Spring Break is approaching steadily and among thoughts of tanning, shorts, and school-free weekdays lurks the reminder that you’re a student on a budget so tight you can barely breathe. Relax! Despite the media’s portrayal of NYC’s high-rolling lifestyle, there are fun and free things you can do in New York City if you stay here during break. Everyone knows about New York’s famous museums, such as the Guggenheim or the Met, but most people do not realize that the City has over 80 different museums, 60 of which are in Manhattan. With so many to choose from, there really is a museum for everyone, whether he or she is interested in music, art, transportation, history or culture.
For book, art, and music lovers, the Morgan museum (on Madison and 36th Street), is quite the hidden gem. It houses rare and original manuscripts from writers such as Lord Byron, Charlotte Brontë, and Percy Shelly. Paintings by Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Ruskin are displayed, as well as autographed and annotated scores from Beethoven, Mozart, and Chopin. For Dylan fans, you can even view the original scrap of paper on which he wrote the lyrics to “It Ain’t Me Babe” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.”(http://www.themorgan.org/home.asp)
Now I know what you are thinking: museums are expensive. Admissions to most museums run from ten to fifteen dollars for students. However, at almost all of New York’s museums, that donation amount is simply suggested, which means it really is okay to give what you can. The other week, I visited the Natural History Museum with three people and we gave a total of 76 cents for our tickets. No one at the box office even blinked. If the museum prices are not “suggested,” you can always go on Friday night, when the Museum of Modern Art, The Morgan, and The International Center for Photography—among others—have completely free admission.
Los Angeles may be the entertainment capital of the world, but many shows are taped in New York. Talk shows like Saturday Night Live, The View, and The Daily Show give away free tickets to help fill their studio audiences. Not only do you get to meet celebrities and see how a television studio is run, but they also give away gifts like DVDs, clothes, and even trips.
If you enjoy spending your free time outdoors, New York’s many parks are a great place to relax. Central Park is beautiful and massive, covering over a square mile of New York City. It contains lakes, ponds, walking trails and biking paths, a Zoo, two ice-skating rinks, Belve-dere Castle, and the Strawberry Fields memorial site, dedicated to the memory of John Lennon. The Central Park Conservancy offers many different tours of the park year round. Or, if you’d rather go to a park of a more manageable size, Bryant Park is a great option. The park provides free yoga, tai chi, knitting classes, and wireless Internet. Bryant Park is also home to “Piano in the Park,” where some of the best pianists from all over the city play free concerts every weekday at noon.(http://www.bryantpark.org/calendar/piano.php)
For those who like to get wet, the Downtown Boathouse at Pier 96, Pier 40, and 72nd street offers free kayaking on the Hudson on weekends, holidays, and some weekday evenings (weather permitting). No previous experience is required and Downtown Boathouse provides all the necessary equipment. There is no need to make a reservation, but be prepared to wake up early if you want to go on one of the longer trips, as they start at 8 am. http://www.downtownboathouse.org/
So before you break the bank for a cliché Cancun vacation, you might want to consider what this city’s backyard has to offer: history, culture and entertainment well within the folds of your wallet.
For more writing by Emily Stern, go to adventuresofanavidreader.blogspot.com.
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