New York City which is commonly referred to as ‘the Big Apple’ is one of the most coveted tourist destinations in the world. Known for its unmatched allure this sprawling metropolis which is made up of five boroughs (districts) attracted nearly 48 million international and domestic tourists in 2009.   Accordingly New York City is geared to cater to the needs of its many visitors as it offers them a wide array of sight-seeing, entertainment, and dining options in the form of world famous landmarks, great theater and other cultural performances and numerous diverse restaurants which serve up a smorgasbord of cuisines.

New York City is served by three major airports namely the John F Kennedy Airport (JFK) which is located in the borough of Queens, the LaGuardia Airport which is located in the New York county of Long Island and the Newark Liberty Airport which is located in the neighboring state of New Jersey. These three airports play host to a plethora of  international and domestic carriers. In fact JFK airport is a major hub for American Airlines, Delta and the New York City based low cost carrier, Jet Blue Airways, while LaGuardia is an important base for various other low cost carriers like AirTran and American Eagle airways. Similarly Newark Liberty Airport functions as key hub for Continental Airlines which also operates several subsidiary airlines and recently merged with another major US carrier, United Airlines to form one of the largest airlines in terms of revenue passenger miles. These three main New York City airports are served by a plethora of trains, subway lines, taxis, shuttle buses and coaches and they all afford relatively easy access to the ‘city’ as the New York  City borough of Manhattan is commonly called.

New York City is located on eastern seaboard of North America and it accordingly experiences warm, humid summers which last from May to September and cold, extremely frigid winters which extend for the remaining six months of the year. Most tourists tend to visit New York City during the summer months when the city hosts  a wide array  of events and festivals including the summer street fairs which are generally held over weekends all over the city. Tourists who don’t enjoy the hot, humid New York summers  try and visit  the city in the fall (mid- September to late October) when the weather in  is cool and crisp, with day temperatures hovering around 70̊ F or 21̊ C or thereabouts and night temperatures falling to the low 60s and high 50s though some folks also enjoy a  visit in the early spring when the city emerges from its long, cold, dark winters and is awash with flowering blooms.

New York City is the only city in the US which has an extensive and heavily used Mass Transit system; New Yorkers are in fact perceived to be great walkers who tend to traverse their city mainly on foot . If you plan to  experience the city like a true  New Yorker , then it is imperative that you pack a good pair of walking shoes in your luggage for the hard, concrete pavements of New York City can be brutal on your feet. Moreover if your planned visit to the Big Apple is during the summer months then you might want to pack cool, cotton clothes for the weather is generally  steamy with temperatures in the high 70’s and mid-80s so much so it is often said that true New Yorkers flee the city in August and the city is almost entirely taken over by visiting tourists. If you choose to however visit New York City later on in the year then a light jacket is de rigueur for the fall months ,while a heavy overcoat, sweaters, hat, gloves, scarf and boots are  almost essential for a visit to New York City during the grueling, bone chilling winter months when snow fall is a common occurrence.

New York City offers a wide range of attractions which are guaranteed to please all types of visitors. There are some attractions like the Empire State Building, the U.N. compound, the Statue of Liberty which are especially well known and thus attract hordes of tourists all year round. Needless to add many of these attractions are also expensive to access as they have hefty admission fees. If you wish to take in as many New York attractions as you can on your New York City visit then you would do well as to invest a package called the New York  Pass which gives to access to multiple New York City attractions for one low price. The New York Pass can be purchased online even before you arrive in New York City.

However aside from the attractions offered by the New York Pass, there are several  other New York City attractions which should  figure in your must-do list for New York like visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met). This grand museum which is housed in an imposing building located on 82nd Street and Fifth Avenue is perhaps New York’s premier attraction which has enchanting permanent exhibits as well as frequently changing temporary exhibits that attracts hordes of visitors, both locals and tourists all throughout the year. Yet another beloved attraction of New York City, is its iconic patch of green, Central Park which is filled with numerous landmarks like Strawberry Fields,  an enclave in the park that pays tribute to the late, John Lennon, singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who used to reside in building called Dakota which  lies adjacent to and overlooks the Park. Central Park is a constant hub of activity which hosts festivals like the Central Park Summer Stage and Shakespeare in the Park during the summers and ice skating on the Wollman rink during the winters. Apart from Central Park, the city also has various other worth visiting green spaces like Washington Square Park, Bryant Park and the New York Botanical Gardens which are located in the Bronx.

New York City is known for its multicultural character as this city has historically been associated with various waves of immigration; the best place to learn about this immigrant heritage of New York City is at the Tenement Museum which is located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and provides a valuable insight into the lives of the early immigrants who came to New York City. In recent times yet another historical site has come to be firmly entrenched on any visit New York City itinerary, Ground Zero which is the site of  the horrific terrorists attacks of 9/11 that killed more than 3000 residents of the city ,many of whom worked in its iconic World Trade Center Towers, the main target of the attacks.

In addition to sight-seeing, tourists who visit New York City also like to taken its many cultural offerings for  the city is well known for its theater district , ‘Broadway’ and several other cultural bastions like  the Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall and the Brooklyn Academy of Music which offer a wide variety of music, dance and film events that enthrall and delight the masses all throughout the year.

Aside from its reputation as a tourist magnet and a cultural and entertainment epicenter, New York City is also known for its varied  culinary landscape. New York City is  home to nearly 19000 eating establishments that range from high end restaurants like Per Se, Locanda Verde and Le Bernadin  to small hole in the wall establishments that serve a wide range of global eats.  However New York is also known for some foods which are considered to be ‘quintessentially New York’, like New York City bagels which are reputed to be ‘ the best in the world’ and can be purchased from the city’s many  street vendors as well as specialty bagel stores like H&H Bagels, Ess a Bagel and  Tal Bagels. Similarly renowned is New York Citys Pizza which can be enjoyed at  authentic pizza joints like Lombardi’s, Grimaldi’s, Patsy’s Pizzeria and Totonno’s in New York City.

No trip to New York City can be complete without a shopping expedition and New York City which plays hosts to America’s most famous Fashion weeks has several enclaves which are known  essentially as shopping districts like the stretches of  Fifth and Madison Avenues that are lined with high end designer stores  and the cluster of middle range stores that are located along 34th Street in Midtown Manhattan.

Yet another shopping haunt for tourists to New York City is Canal Street which is located in the heart of  Manhattan’s Chinatown and is the Mecca for designer knock-offs, cheap t-shirts and other knick-knacks. Located close to Chinatown is Soho which is yet another heavily tourist trafficked  shopping area that is populated with one of a kind designer boutiques, outposts of department stores like Bloomingdale’s and chic foreign imports like Topshop and Uniglo , Muji and  Mango in addition to a sleek Apple Store. Soho in fact also has within its boundaries the design store of the Museum of Modern Art which offers cleverly designed products that capture the edgy style of New York City and make for perfect souvenirs from this unique and utterly captivating city.

There is always a lot going on in New York City.  Memorial Day weekend is no exception.  There are parades, parties and event throughout the Big Apple.  These range from somber to fun to spectacular.  When it comes to parades, New York has more than a few to choose from, with each borough putting on multiple marches over the course of the weekend.  These offerings include some of the country’s largest Memorial Day parades.  The holiday is marked in the city’s iconic areas: from Times Square to the Statue of Liberty.

Here is the best that New York City has to offer on Memorial Day weekend:

Billed as the nation’s largest Memorial Day parade, the march through the Queens neighborhoods of Little Neck and Douglaston draws spectators and participants from around the city and the country.  This is the 83rd year that the Little Neck parade has taken place.  This quiet corner of NYC is surprisingly suburban-looking (not the type of landscape normally associated with the Big Apple).  It is a great opportunity to see an impressive parade while getting a behind the scenes look at life in the outer boroughs.   The parade kicks off at 2 p.m. on Memorial Day.

Memorial week is Fleet Week in New York.  Starting on May 26th, there will be demonstrations, tours and performances related to the sea-going branches of the armed forces.  A parade of ships on the Hudson River (best viewed from Manhattan’s riverside) kicks off a week of free events.  There are free daily ship tours on Staten Island, parades all day on Memorial Day, and performances by Navy and Marine marching bands.

Of course, there are plenty of non-military related activities and events in the Big Apple during late May.  Block parties and outdoor art shows take place around the city, with many of the most accessible happening in the borough of Manhattan.  These include the Waverly Place Festival and the Lower East Side Art Festival.  In addition to these two notables, a huge outdoor art gallery will be set up in Washington Square.

The end of May brings several high-brow entertainment options.  The most notable is the annual free Memorial Day concert given by the New York Philharmonic.  The event will be held in the Church of Saint John the Divine with seats being awarded on a first-come-first-served basis.  If the weather is dry, the concert will be broadcast to people on the lawn outside the  church as well.  The curtain goes up at 8 p.m. on Memorial Day, but would-be attendees need to arrive much earlier to assure themselves on a good seat.

For those who prefer pop to classical, the top two contestants on this year’s American Idol will be performing early on Friday morning (May 28th) as part of the NBC Today Show Summer Concert Series.  The show will take place at 7 a.m. on the plaza near Rockefeller Center.  There is no admission fee.  ABC’s Good Morning America offers a similar free option when they bring country stars Sugarland to the stage in Central Park at the exact same time that the Idols take the stage.

Of course, all the museums, shopping streets and theaters will be operating as usual during the weekend, giving visitors a virtually limitless amount of activities to choose from. If you plan on staying even longer, find some great NYC Hotel Deals that are currently available.

New York City is renowned the world over for its multi-cultural character.  Such is the allure of the erstwhile ‘Big Apple’, that it attracts people from all over the globe who come to New York City in search of fame and fortune.  The city has a rich immigrant history which has contributed greatly to its  diversity and one of the best ways for a visitor to witness this aspect of New York City, is to take in one of the city’s biggest food festivals namely the annual Ninth Avenue International Food Festival.

The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival which is held typically on the weekend after Mothers Day, made its debut on New York City’s summer street fair calendar in 1973.  Since then this two day festival which is held along 9th Avenue on the west side of Manhattan and extends from W37th toW 57th streets has attracted record crowds every year. It is estimated that more than a  million people, both local New Yorkers and visitors attend this’ ode to global foods’ every year. This year the Ninth Avenue Food Festival is slated to be held on the  15th and 16th of May from 9.30am to 6.30pm on each day.

Summer street fairs in New York City are eagerly anticipated events which are held one every weekend during the three month long summer season in New York City. New Yorkers often have to endure long harsh, frigid winters which are typical of the north eastern coast of the USA and when summer rolls along they try and make the most of it by spending all their time outdoors in the warm weather.  It is for this reason these summer street fairs enjoy immense popularity in New York City as they usually feature a wide assortment of vendors who sell handmade jewelry, artifacts, plants, artworks, inexpensive clothes, cosmetics, soft furnishings and all sorts of wonderful foods over a stretch of streets in the city which are usually closed to vehicular traffic for the event.

The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival is much more than an ordinary, run of the mill New York City Street fair for it aims to highlight the global character of the neighborhood it represents. The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival is mainly concentrated within a neighborhood of New York City which is known as Hell’s Kitchen. This rough and tumble  neighborhood which is now a major  entertainment, transportation and infrastructure center in Manhattan was once home to the city’s Irish-American and Puerto Rican working class populations. Today Hell’s Kitchen which is in the throes of gentrification like many other New York City neighborhoods continues to host a wide array of ethnic food stores and fine restaurants that serve a plethora of global cuisines.

The Ninth Avenue International Food Festival is a celebration of the unique character of this neighborhood that enjoys the active participation of several area restaurants and local community organizations. At this fantastic food festival you can expect to taste various exotic cuisines which are not usually found at the other street fairs like Argentinean, Ethiopian, Cajun, Indonesian, Polish, Senegalese, Spanish, Thai, Caribbean, Moroccan cuisines along with many more though the festival also offers up the usual suspects like  mozzarepas, zeppolis, funnel cakes, and egg creams which are found at regular weekend street fairs.

The restaurants situated along Ninth Avenue also participate enthusiastically  in the celebration and put up stalls outside their establishments along with the food vendors. While doing the rounds of the festival you can expect to sample the  fare offered by many of the area restaurants like Nasi Goereng and corn fritters with shrimp from the Indonesian restaurant  Bali Nusah Indah, chorizo sandwiches from the Esposito Pork Shop, oysters and clams from restaurants like Central Fish and Sea Breeze, gumbos, crab cakes and chicken curry from Chantale’s Cajun Kitchen, salt and pepper squid from Siam Grill, pad thai and dumplings from Wondee Siam, carrot cake and apple pie from the Little Pie Company, jambalaya and broiled craw fish from Delta Grill and breads, brownies, cookies from Amy’s Breads along with many more.

These food stalls are usually interspersed with stages which feature much live entertainment and this year they are scheduled to showcase   Egyptian belly dancers, German folk dancers, Arab scarf dancers and the New York Celtic Dancers who will perform the traditional highland dances and music of  Scotland along with  the jazz dancing duo Midori and Chad, who will perform a variety of routines. Aside from these dancers the stages will also feature many local bands and musicians.

If you are in New York City on the scheduled days of the Ninth Avenue International Food Festival you must make it a point to visit the food fair  and sample all wondrous delights that seem to truly represent the cultural melting pot that is New York City. Find a NYC hotel deal for your stay during this festival.

The best way to access the Ninth Avenue International Food Festival is by subway for Ninth Avenue is usually closed to traffic on the two days of the food fest. You can either use the A,C,E( blue lines) of the New York City subway to get to the Port Authority terminal at 42nd Street and 8th Avenue or even the C,E, trains  to 50th street and 8th Avenue and then just walk over to Ninth Avenue for the food fair.

Earth Day is turning 40 this year. What are you going to do to celebrate? If going green is more than a passing trend for you, consider showing your respect for Mother Nature while having a blast by attending one of these 5 weekend Earth Day events in a city near you.

1. 40th Anniversary Earth Day Celebration in Washington D.C. (April 24-25)

Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day and the EPA at the National Mall in DC this weekend. One of the biggest features of this event will be the National Sustainable Design Expo, which will showcase exciting new green technologies and alternative designs from college groups around the nation. There will also be several family-friendly activities taking place, such as basic science experiment demonstrations and the Carbon Wheel of Fortune game, which will teach participants how to reduce their carbon footprint.

2. Berkeley Earth Day in Berkeley, California (April 24)

From noon to 5pm, join Berkeley-ites at the Civic Center Park as they celebrate the environmental movement through cultural performances and activities. Performers will include the Venezuelan Music Project and Reggae Angels. The event will also feature craft and community booths, a demonstration of biodiesel and electric cars, a climbing wall, and farmer’s market.

3. EarthFair at Grand Central Terminal, New York City (April 23-24)

EarthFair is a two-day, outdoor festival featuring art and music that will take place on Vanderbilt Avenue. There will be a large exhibit area featuring interactive displays from environmental groups and green businesses. On stage, there will be musical performances by the Manhattan Samba Band, Judah Tribe, The London Souls, and Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, among other bands.

4. Pikes Peak Earth Day 2010, Colorado Springs, Colorado (April 24)

Held at the LEED-certified Cornerstone Art Center at Colorado College, Pikes Peak Earth Day is a popular, community-wide event that hosts workshops, food, art, environmental presentations, and much more. Some hands-on, kid-friendly activities that will be offered throughout the celebration include litter bug crafts, balance eco mobile art, rock art, and face painting. There will also be performances by several local artists, including Rayah, a gypsy belly dancer, John Armstrong, a Native American flute player, and The Lame Wolf Project, a folk/bluegrass band.

5. Miami Goin’ Green, Miami, Florida (April 24)

Miami Goin’ Green will be held at Bayfront Park and feature over 100 exhibitors from around the country. Entrance to this event, which will run from 10am to 6pm, is free. Some unique features of this event include the Miami Science Museum’s Mad Lab, where kids can learn about green concepts by participating in hands-on activities and an electronic recycling center, where you can dispose of old electronic appliances for recycling. If you have any unwanted clothing that’s hip and in good condition, you can trade them for new garbs at Miami Goin’ Green’s Fashion Forward clothing swap.

In the spirit of our previous post, The Ultimate List of Twitter Travel Accounts, we’ve created this twitter list of profiles that would be helpful to follow for people traveling to the NYC area. If you have plans to go to NYC for all the great things to do in NYC these tweeple can provide insight into NYC that you won’t find in the guidebooks. As with that post, we’re welcoming recommendations to these lists! Let us know by following us on Twitter (@BesTravelDeals) and contacting us there, or by leaving a note in the comments below.

NYC Restaurants, Bars, & Venues

• American Globe Theatre — @AmericanGlobe
• Art Raw Gallery — @artraw
• Atlantic Theater — @AtlanticTheater
• Bar Coastal — @BarCoastal
• Cupcake Stop — @CupcakeStop
• Film Society at Lincoln Center — @filmlinc
• Foley’s New York — @FoleysNY
• Gotham Comedy — @GothamComedy
• Irish Arts Center — @IrishArtsCenter
• M2 Ultra Lounge — @M2Ultra_Lounge
• New Victory — @NewVictory
• New York Dine — @NYCdine
• New York City Opera — @nycOpera
• Paul Corrigan — @LaughNYC
• Performing Arts Center, NY City Center — @CityCenter_NYC
• Roundabout Theater — @RTC_NYC
• Signature Theatre — @SignatureTheatr
• SOBs — @SOBs
• Social Bar NYC — @SocialBarLounge
• Stella Adler Studio — @StellaAdlerNY
• Symphony Space — @SymphonySpace
• The Counting Room — @TheCountingRoom
• The Inspired Word NYC — @InspiredWordNYC
• The Joyce Theater — @TheJoyceTheater
• The Pony Bar — @ThePonyBar
• The Public Theater — @PublicTheaterNY
• Tosca Cafe — @ToscaNYC
• UFCbars — @ufcbars

Things to Do in NYC

• A Little Night Music — @NightMusicBway
• Bronx Zoo — @TheBronxZoo
• Brooklyn Botanical Garden — @bklynbotanic
• Carroll Gardens — @CarrollPark
• Guggenheim Museum — @Guggenheim
• Living Free NYC — @LivingfreeNYC
• Manhattan User’s Guide — @MUGuide
• Museum of Math — @MoMath1
• Museum of Modern Art — @MuseumModernArt
• National Museum of the American Indian — @AmerIndianNYC
• New York Botanical Garden — @NYBG
• New York Tours — @NYcitytours
• NYCGO.com — @nycgo
• NY Youth Symphony — @NYYouthSymphony
• NY Public Library — @NYPL
• Off Manhattan — @offManhattan
• Queens Botanical Garden — @QueensBotanicl
• St. Nicholas Park — @StNickPark
• The Battery — @thebatterynyc
• The High Line — @highlinenyc
• The Morgan — @MorganLibrary
• TribecaFilm Festival — @TribecaFilmFest
• To Do In NY — @ToDoInNY
• Walking New York — @walkingnewyork
• World Science Festival — @WorldSciFest

Places to Stay in NYC

• 70 park avenue hotel — @70parkave
• Affinia Hotels — @affiniahotels
• Apple Core Hotels — @AppleCoreHotels
• Broadway Hotel — @BroadwayHotel
• Bryant Park Hotel — @Bryantparkhotel
• Carlton Hotel — @TheCarltonNY
• Crystal Springs — @CrystalSprings
• DT Metropolitan — @dtmet
• Fashion 26 – Wyndham — @Fashion26Hotel
• Gramercy Park Hotel — @GPHhotel
• Hotel Chelsea — @TheHotelChelsea
• Hotel Gansevoort NYC — @HotelGansevoort
• Hilton Grand Vacations Suites — @HiltonGrandVac
• Jazz Hostels — @JazzHostels
• LaGuardia Courtyard — @LGAmarriott
• Marrakech Hotel — @Marrakechhotel
• Mandarin Oriental — @MO_HOTELS
• Soho Grand Hotel — @SohoGrandHotel
• The London NYC — @TheLondonNYC
• The Pierre New York — @ThePierreNY
• The Roosevelt Hotel — @RooseveltNYC
• World Center Hotel — @WorldCtrHotel

Local & Regional News

• 13 New York PBS — @ThirteenNY
• Broadway Pulse — @broadwaypulse
• Central Park Buzz — @CentralParkBuzz
• Everything NYC — @EverythingNYC
• Eyewitness News on ABC 7 — @Eyewitnessnyc
• Grub Street — @grubstreetny
• MVPNY — @NYC_Info
• New York Art Beat — @NYArtBeat
• New York City Parks — @NYCParks
• New York Mag — @NewYorkMag
• New York Post — @newyorkpost
• Nice Day, Huh: New York — @ncdnewyork
• NY1 Onstage — @NY1onstage
• NY Times Food & Drink — @NYTimesFood
• NY Times Dining & Wine — @NYTimesDining
• The Today Show — @todayshow

NYC Tweeples & Bloggers

• Broadway Reviews — @BroadwayReviews
• Brooklynology — @Brooklynology
• Brooklyn Vegan — @Brooklynvegan
• Craig Kanalley — @ckanal
• Curbed — @Curbed
• Dani Klein — @yeahthatskosher
• Gothamist — @Gothamist
• Kat in NYC — @katinyc
• Kelley Vick — @KelleyVick
• Kevin Spacey — @KevinSpacey
• Michelle Lockett — @MichelleLockett
• New York City Tweets — @TweetNY
• NY Musical Theatre Fest — @NYMF
• Pamela Parisi — @ElegantTightwad
• Roger Resnicoff — @NYCRockStar
• Ray Beckerman — @RayBeckerman
• Seth Rudetsky — @SethRudetsky
• Theater Scene — @Theaterscene
• The Tony Awards — @TheTonyAwards
• Tweeting NYC — @tweetingNYC
• Urban Hawks — @Urbanhawks
• Waterwell — @Waterwell

New York City is the most popular tourist destination in the USA and one of the most exciting cities in the world. This city which is often referred to as ‘the city that never sleeps’ and ‘ the center of the universe’ is chock a block with numerous attractions which draw hordes of camera totting tourists every year. However many of the famous New York City attractions sport hefty admission charges which can rapidly decimate a vacation sight-seeing budget and the only way to avoid this scenario is to use some of the tips and tricks mentioned below to obtain your entire New York City experience for ‘free’.

Get your requisite dose of culture at New York City’s many museums on ‘free museum nights’.

New York City is home to nearly 80 world famous museum. Most of these New York  museums have hefty admission charges though  the Metropolitan Museum of Art,  the American Museum of Natural History and theMuseum of the City of New York follow a ‘pay as you wish’ policy with the suggested admissions priced between $10 to $20 .
The Whitney Museum of American Art follows a ‘pay as you wish policy’ on Friday evenings from 6pm to 9pm. The Museum of Modern Art offers free admission sponsored by Target on Fridays between 4pm and 8pm and offers free admission for children under  16 at all times while The Children’s Museum of Manhattan offers free admission sponsored by Target on the First Friday of every month from 5pm to 8pm. Similarly the Guggenheim Museum offers a ‘pay as you wish policy’ on Saturdays from 5.45pm to 7.45pm and the Brooklyn Museum offers Target Free First Saturdays from 5pm to 11pm where thousands of visitors enjoy free art and entertainment at the museum.
The annual Museum Mile Festival which celebrates the nine New York City museums which are  located along Fifth Avenue from 82nd Street to 104th street is usually held in June and offers free admission to these museums along with music, dance and entertainment programs.

Bank of America offers its cardholders free admission to New York City Museums through its ‘Museums on Us’ program. This program allows Bank of America cardholders free admission during the first full weekend of every month at the Met, the Bronx Zoo, the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum, the New York Aquarium and the Whitney Museum of American Art.Additionally you can also immerse yourself in American History everyday at the Museum of the American Indian which is located in downtown Manhattan and which offers free admission at all times and the Queens County Farm Museum which is housed in a historic homestead on the only working historical farm in  New York City charges admission only for special events but is free on most days.

Feast your eyes on the gorgeous vistas of the New York City Skyline

New York City’s skyscraper speckled skyline is renowned the world over and one of  the best way to enjoy the views of the skyline and the landmarks such as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island  for free is to take a ride on the free public commuter Staten Island ferry that plies round the clock between the Whitehall Street terminal in downtown Manhattan to St George on Staten Island.

Explore New York City’s Gardens and the Bronx Zoo for Free

The Brooklyn Botanic Gardens are free of admission charges on Tuesdays from 8am to 6 pm; seniors additionally enjoy free access to the gardens on Fridays as well though the garden also offers free access to all visitors on Saturdays from 10am to noon unless there are special events scheduled in the gardens. Free access days are also offered during week days during the freezing New York City winters. Similarly the New York Botanical Gardens which are located in the Bronx offer free grounds admission for everyone all day on Wednesdays and from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturdays. The Wave Hill Gardens which are located on a 28 acre former estate overlooking the Hudson River in the Bronx and feature greenhouses and gardens offer free access all day on Tuesdays during the off peak months and restricted free access during the peak summer months from May to October.

On Wednesdays, the animal wonderland of the Bronx Zoo ,the largest metropolitan zoo in the United States that encompasses 265 acres of verdant park lands and other naturalistic habitats and  has the  Bronx River flowing through it ,offers admission by ‘pay-what-you-wish‘ donation all day from10 am to 4:30 pm.

Tour the Grand Central Terminal for Free

Grand Central Terminal which is one of New York City’s main commuter rail stations and the biggest station in the world by the number of platforms is located in a gorgeous Beaux Arts building on East 42nd Street between Lexington and Park Avenues. Learn about the history of this stunning New York City landmark by taking a free guided tour of Grand Central Terminal and its surrounding neighborhoods. This free 90 minute walking tour is offered on Fridays all throughout the year and is sponsored by the Grand Central Partnership and the Altria Group. The tour kicks off at 12.30pm from the Sculpture Court of the Whitney Museum at Altria on East 42nd Street across from Grand Central.

Discover Nature’s glorious bounties at the Union Square Green Market

The Union Square Green Market is New York City’s premier farmer’s market that is held all year round on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 8am until 6pm at Union Square located between 14th Street and 17th Streets. Celebrity chefs, local restaurateurs, home cooks and enthusiastic foodies head religiously to this outdoor market to procure  seasonal fresh produce, meats, freshly baked breads and other confectioneries, juices , syrups, cheeses, jams, honeys, butters that are on offer. All the products sold at this superb market are sourced from local farmers, bakers and producers who are always on hand to interact and offer samples to the crowds that throng the market.

Feast your eyes on the NY Fed Gold Vault

The New York Federal Reserve Bank offers free tours of its facilities through one hour long guided tours. These tours are offered free every day of the week excepting for bank holidays. However in order to reserve a tour you have to register on the New York Federal Reserve’s website at least a month in advance.

Revel in the free entertainment on offer in New York City’s Parks

New York City’s iconic patch of green, Central Park is a hub of activity especially during the summer months when if offers free public performances in the park like Shakespeare in the Park, Central Park Summer Stage and  The Good Morning America Summer Concerts which are held in various areas of this vast park.  Yet another park in the city, Bryant Park which is located in the shadow of the imposing, beaux-arts building that houses the New York Public Library on 42nd Street and Fifth Avenue offers free movies on its premises in the summers in the form of the HBO Bryant Park Summer Film Festival. During the winter months Bryant Park offers free ice skating on ‘the Pond’ and a holiday shopping market.  Similar programs are also offered at the city’s other parks like the Brooklyn Bridge Park, Prospect Park and the Battery Park Esplanade.

Flex your muscles as you go kayaking on the Hudson River

The New York City Downtown Boathouse is a volunteer organization that is located in the Hudson River Park along the Hudson River. The Boathouse has three locations in Manhattan at Pier 40 at Houston Street, Pier 96 at 56th Street, 72nd Street in Riverside Park and offers free kayaking facilities during the summer months.

Dine for free at New York City Bars

New York City’s pulsating nightlife is legendary but few know that several New York City bars actually offer substantial free nibbles with their drinks. Most of these free snack deals are offered during ‘the happy hours’ which are usually between 5pm and 7pm.These ‘happy hour munchies’ deals can be found at bars like the Alligator Lounge and the Charleston both of which are located in Williamsburg in Brooklyn and offer pizzas with their drinks. At all the three downtown locations of the wine bar, Tarallucci & Vino which offer mini pizzas, olives, and wedges of quiche as accompaniments to drinks, El Cantinero   in Greenwich Village which offers a free buffet with its drinks, the bar called Spain on West 13th street which offers free tapas during happy hour and Rudy’s Bar and Grill in Hell’s Kitchen which offers free hot dogs with its drinks. For a daily listing of Happy Hour deals at New York’s bars do check out the website happyhoured.com which also has an application for the iphone.

Pander to your shopaholic tendencies at New York City’s famous flea and street markets

Summer street fairs are yet another New York City tradition. During the lazy summer weekends, entire streets in the city are pedestrianized as they host various vendors who hawk food, clothes, myriad arte facts and more at these bustling summer street fairs. Aside from these street fairs NYC has permanent flea markets like the Brooklyn Flea which is open every warm weather weekend in Fort Greene on Saturdays and in DUMBO on Sundays but goes indoors at One Hanson Place at the corner of Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn during the winter months. Yet another permanent flea market in NYC is the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market which is held all year round at West 39th Street between 9th and 10th Avenues which features more than 170 vendors who sell antiques, collectibles, vintage clothing, home decorations and furniture, jewelry, and much  more.’

Finding a cheap hotel in NYC under $150 / night is easier now than ever with the abundance of travel deals this year. This list of budget hotels include only hotels that are normally under $150/night for every day of the year.

The Jane Hotel
113 Jane Street
New York, NY 10014
212-924-6700

The Jane Hotel is in a great location down a fairly quiet cobblestone street alongside the Hudson in New York. The rooms and bathrooms were spotless and cleaned regularly.

Dark wood paneling, ghostly lighting, red carpets give this place an incredible atmosphere with rooms cleverly designed like ships cabins with a full mirror on one wall. Railings on each wall to hang clothing, an iPod dock/alarm clock, a wide-screen TV, air con and a wall fan, a robe, x3 towels and a complimentary bottle of water.

Union Square Inn
Downtown Manhattan on 14th Street
Near Union Square and East Village of Manhattan.
212-614-0500

The location could not be better. Situated close to Union Square and subway/trains, major buses, near East Village, the hotel is older, but well kept, with staff who are friendly and accommodating, and rooms are a pretty good size for New York.

If you do book a room at Union Square Inn, either look for a room on the first floor or pack light because there is no elevator and you have to carry your bags up the stairs.

Hotel 31
120 East 31st Street
New York, NY 10016
212-685-3060

Featuring all of the amenities that you would expect from a first-class hotel/hostel hybrid. Fantastic location – two blocks from subway, very short subway trip to Grand Central Station, making this a great place if you plan on being out and about most of the day and night and want a decent place to sleep at night.

The hotel is a refurbished old building which makes it very quaint, although the elevator is also quite old and somewhat slow. Rooms are clean, quiet, have a tv, safe, and sink. The bathrooms are down the hall, are cleaned regularly, and always available.

Chelsea Lodge
318 West 20th Street
New York, New York 10011
800-373-1116
212-243-4499

The Chelsea Lodge Hotel is clean, charming, with its brownstone steps and quirky rooms, and an excellent value. Comfortable bed, friendliness of staff and guests, and rooms at the Chelsea Lodge are newly designed and furnished. The rooms have been remodeled in a country, Americana style, featuring new beds, televisions, showers, and air conditioners.

See the Empire State Building every time you venture out in the morning, as the Chelsea Lodge is located near public transportation, tourist attractions, restaurants, clubs, and galleries, and is listed by TravelAdvisor as one of the top 25% of ALL New York City hotels.

Park 79 Hotel
117 West 79th Street
New York, NY 10024
866-3-PARK79
212-787-3300

Park 79 is a good budget hotel tucked away on the Upper West Side, one of New York’s most dynamic neighborhoods, offering a style that appeals to the discriminating corporate or leisure guest. Location is excellent with the National History museum and Central Park right on the hotel’s doorstep.

It is an old building, formerly a house, with rooms that are very small but fine for sleeping and showering. Best of all, the price is reasonable, and the neighborhood is great. The bathroom was nicely done and always cleaned very well, with no lack of hot water. The rooms have plenty of storage space and no smoke odors.

Murray Hill Inn
143 East 30th Street
New York, NY 10016
212-683-6900

Murray Hill inn is a clean no-frills five floor hotel with no elevator located in Midtown near The Empire State Building, 5th Ave, and 34th St. Shopping, making it a good, bargain hotel in a good location.

The hotel offers a wide range of newly renovated Private and Shared rooms, bathrooms are nice and clean, with beds that are huge, flat screen TV and small sofa. The street the hotel is in is quiet, but at the corner at either end are both shops and an array of different places to eat.

The Carlton Arms Hotel
160 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010
212-679-0680
212-684-8337

The Carlton Arms Hotel is conveniently located at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 25th Street on the East side of Manhattan. It is a cheerful, basic budget hotel with lots of character. This place is for the free-spirited solo traveler or for couples or friends in need of a unique and affordable place to stay in the heart of the city. At night there are many nightclubs and a very popular Irish Pub right below the hotel but there are plenty of rooms facing 25th St. or the courtyard that are quiet.

It’s not spotless, the beds and doors creak, the heat pipes cough and moan, you get noise from the street, the floors are uneven……but if there are multiple rooms available, have a look around at a few not only for comfort but also because each one is literally a work of art. 54 rooms and 4 hallways are painted or decorated by artists that came from all over the world.

Julia Scott at WalletPop is highlighting the great airfare deals to Hawaii, Vegas, NYC, and more that Virgin America, Southwest and United Airlines are offering. With United Airlines all destinations, including London, Paris, Hawaii, Mexico, and the Caribbean, are on sale.

Speaking of airfare deals, Air Tran is offering some pretty good deals right now. You’ll find airfare for as little as $44 one way, according to Terri Gruca of KVUE News.

Rent a car that’s miles away from the airport, and you could save a lot of money, according to Christopher Elliott. His article today explores how to avoid airports’ sky-high car rentals in today’s Seattle Times.

An 8 day fly and drive package to Tuscany in the NYTimes includes a seven-day car rental, six nights in a hotel and breakfast daily, starts at $949 a person with departure dates of March 31 and April 7.

Hilton Hotels is offering up to 33 percent off Friday through Sunday stays at more than 520 hotels and resorts worldwide for weekend stays through Dec. 26, must be booked by Jan. 31.

Truth.travel shows us how to get a free companion ticket to Barbados on American Airlines

20 perfect getaways for Valentine’s Day for our friends in or traveling to Europe

Get half-price tickets to Off-Broadway shows such as “STOMP,” “The Fantasticks,” “Avenue Q” and the new “Venus in Fur” in New York City. The “On the House” deal from NYC & Company, the city’s marketing and tourism organization, offers 2-for-1 tickets to more than 20 Off-Broadway shows for February performances.

$17 a night and up for a hotel room in Las Vegas, but these hotel rooms are going fast, so book NOW!

For more great travel deals, be sure to follow @BesTravelDeals on Twitter and subscribe to this blog’s RSS feed.

Priceline Cruises kicks off wave season with exclusive Hotel Bonus Cash Coupons and stateroom upgrades. Book an oceanview or higher stateroom on any 5-6 night cruise and receive a bonus cash coupon valid toward a 1-night Name Your Own Price® hotel stay. Book an oceanview or higher stateroom on any 7 nights or longer cruise and receive a bonus cash coupon valid toward a 2-night Name Your Own Price® hotel stay. For full details and restrictions, visit cruises.priceline.com.

Fly to NYC this winter just $49 each way out of Atlanta. The $49 rate is relatively easy to land, and it’s valid on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday with other days priced at $69, even Sundays. Give a 14-day advance notice of travel and finish trips on or before March 11 to take advantage of this deal.

Stay at a small Queen Room at the Ace Hotel in New York City for just $152 a night when you book by January 21 for travel through April 30, 2010. The hotel’s restaurant, The Breslin, doesn’t take reservations, so most patrons have to cool their heels at the bar for hours before snagging a table. Hotel guests, however, can skip the line and get on a priority list.

New York City skiers and snowboarders will want to read Matt Gross’ report on Metro-North Railroad’s one-day getaway to Thunder Ridge Ski Area, in Patterson, N.Y. At $51.50 for round-trip train fare and an all-day lift ticket ($50.43 if you order online), it’s nearly $30 less than comparable bus trips. Even better, Thunder Ridge has night skiing (included in the one-day getaway package), so even with an early-afternoon arrival you can ski for seven hours and catch the 8:55 p.m. train back to the city.

£68 & up for a modern hotel in Amsterdam. Located near the Amsterdam historical centre, it offers high quality accommodation. This modern design hotel offers you trendy rooms, all equipped with contemporary amenities. All rooms and public areas have free Wi-Fi!

Valentine’s Day travel deal: celebrate any day in February at the Ritz-Carlton in Denver. The package is $589 per night, pre-tax, and includes dinner, jewelry, and more. It’s available the whole month of February (based on availability). And you can get it just for one night — there is no two-night minimum, even on Valentine’s Day weekend.

$143 a night for Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards for Thursday-Sunday stays from Jan. 22 – March 31. The AAA 3-Diamond hotel is a short walk to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and National Aquarium. Guests will enjoy the new Marriott Revive bed, high-speed Internet access and fitness club.

$119 and up for stays at Boston’s Waterfront Harbor Hotel. The Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel offers Thursday-Sunday night stays through March 7 for $119-$135 per night. This saves 20% off regular weekend rates during this time.

Also in Boston, $103 a night for the Cambridge Hotel over winter weekends. Located two subway stops and across the Charles River from downtown Boston, the Boston Marriott Cambridge is centrally located in Kendall Square close to top universities such as MIT, Harvard, and Boston University.

Travelzoo’s Senior Editor Gabe Saglie and his team of experts have just released 5 “wow” travel destinations for 2010. The destinations include Las Vegas and the Caribbean, perennial favorites popular among Chicago area travelers. Central America, becoming more popular with Midwesterners also made the list. And for those who want a real “wow”, destination Gabe recommends China and South Africa. And for other great deals, be sure to follow our RSS feed and @BesTravelDeals on Twitter!

If you’re planning to visit New York City in January or February, you’d be remiss to miss the Real Deal Winter promo by NYC & Company, the city’s marketing and tourism organization. Deals include two-for-one attractions admissions, $50 hotel credits and 50% off Sunday night stays at certain hotels. You can also save on theater tickets, circus tickets, tours and more.

$79 & up a night for a luxury French Quarter New Orleans hotel. Recently renovated and one of the only LUXURY French Quarter hotels on Bourbon Street at the corner of Orleans directly behind Jackson Square, the Bourbon Orleans offers a glimpse of 18th century French Country House decor & sanctuary. One of the most unique & historic New Orleans hotels directly on Bourbon St in the HEART of the French Quarter.

$110-$120 per night for a north Indianapolis 4-Star Hotel. The Renaissance Indianapolis North Hotel was awarded “Renaissance Hotel Opening of the Year” in 2008 and offers easy access to Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Lucas Oil Stadium, fine art galleries and world-class golf courses. This deal saves 35% off the hotel’s regular rates and is available over weekend and holiday dates.

$89 a night for this Minneapolis Luxury Collection Hotel (Reg. $229). It features Minneapolis’ only spa destination, the Ivy Spa Club and the upscale Porter & Frye restaurant. Additional amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center and guest rooms with 10-foot floating ceilings, original works from local artisans, Italian linens and flat-panel televisions.

$139 a night for a 4-Diamond Kentucky Golf Resort & Spa. This hotel is located the rolling Bluegrass Country of Kentucky near the Kentucky Horse Park and features a Rees Jones-designed golf course, luxurious full-service spa and upscale restaurant JW’s Steakhouse.

$85 a night in Bangor, Maine, where January and February stays are on sale. Accommodations include complimentary WiFi, Four Points Comfort bedding and flat-screen TVs. The hotel features a restaurant as well as Godfrey’s lounge, which is open until 12:30 AM on Tuesday-Saturday.

$99 a night for a Washington D.C.-Area Hotel with breakfast & parking. This value packed deal offers a $99 per night rate and includes extras: breakfast for two, free self-parking and wireless Internet. These extras normally cost $70.

$99 a night for a Puerto Vallarta All-Inclusive resort. Safe, exotic, pure and accessible, this all-suite luxury resort is nestled between ocean and tropical rain forest just minutes from downtown Puerto Vallarta. The awarded property (5 Star Diamond Award) features four swimming pools (one reserved for adults) with waterfalls, Jacuzzis, children’s slides, fitness center, water sports, pool volleyball, tennis court, Spa, and ample activities for both adults and children such as scuba diving, mountain biking , and horseback riding.

Jamaica Holiday Package from $225/Night. Sunset Resorts in beautiful Jamaica is offering a terrific holiday package priced from $225 per person, per night ($100 for children) at three all-inclusive properties on the island: Sunset Beach Resort & Spa in Montego Bay, Sunset Jamaica Grande Resort & Spa in Ocho Rios, and Sunset at the Palms in Negril. From December 23 through January 1, 2010, guests can stay at one of these three oceanfront resorts and participate in a whole slew of family activities that are sure to get everyone in the Christmas spirit.

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