Free things to see and do in New York City

December 15th, 2009 by Tim Uden

With more than eight million people living within the city limits and almost 19 million people in the metropolitan area, New York City is the ultimate metropolis. It boasts a gritty appeal that’s missing in many other big American cities and it has a vibrant atmosphere fuelled by the millions of people who live and work in the city. Despite its reputation as an expensive city, there is a lot happening in New York that is absolutely free.

Free music and theatre

BAMcafé (30 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn; subway Fulton Street (G), Lafayette Avenue (C), Altantic Avenue-Pacific Street (2, 3, 4, 5, B, D, M, N, Q, R, W)) at the Brooklyn Academy of Music has free performances of jazz, R&B, pop and world music every Friday and Saturday night.

During summer, Central Park’s Summer Stage (Rumsey Playfield, Central Park, New York; subway 68 Street (6)) hosts a programme of free concerts including some by major artists.

Shakespeare in the Park has a regular programme of free Shakespeare productions performed in Central Park. Although admission is free, you still need to get a ticket from Delacorte Theater in Central Park or the Public Theater (425 Lafayette Street, New York; subway Astor Place (6), 8 Street-NYU (R, W)). The Shakespeare in the Park season runs from June to August.

Free museums

The American Folk Art Museum (45 West 53rd Street, New York; subway 5 Avenue-53 Street (E, V)) is free on Friday nights 5.30pm-7.30pm. This isn’t just free admission, but includes free live music too.

Look at Renaissance art and Egyptian mummies at the Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn; subway Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum (2, 3)), which has free entry 5pm-11pm on the first Saturday of each month.

Federal Hall National Memorial (26 Wall Street, New York; subway Broad Street (J, M, Z)) is where George Washington was sworn in as the first US president. The site is now home to a free museum.

Entry to the Guggenheim Museum (1071 Fifth Avenue, New York; subway 86 Street (4, 5, 6)) is by donation 5.45pm-7.45pm on Saturday evenings.

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA; 11 West 53rd Street, New York; subway 5 Avenue-53 Street (E, V)) has free admission 4pm-8pm on Friday evenings.

The National Museum of the American Indian (1 Bowling Green, New York; subway Bowling Green (4, 5)) always has free admission.

The South Street Seaport Museum (12 Fulton Street, New York) is free 6pm-8.45pm on the third Friday of each month.

The Studio Museum of Harlem (144 West 125th Street, New York; subway 125 Street (2, 3)) has free admission every Sunday afternoon (12 noon-6pm).

The Whitney Museum (945 Madison Avenue, New York ; subway 77 Street (6)) has admission by donation 6pm-9pm on Friday evenings.

Free walking tours

Several neighbourhood groups operate free walking tours. These include the Union Square Partnership’s free 90-minute walking tour of Union Square and surrounding streets. This tour departs 2pm every Saturday from in front of the Lincoln Statue in Union Square (subway 14th Street-Union Square (4, 5, 6, L, N, Q, R, W)).

There are also free walking tours that can be downloaded as podcasts from iTunes.

Other free attractions

Stretch your legs and get close to one of New York’s most famous landmarks – the Brooklyn Bridge. The bridge has a raised pedestrian walkway in the centre of the bridge that is accessible from the end of Centre Street (subway Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall (4, 5, 6)) on the Manhattan side. It takes around half an hour to walk across the 1825m (5989ft) bridge.

The Brooklyn Botanic Garden (900 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn; subway Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum (2, 3), Prospect Park (B, S, Q)) is free Mon-Fri until 2 March 2010.

Entry to the Bronx Zoo (Boston Road, Bronx ; subway East Tremont Avenue-West Farms Square (2, 5), bus BxM11) is by donation every Wednesday.

During winter the Pond at Bryant Park (subway 42 Street-Bryant Park (B, D, F, V); open 6 Nov-24 Jan; Mon-Thu 8am-10pm, Fri-Sat 8am-midnight, Sun 8am-10pm) is the city’s only free admission ice-skating rink, although you’ll need to rent skates for $12 if you don’t have your own pair.

Grand Central Terminal is arguably the grandest railway station in the United States and you don’t need to buy a train ticket to admire the impressive building. The station’s main concourse is the most well-known part of the building consisting of a cavernous space with an enormous American flag and an opulent astronomical ceiling. There are more platforms on the lower dining concourse, which is considered one of the most impressive railway station food courts with many well-known restaurants including the famous Oyster Bar that has been operating at the station since 1913.

Shopping in a big city like New York may not fit into your itinerary if you’re just doing all the free things in town, but window shopping lets you keep your wallet in your pocket while seeing why shopaholics love this city. It costs nothing to browse speciality shops like the one-of-a-kind B&H Photo, FAO Schwarz toy shop and Zabar’s famous deli or to poke your head in the famous designer shops on Madison and Fifth Avenues.

New York’s best bargain is the Staten Island Ferry, which provides a free alternative to pricey sightseeing cruises. The ferry sails between St George on Staten Island and Whitehall Street at the southernmost tip of Manhattan, sailing past Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty en route. It offers excellent views of Lower Manhattan and Jersey City as well as Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. The ferry operates 24 hours per day with departures every 15 minutes during peak hours. The return trip is free.

It costs nothing to wander around Times Square and gawp at the bright lights. The big intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue is world-famous for its garish neon advertising, and is the centre of New York’s Broadway theatre district. It is the only part of New York where zoning laws require building owners to display illuminated signs and the intensity of bright lights and neon signs rivals that of Las Vegas.

You can unwind in the park after you have done all the free things in the city. Central Park, the city’s most famous park, takes up a huge chunk of central Manhattan spanning the expanse between Harlem and Midtown Manhattan. The park features lots of recreation areas including cycling and walking tracks, a swimming pool, two ice-skating rinks, an outdoor theatre and a zoo. It is the most visited city park in the United States and you can easily spend a day here, although it is best to keep out of the park after dark. Other parks include Bryant Park, Union Square and Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village where you can often listen to amateur musicians who gather around the fountain.

Tags: free, museum, New York City
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