7 - Eat Street Food and Go To Chelsea Market
The Halal Guys, pretzels, doughnuts, and hot dogs are pretty much going to be your staple foods if you want to spend the minimal amount on food. There are also Trader Joes, Walgreens, and plenty of other stores you can stop into for a quick bite to eat. Walgreens has some decent looking salads and healthy snacks – but if you have allergies or special diet requirements you might need to budget a little more or bring your own.
If you do bring your own food/snacks, or go out and buy food. Be sure to check and see if your accommodation has a microwave or refrigerator. You can also go really budget-friendly and just bring the dehydrated, high protein mountain meals with a small camping cup boiler. You might need to get a propane tank once you arrive, but all you would need is water and a few matches and there you have it! No money needed for food!
If you want to treat yourself a little, but still save money – check out the plentiful Asian fusion restaurants. Make one meal a day your splurge meal, and try all the different foods from around the world that NYC offers. Plan your trip around NYC restaurant week, and get stellar deals on some of the best restaurants in town. You can also pop over to Chelsea Market, where there are loads of places to eat, plenty of A/C and heating to escape the brutal NYC weather, and all of these places are where locals go to grab a bite and hang out. If you cross the street, this is where you will find New Yorkers sipping on the imaginative concoctions at Starbucks Reserve, having business meetings, going on a date, and working on their hustle.
A little insider tip, is to go to Chinatown, Greenwich Village or the Lower East Side for more affordable places to eat if you are looking for street food.
In the end, New York City doesn’t have to be expensive, you can do New York City on a budget and still have a great time. It all comes down to doing your research, deciding what is important to you, your trip, and what you want your memories of the city to include.
