$199/night at The Ahwahnee near Yosemite

Valid for stays select dates in February and March. Includes complimentary breakfast!

Second night at select St. Regis hotels only $4!

Reserve select suites and stay your second night for the price it was in 1904 when the first St. Regis opened: only $4!

1-bedroom suite at The Bluegreen Club in Vegas only $76/night!

Available weekdays through February.  Free shuttle to The Strip!

$29 & up: Fly from across the US to NYC (each way)

Huge winter sale from AirTran, American, JetBlue & Virgin America! Travel Feb 1 – March 30.

Puerto Vallarta 4.5 star Resort & Spa starting at $109/night through April!

Book now at the brand new all-inclusive Sunset Plaza Beach Resort. No blackout dates.

7-night Disney Orlando Package Deal from $506– Kids fly free!

Includes RT airfare, accommodations at a Disney Resort, and Magic Your Way park tickets!

Edgewater Suites South Beach Hotel – 50% off!

Only $129/night select dates through April! Book by January 19. Free daily breakfast and cocktails!

Hotel Fusion in downtown San Francisco from $77/night!

Stay through March and receive FREE breakfast and wi-fi. No blackout dates.

Paris flight sale from 10+ cities! Rates as low as $271 each way.

Book by 1/10 for travel through March.  Fly from ATL, BOS, LGA, LAX, SFO and more!

Tour the Bahamas for 7-nights on Norwegian Cruise Lines starting at only $376!

Departing from New York in March or April on the Norwegian Jewel

$139/night at The Dylan Hotel in Midtown New York City

Short walk from Grand Central, Times Square, Central Park and Rockefeller Center!

$21/night at Circus Circus Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas!

Great January budget deal for this 3 star hotel on the Strip.

Stay on International Drive in Orlando as low as $86/night in January!

Book now at the Hilton Grand Vacation Suites just minutes from the parks.

Stay at the luxurious Ritz Carlton Fort Lauderdale for only $299/night.

Tropical pool deck and skywalk to the beach.  Stay 3+ nights and receive a FREE resort credit!

Save big in 2011 with Viking River Cruises! Special sale packages available.

All-inclusive river cruises Europe, Asia, Egypt and more!  2-for-1 pricing available.

50% Off! Book now at the York Harbor Inn on the coast of Maine for only $69/night

Featured on the Travel Channel’s “Great Country Inns of America” and in the LL Bean Catalog!

Want to make 2010 an unforgettable year? Snag one of these limited time hotel deals to enjoy a chic getaway in the city for less!

Beyond Breakfast Offer at Affinia Chicago – From $149 per Night

Affinia Chicago, which is located just steps away from the Magnificent Mile, is a chic, urban escape with fabulous beds and a signature 6-choice pillow menu. If you book the Beyond Breakfast Offer at Affinia Chicago through Perfect Escapes, you’ll receive American breakfast for two each day, a guaranteed upgrade to the next room category, complimentary wi-fi, and early check-in/late check-out. Rates start at $149. This offer is available through December 30, 2010.

Get a Complimentary Upgrade at Hotel Gansevoort, New York City – From $385

Hotel Gansevoort is the first and only luxury, full-service resort in New York City’s Meatpacking District. This chic retreat boasts luxury guestrooms and suites with step-out balconies that offer panoramic views. If you book your stay at Hotel Gansevoort through Perfect Escapes, you’ll receive daily breakfast for two, an upgrade to the next room category, and early check-in/late check-out at no additional cost. Rates start at $385. This offer is available through September 20, 2011.

Get Your 3^rd Night Free at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego – From $109

The Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego is a waterfront hotel with a resort-like atmosphere. The hotel is equipped with luxurious rooms, as well as shopping, dining, and entertainment venues. It offers easy access to major San Diego attractions, including the San Diego Zoo, SeaWorld, and the Old Town. It’s San Diego Hotel Week, so you’ll get your 3^rd night free if you stay a minimum of three nights at the Manchester Grand Hyatt before December 31, 2010.

Advance Purchase Rates at Marriott World Center, Orlando – From $139

The Marriott World Center is a family-friendly resort that’s located only 1.5 miles away from Disney World. It features a spectacular pool complex, 10 restaurants and lounges, an on-site golf course, a huge video arcade, and a full-service spa. Holiday advance purchase rates at the Marriott World Center in Orlando are $139-$179 between December 9 and 25, 2010 and $209 between December 26, 2010 and January 2, 2011. To qualify for this deal at the Marriott World Center, you must reserve and pay for the room in advance.

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.’

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!

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