| It can be hard to stick to a budget when visiting major | | | | the City of New York, on Fifth Avenue, is free on |
| cities in the US, but the Big Apple offers plenty of free | | | | Sundays from 10am until midday. |
| attractions guaranteed to keep travelers staying at | | | | Central Park |
| New York hostels busy, without breaking the bank. | | | | Budget travelers in need of a break from the hustle |
| Staten Island Ferry - Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island | | | | and bustle of the third most populous city in the US |
| The best view of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island | | | | can find tranquillity in this 843-acre green space. |
| is definitely from the water and almost half of all | | | | Central Park features a zoo, ice skating rinks and a |
| Americans are thought to have descended from | | | | swimming pool, as well as a boating lake and stunning |
| immigrants who passed through Ellis Island on the ships. | | | | natural landscapes, featured in many classic films and |
| For the price of the Staten Island Ferry trip, | | | | television shows. |
| backpackers can learn more about the role this New | | | | Fifth Avenue |
| York port played in US history at the island's museum. | | | | Consumption is definitely the main activity on Fifth |
| Presented as a gift from the French to America, the | | | | Avenue and travelers who enjoy window shopping |
| Statue of Liberty is arguably the most famous | | | | might like to peruse the wares on display at Tiffany |
| landmark in New York and travelers can pay a ferry | | | | & Co, Sak's Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman. |
| fee to visit the iconic monument. | | | | Those not looking for retail therapy can instead admire |
| Ground Zero | | | | the curved architecture of the Solomon R. |
| The site of the World Trade Center is currently under | | | | Guggenheim Museum on Fifth Avenue, as well as the |
| development with a permanent memorial, museum and | | | | neo-gothic St Patrick's Cathedral and the iconic Empire |
| a new skyscraper, called the Freedom Tower, to be | | | | State Building. |
| constructed in the very near future. Travelers can also | | | | Empire State Building |
| visit the 16-acre site where the Twin Towers once | | | | Completed in 1931, this Art Deco-style tower is the |
| stood between Liberty Street and West Street. | | | | tallest building in New York and is one of the city's |
| Rockefeller Center | | | | most recognizable landmarks. Although charging a fee |
| This sprawling complex is located in Manhattan | | | | of $20, budget travelers should certainly take the |
| between Fifth Avenue and Avenue of the Americas. | | | | opportunity to admire the view of the city from the |
| Built by the Rockefeller oil heir family during the 1930s, | | | | 86th floor observatory. For an extra $15, visitors can |
| the Art Deco-style center houses shops, restaurants | | | | head up to the 102nd floor for an even more |
| and even an ice skating rink, all set around a plaza | | | | spectacular view. |
| centerpiece. | | | | Times Square |
| Wall Street | | | | Famous for its annual New Year's Eve street party, |
| It may be renowned as a symbol of western | | | | held since 1907, Times Square is an impressive sight |
| capitalism, but a short walk down Wall Street will cost | | | | throughout the rest of the year as well. Flanked on all |
| travelers nothing. The New York Stock Exchange's | | | | sides by enormous neon advertising screens featuring |
| grand marble facade is a wonderful sight, as is the | | | | famous US brands, the area was named in 1904 after |
| Federal Hall National Memorial. Formerly the US | | | | the nearby Times Building. A key intersection and a |
| Customs House, the Federal Hall was built on the | | | | famous section of New York, the theater-land of |
| location where George Washington was inducted as | | | | Broadway leads off the square. |
| the first President of the United States and is now a | | | | Long Island |
| museum, offering free entry - perfect for those on a | | | | A visit to Long Island will cost backpackers the price of |
| budget. | | | | a ferry, cab or train, but once there the grandeur of |
| Museums | | | | the local architecture can be taken in for free. |
| The Metropolitan Museum of Art is definitely worth a | | | | Travelers could head to the Gold Coast on the North |
| visit, but does charge an entry fee. New York hostel | | | | Shore to admire the early 20th century mansions, |
| guests looking for culture on the cheap, however, can | | | | some of which are open to the public. The Hamptons, |
| take advantage of some of the city's other museums. | | | | three towns famous for being a summer destination |
| The Museum of Modern Art is free of charge on | | | | for wealthy New Yorkers, are also located on Long |
| Fridays between 4pm and 8pm and the Museum of | | | | Island. |