1st street is just outside the boundaries of the lower east side while 145th street is up in hamilton heights in harlem. Sneakers have been a staple in every fashion girl’s wardrobe for years now. If you can get your hands on a pair of adidas sambas you’ll not only be the envy of the fashion crowd, your feet won’t be in agony by the end of the day. In general, a slim white sneaker will go with everything you might pack for your trip to new york.

Few people make it up to the cloisters (it’s up near 204th street), a branch of the met devoted to medieval europe. It took me years to finally see it, and I kicked myself  for waiting so long. It was built with rockefeller money from parts of five european abbeys between 1934 and 1939. (they even stipulated that the land across the river would forever remain undeveloped so the view would be unspoiled!). The building and its stunning cloistered garden are very, very peaceful, and beautiful. There are free tours each day that explain the history of the museum and the paintings and exhibits.

Stopping to take in the view and  meandering along the way makes the walk about 40 minutes. I enjoy doing this walk at night when downtown manhattan is all lit up. It’s a super popular spot for taking photos so be sure to bring a camera (or you can hire a nyc photographer if you really want to snag some impressive pics). That two-hour-long line to see the statue of liberty not appealing? This free ferry takes you across the harbor and offers a nice view of both the statue of liberty and the city skyline.

There are way more options out there for free stuff in nyc, but these are some of the most popular. See my guide What to do in NY on a budget for more. New york is notoriously known as being one of the most expensive places on earth. This is accurate, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t cheap and free stuff to do. When planning your itinerary, keep your to-do list for new york manageable. If you’re traveling to nyc in the summer, then try to catch an outdoor festival.

This will ensure you have time to see some of new york city’s top sights, as well as a few nights to enjoy nyc’s restaurants and entertainment. New york city is magical around christmas time with decorations, ice-skating and falling snow. Spring offers renewal – new yorkers thaw out and take to the streets for markets, walks in central park and al fresco dining. Autumn, or fall, as the season is known to americans, means crisp, bright days and mild temperatures.

Super delicious cheap eats in new york city,  with entrees, that are less than $10. Arthur avenue has the absolute best italian food in the city, and that’s all the way in the bronx. This will all happen while we are both walking rapidly, so just keep it moving.