# Budget for a week in New York?



## Orang Utan (Dec 11, 2009)

how much should i expect to spend altogether for one week's stay? i want to do all the tourist things and eat nice food. don't want to be too frugal, but i've never been good at working out how much money i need on foreign trips, so would like a ballpark figure i can save for.


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## Belushi (Dec 11, 2009)

Are you including accomodation in your figure or you got somewhere to stay? otherwise about the same as youd spend if you were out and about doing stuff in London.

When you going mate? I loved New York.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 11, 2009)

accommodation too. nice hotel, no dives.
dunno when i'm going yet. have to get leave don't i?


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## Belushi (Dec 11, 2009)

For a week, low season, including flights, decent hotel and spending money your looking at about a grand I reckon.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 11, 2009)

ah, cool - was gonna save £2K - should have fun with that then!


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## ChrisFilter (Dec 11, 2009)

Belushi said:


> For a week, low season, including flights, decent hotel and spending money your looking at about a grand I reckon.



Eh? Flights £300 min, nice hotel £500 min, spending £1000.


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## D (Dec 11, 2009)

Yeah, I'd say $2000 (1 thou pounds -- I guess 1K pounds is actually less than 2K$ these days anyway) for a week including everything - assuming you're not staying with friends and you're planning to eat out, do stuff, buy stuff etc - is a little on the low side.


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## Belushi (Dec 11, 2009)

ChrisFilter said:


> Eh? Flights £300 min, nice hotel £500 min, spending £1000.



Depends when he goes but you can get a deal for a flight and half decent hotel for about £700 looking on expedia, and you obviously arent as tight as me!


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## D (Dec 11, 2009)

Belushi said:


> Depends when he goes but you can get a deal for a flight and half decent hotel for about £700 looking on expedia, and you obviously arent as tight as me!





And there's always the couchsurfing option


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## Kanda (Dec 11, 2009)

Get a package deal as above, then it's about £100/day or a bit more I reckon. 3 meals, beers etc..

But then there's the shopping...!!!


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## 1927 (Dec 11, 2009)

Belushi said:


> For a week, low season, including flights, decent hotel and spending money your looking at about a grand I reckon.



Yeah, if he doesn't eat drink and stays in his hotel room for the week!


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## 1927 (Dec 12, 2009)

Belushi said:


> Depends when he goes but you can get a deal for a flight and half decent hotel for about £700 looking on expedia, and you obviously arent as tight as me!



Show me a half decent hotel package for £700 cos I can't find one, unless you're stuck out by one of the airports.

I reckon realistically you need £300ish for a flight, £100/night for a half decent hotel, and that is stretching definition of half decent, and upwards of a grand for spending!


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## Belushi (Dec 12, 2009)

Just pm'd you 1927

I'm amazed by the amount of spending money people think they need, still shopping isnt one of my hobbies


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## phildwyer (Dec 12, 2009)

You can spend as much as you want, obviously, but NYC can easily be done on the cheap.  There are loads of early-bird specials, happy hours, cheap street food, free entertainment... just walking around the city is the best way to spend your time.


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## moonsi til (Dec 12, 2009)

I'm going to New York for a week in April and hoping to spend around £300 -£400 though that isn't including my flight which was £380 and my room which is $75 per night.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 12, 2009)

Kanda said:


> But then there's the shopping...!!!


shopping? i'm going on holiday!


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## Dirty Martini (Dec 13, 2009)

Closer to two thousand quid if you want nice accommodation. But get on craiglist, find a week's sublet for 70 bucks a night close to the action. And you'll want to buy stuff from shops, despite what you think at the moment


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## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

i don't want to go shopping. i want to have fun. i just want to eat and look at people, art and skyscrapers.


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## 1927 (Dec 13, 2009)

moonsi til said:


> I'm going to New York for a week in April and hoping to spend around £300 -£400 though that isn't including my flight which was £380 and my room which is $75 per night.



I agree in saving as much money as possible on flights and accomodation, but dont understand why you would want to fly 3000 miles to an amazing city and then ration yourself to £300 spending money. On the basis that its going to cost a minimum of £700 to get there again you might as well spend a bit more and have a better time.


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## editor (Dec 13, 2009)

Accommodation is what usually hurts: eating out in NYC is much cheaper than London, although the beer is pricey. Like London, there's loads to do for free.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

when you say beer, i assume you just mean alcohol? don't they do bigger shots in the us? is wine cheaper?
i want to stay in a nice hotel, but i guess what i save on shopping rolleyes, i can spend on accommodation?


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## AnnO'Neemus (Dec 13, 2009)

Won't you want to buy boys' toys?  Laptops, iPods, digital cameras and stuff?  Aren't they supposed to be cheaper stateside?  Or is that no longer true at the current exchange rates?


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## editor (Dec 13, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> when you say beer, i assume you just mean alcohol? don't they do bigger shots in the us? is wine cheaper?
> i want to stay in a nice hotel, but i guess what i save on shopping rolleyes, i can spend on accommodation?


Their pints are about 20% smaller than ours and cost a load more - expect to pay something like £4 for a pint (and don't forget the $1 tip each time).

Some bars do dirt cheap PBR beer which is pretty awful or Tecate which is a bit better.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

i don't want boys' toys. i don't need any and they may be cheaper but they're not free. and i am ON HOLIDAY, not shopping
(i have an ipod and a laptop already and i can't be bothered taking digital photos)


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## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

editor said:


> Their pints are about 20% smaller than ours and cost a load more - expect to pay something like £4 for a pint (and don't forget the $1 tip each time).
> 
> Some bars do dirt cheap PBR beer which is pretty awful or Tecate which is a bit better.



i don't drink beer really. how about wine & spirits?


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## phildwyer (Dec 13, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> don't they do bigger shots in the us?



Yep, massive ones.

I don't get the impression that you're a really big drinker, but if you are, shots are definitely the way to go rather than beer.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

i like a drink, it's just that beer bar guinness mostly tastes horrid and you have to gulp so much of it just to get a little bit pissed. i like big PROPER spirits measures. :cool"


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## 1927 (Dec 13, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> i like a drink, it's just that beer bar guinness mostly tastes horrid and you have to gulp so much of it just to get a little bit pissed. i like big PROPER spirits measures. :cool"



Beer is expensive by UK standards, but its cheap compared to the cost of wine and spirits which is ridiculous!!  Get at taste for Guiness quick cos you can always find a deal on Guiness.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

guinness is the only beer that tastes nice and that i can drink quickly without getting bloated, but will it taste alright thousands of miles away from the source?


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## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 13, 2009)

try brooklyn lager, its very nice (and it aint like lager either)


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## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

Paulie Tandoori said:


> try brooklyn lager, its very nice (and it aint like lager either)


what is it then?


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## Paulie Tandoori (Dec 13, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> what is it then?


it's a nice tasty brown beer. there's a good club in the meat packing district that i'll think of soon as well. it had mermaids in fish tanks and industrial music.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

yuck, i'll stick with the wine thanks all the same, but let us know about the club please.


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## 1927 (Dec 13, 2009)

Check out The Ginger Man, bound to be something to take your fancy.


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## AnnO'Neemus (Dec 13, 2009)

I haven't ever been, but I came across a link to this ages ago and thought it looked interesting:

http://www.drsketchy.com/

Cabaret/burlesque meets art school life drawing class.


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## metalguru (Dec 13, 2009)

Getting back on topic, if you're looking to stay somewhere decent (eg not sharing a bathroom), and you're going on your todd, I reckon you're looking at £1500 - £2000 for a week.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 13, 2009)

i want en suite!


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## editor (Dec 13, 2009)

Check out my NY section for loads of tips and places to visit on the cheap.


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## Flavour (Dec 15, 2009)

Glass of wine: $7-10
Spirits: $7-12
Museum/gallery entrance: $10-20
Subway: $2.25 a ride, so $9 a day if you take 4 journeys, x7= $63 maximum
Cigarettes: $10 a pack

Food really varies. You can spend $5 for a really fantastic plate of chicken, rice and beans at a Peruvian place in Brooklyn or spend $25 on Steak and Chips on 8th Street. It's really up to you, how much you want to spend. A bagel with salmon and cream cheese from a decent deli should not be more than $5, but if you look around, you can find it cheaper (usually outside Manhattan.) 

Club entrance fees, if you're interested, are $10-30. Expect to pay $20 to go into a bar with live music on a Friday or Saturday night, and always have ID. They will ask even if you are 40. It is very silly.

I live in the East Village  There is a corner store two blocks away with English chocolate bars (which Americans, you will find, hold in very high esteem) but they are $2 a pop! 
Flave


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## editor (Dec 15, 2009)

I always resent paying museum fees over there seeing as they get them free in the UK. Most of them do free late afternoons one day in the week though, so I go along for them.

Their bagels are fantastic. I recommend the Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow St, Lower East Side for a snack. http://www.urban75.org/newyork/cafes.html


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## Mr Retro (Dec 15, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> ah, cool - was gonna save £2K - should have fun with that then!



You'll need at least that all in to have the holiday you're describing. 1K is nowhere near realistic.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Dec 15, 2009)

phildwyer said:


> just walking around the city is the best way to spend your time.



Yep, apart from going up the Empire State to enjoy the view, this is all I did when I was there.

I can highly recommend The Library Bar in the east village, top place...


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## skyscraper101 (Dec 15, 2009)

Actually a better view IMHO is the top of the Rockefeller Center as you get to see two things you don't from the Empire State Building: one being the Empire State building itself, and the other being the entire view over central park.

For eating on the go, I seriously recommend Pick A Bagel. Google it and find one. It's not just a great bagel place and reasonably priced food on the go, but its one of those places that you really feel the pace of New York. Everyone at it shouting their orders back and forth and everything served up at ten times the pace of anywhere else. If you're even the slightest bit of a ditherer when you get in line then you generally fuck it up for everybody. And I mean proper New Yorkers, not tourists. It's bizarre and funny if you're not used to it.


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## Belushi (Dec 15, 2009)

skyscraper101 said:


> Actually a better view IMHO is the top of the Rockefeller Center as you get to see two things you don't from the Empire State Building: one being the Empire State building itself, and the other being the entire view over central park.



I did the Empire State and the Rockefeller Centre 

I went up the Empire State about 1am on a Saturday morning, the view at night was amazing and no queuing!


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## skyscraper101 (Dec 15, 2009)

Belushi said:


> I did the Empire State and the Rockefeller Centre
> 
> I went up the Empire State about 1am on a Saturday morning, the view at night was amazing and no queuing!



Yeah I've done both. They're both great.

I'm just saying, Rockerfeller was a better viewing experience for me. Empire State is great at night. You get better views of downtown / broadway, especially at night.  But on a clear day, during daylight, the 'Top of the Rock' experience - awesome.


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## moonsi til (Dec 15, 2009)

1927 said:


> I agree in saving as much money as possible on flights and accomodation, but dont understand why you would want to fly 3000 miles to an amazing city and then ration yourself to £300 spending money. On the basis that its going to cost a minimum of £700 to get there again you might as well spend a bit more and have a better time.




I was thinking about £300-400 but will budget for more if the need arises. I'm kinda thinking £50 a day but some days having a higher/lower spend than others.

This will probably be the most expensive holiday I will ever be on in terms of overall cost. I spent 3 weeks in the Middle East recently and the total cost including spending money was about £1500. 

I won't be scrimping at the expense of my holiday as it's unlikely that I will ever visit again but equally do want to seek out some free/budget options.


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## D (Dec 15, 2009)

skyscraper101 said:


> For eating on the go, I seriously recommend Pick A Bagel. Google it and find one. It's not just a great bagel place and reasonably priced food on the go, but its one of those places that you really feel the pace of New York. Everyone at it shouting their orders back and forth and everything served up at ten times the pace of anywhere else. If you're even the slightest bit of a ditherer when you get in line then you generally fuck it up for everybody. And I mean proper New Yorkers, not tourists. It's bizarre and funny if you're not used to it.





You can have this kind of experience in most Manhattan delis or bagel shops, especially if you're there between 7:30 and 9 AM or 12 and 1.

Although reading the menupages reviews of Pick-A-Bagel, it does seem like the staff are especially surly there.

http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/pick-a-bagel/


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## Orang Utan (Dec 15, 2009)

is there a real soup nazi?


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## D (Dec 15, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> is there a real soup nazi?



There was - I think he closed up shop.


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## D (Dec 15, 2009)

tom's diner is real too, but it's not very exciting


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## Orang Utan (Dec 15, 2009)

so i guess pick a bagel is the closest thing. can't wait to to be offended!


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## D (Dec 15, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> so i guess pick a bagel is the closest thing. can't wait to to be offended!



You won't be offended.  You'll just feel like an idiot if you don't decide what you want to order before you get there.

Figure out what KIND of bagel you want.  That's the key.


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## Orang Utan (Dec 15, 2009)

i want to make my mind up in the shop


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## D (Dec 15, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> i want to make my mind up in the shop



Yes, but do it while you're on line not when you arrive in front of the dude who'll take your order. Or just dither and see what happens.


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## D (Dec 15, 2009)

And by "on line" I mean "in the queue"


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## Orang Utan (Dec 15, 2009)

D said:


> Yes, but do it while you're on line not when you arrive in front of the dude who'll take your order. Or just dither and see what happens.



i think i'd like the full on dithering experience. i'm not organised enough to choose online and anyway, i'd probably change my mind when i saw someone else's. i can't wait to annoy the bagel nazi.


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## Orangesanlemons (Dec 15, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> is there a real soup nazi?



He has a small franchise called Original Soup Man or something similar, there's one in the financial district near the WTC site. Still there as far as I'm aware.
There's a bit of Seinfeld tat and "Soup Nazi" signage, but it's just a soup place really. It was decent soup, but don't expect any rudeness.


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## D (Dec 15, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> choose online



I don't think they take orders over the internet anyhow.


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## skyscraper101 (Dec 15, 2009)

Orang Utan said:


> i think i'd like the full on dithering experience. i'm not organised enough to choose online and anyway, i'd probably change my mind when i saw someone else's. i can't wait to annoy the bagel nazi.



It's called 'pick a bagel' for a reason


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## D (Dec 15, 2009)

skyscraper101 said:


> It's called 'pick a bagel' for a reason



indeed.



*** Turns out there's a pick-a-bagel not far from me.  I don't eat bagels, mind you, but when I did, I was really into Ess-A-Bagel, which serves bagels the size of footballs.


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## skyscraper101 (Dec 15, 2009)

They're just great places for feeling like you're in NY proper I think.

Not only the whole pace of the place, and bagels being an original new york 'thing' of course, but the people watching is fantastic. I sat outside one some weeks back with my friend eating a bagel and came across so much of everyday life it was brilliant.

I minded designer dogs while their walkers went inside, overheard the conversations of Manhattan moms while they parked up their designer strollers, shot the breeze with running enthusiasts on their way to the park with their vitamin water, and generally soaked up the pace of the city and its people away from the obvious tourist spots. Brilliant fun.


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## 1927 (Dec 15, 2009)

Flavour said:


> Subway: $2.25 a ride, so $9 a day if you take 4 journeys, x7= $63 maximum



Ignore this bit of "advice" from a New Yorker. get yourself a Metrocard, unlimited bus and subway rides for $27 for 7 days!


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## Flavour (Dec 16, 2009)

1927 said:


> Ignore this bit of "advice" from a New Yorker. get yourself a Metrocard, unlimited bus and subway rides for $27 for 7 days!



that wasn't advice, and i'm not a New Yorker


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## D (Dec 16, 2009)

Flavour said:


> that wasn't advice, and i'm not a New Yorker



You live in the E Village.


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## 1927 (Dec 16, 2009)

Flavour said:


> that wasn't advice, and i'm not a New Yorker



My apolgies as I now see you are in Philly. That explains why you couldn't grasp the idea of the Metrocard!!


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## blueplume (Dec 16, 2009)

editor said:


> I always resent paying museum fees over there seeing as they get them free in the UK. Most of them do free late afternoons one day in the week though, so I go along for them.
> 
> Their bagels are fantastic. I recommend the Cake Shop, 152 Ludlow St, Lower East Side for a snack. http://www.urban75.org/newyork/cafes.html



Why not the Cake shop, I even preferred the ones at Murray, 6th av and 13 st


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## Flavour (Dec 17, 2009)

1927 said:


> My apolgies as I now see you are in Philly. That explains why you couldn't grasp the idea of the Metrocard!!



I do live in NY but I've only been here for 8 months, I've only had the pleasure of an unlimited ride Metrocard once, a long time ago, I'd forgotten they existed, I don't use the subway enough to justify one, and I just have a Metrocard I top up with 20 bucks here and there as and when I need to. I'd completely forgotten the unlimited ride cards existed to be honest.


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