
Sony Wonder Technology Lab is a free technology & entertainment museum for all ages.
Everybody loves this four-story interactive science/technology entertainment center filled with gizmos, gadgets and cool information. You can produce a TV show, remix a song, analyze weather data, jam with musicians, produce a video game, or just chill out and watch high-definition TV in the state-of-the-art theater. There are also free movie screenings.
Open Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm, Sunday noon-5 pm. Last entrance 30 minutes before closing. Free, but you need to make reservations one week to three months in advance (it's hardest to get tickets in July and August).
Some same-day tickets are available, but they go quickly. Movie tickets are handed out 15 minutes before the screening.
550 Madison Ave., at 56th Street
(subway line E, F or V to Fifth Avenue; 4, 5 or 6 to 59th Street)
(212) 833-8100 for information and reservations.
(212) 833-7858 for schedules.
Sony Wonder Technology Lab
Tuesday
Columbus Circle
The traffic circle was designed by William P. Eno, a businessman who pioneered many early innovations in road safety and traffic control, as part of Frederick Law Olmsted's vision for the park, which included a "Grand Circle" at Merchants' Gate, its most important Eighth Avenue entrance.
Monday
NYC's Yearly Calendar
Now, no matter which time of the year you decide to hit the Big Apple, you already know what awaits you. ;-)
If you, reader, know some event not posted in here, please leave a comment so I can edit this post. Let's all work together to compelate the best of NYC.
January - New Year @ Times Square; Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade; New York City Restaurant Week; Chinese Lunar New Year; Ice Skating in New York City.
February - New York Restaurant Week; Ground Hog Day; Fashion Week; Chinese Lunar New Year; Valentine's Day in New York City; Ice Skating in New York City.
March - St. Patrick's Day Resources; St. Patrick's Day Parade; St. Patrick's Day Pictures; Ice Skating in New York City; Easter Directory; Easter Day Parade.
April - Easter Day Parade; Tribeca Film Festival; Cherry Blossom Festival at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden; Opening Day at Yankee Stadium; Opening Day at Shea Stadium; Earth Day.
May - Cinco De Mayo; Tribeca Film Festival;, Bike NY: Great 5 Borough Bike Tour (1st Weekend); Mother's Day; Dance Parade; AIDS Walk NY (3rd Sunday); Ninth Avenue International Food Festival; "Toast of the Town" Wine Tasting; Fleet Week; Baseball Season; Women's Liberty Season (WNBA); Memorial Day.
June - Museum Mile Festival; Belmont Stakes; Puerto Rican Day Parade; Met Opera in the Parks; Bryant Park Film Festival; Shakespeare in the Park; Mermaid Parade; Lesbian and Gay Pride Week; Gay Parade; Father's Day; New York Restaurant Week; Midsummer Night Swing; Baseball Season; Women's Liberty Season (WNBA); JVC Jazz Festival; Central Park SummerStage.
July - Macy's Fourth of July Fireworks; New York Restaurant Week; Met Opera in the Parks; HBO/Bryant Park Film Festival; Shakespeare in the Park; New York Philharmonic Concerts in the Park; Midsummer Night Swing; Baseball Season; Women's Liberty Season (WNBA); Central Park SummerStage.
August - Harlem Week; HBO/Bryant Park Film Festival; Baseball Season; Women's Liberty Season (WNBA); Central Park SummerStage; Shakespeare in the Park.
September - Labor Day; Shakespeare in the Park; San Gennaro Festival; Baseball Season; U.S. Open.
October - Columbus Day Parade; Halloween; Fall Foliage in New York City.
November - New York City Marathon; New York Comedy Festival; Chocolate Show; New York Culinary Festival; Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade; Veterans Day Parade; Holiday Windows on Fifth Avenue; Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting.
December - Ice Skating in New York City; Holiday Windows on Fifth Avenue; Christmas Shopping; Christmas and Holiday Concerts and Shows; Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree; New Year's Eve.
Sunday
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, is an outlet center located in Central Valley, New York. The center is part of the Chelsea Premium Outlets group and takes its name from the town in which it is located.
The mall now has 220 stores occupying more than 800,000 square feet (72,000 m²) and is one of the largest contiguous outlet centers in the world. Due to its size, different areas are color coded to help visitors orient themselves; on weekends trolleys are available to transport shoppers from the parking lots and around the mall.
Due to its proximity to New York City, Woodbury Commons is a major attraction for foreign tourists visiting the region. Japanese tourists are the most common as the mall advertises in Japanese publications with the knowledge that the Japanese market sells the same brands for considerably higher prices. Some stores estimate that 40-50% of their profits come from Japanese tourism.
Tour buses and shuttles make daily trips from New York City, the center employs a staff of interpreters, and currency exchange and foreign shipping services are available on site. Guests are greeted in several languages including Japanese, Spanish, Hindi and Portuguese.
Register at their website and you can get many discount coupons, as well as to get a discount coupon booklet at the information counter once you get here.
Some people have no shame of caring travel luggage bags all around. And I strongly recommend you do the same. There are just too many stores, prices are amazing, so yes, a travel luggage bag with wheels will definitely be very helpful, instead of caring all those plastic and paper bags around.
Address and phone:
498 Red Apple Court, Central Valley, NY 10917 (845) 928-4000
Coach USA takes you there.
You can also get a bus at Port Authority Bus Terminal, in NYC
42nd Street with 8th Avenue
39USD (round trip. And it's worth it!!!)
Official Website: http://www.premiumoutlets.com/
Shopping 101
In my opinion, the most important information is regarding taxes. New York is a shopper's paradise; you can find anything and everything in the many stores throughout the city and now you can shop TAX FREE in NYC on clothing and shoes priced under $110.
For anything else, or prices over $110, the tax rate is 8,25%. That means that if you are buying a 100$ mobile phone, total final price would be 108,25$.
Get early to the stores! As early as possible. That will guarantee you good options, sizes and colors.
Most stores are open from Monday to Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Department stores and outlets stay open until 9 p.m., as well as on Sundays.
Chinatown is always nice to visit, but not to shop, as you never know the true (or even legal) origin of the products.
If you are not comfortable with shopping by yourself at NYC, you can always join one of NY's shopping tours.
Another very good tip is to register at the store's website, this way you will get discount coupons by e-mail.
Although NY is the most expensive place to live in the world, shopping is the complete opposite. And there are ways to always pay less than the price tag says. ;-)