Whether you’re planning a date, a night out with friends, or an enriching excursion just for yourself, this list gives a wide range of fun and memorable places and experiences in New York City, all for little to no money!
- Pebble Beach, Brooklyn Bridge Park
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In my opinion, this is the best place in the city for skyline views of Manhattan, from the ground. It looks great in the daytime, but even better at night, when you can see all the lights of downtown sparkling against the East River. Great for family visits, friend outings, or cute dates!
- Brooklyn Bridge
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Call it basic, call it tourist-y, but you cannot deny that it is iconic. I recommend walking the Brooklyn Bridge on a sunny day with someone you like talking to and who doesn’t mind crowds. This activity lends itself well to an impromptu photoshoot, as well as an exploration of DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights once you’ve crossed the bridge.
- Brooklyn Flea, DUMBO
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This flea market, located underneath the Manhattan Bridge, is open every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The wide range of sellers offer everything from vintage clothing to freshly baked goods, and it is super fun regardless of whether you splurge on some secondhand goodies or simply window-shop. Great for duos or larger groups, this outing is nice for a carefree sunny day!
- Central Park, Manhattan
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No list of NYC outings would be complete without the iconic Central Park. This beautiful display of nature and culture within the big city is anything but overrated, and offers a wide variety of fun activities. Sure, there are tourist-y elements, but as long as you don’t get sucked into a weird tour group or become convinced that a horse-drawn carriage ride is worth your time and money, you’ll have a great (and inexpensive) time! Some specific activities I would recommend are rowboating on the Central Park Lake ($15 for an hour with $4 additional charges for each added increment of 15 minutes), having a picnic on the Great Lawn (cost dependent on the food you bring), and people-watching on the rocks (priceless). Great for daytime or evening, fun as a group activity, cute as a date, and freeing as a solo adventure!
- Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village
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Though it is not a spectacle of nature, this park is a lively and iconic spot in Greenwich Village that is fun for daytime and nighttime, often has great musicians, and is popular for students due to its proximity to NYU. There are tons of great restaurants nearby, making this spot ideal for post-date ice cream or a walk. The fountain and iconic arch are also perfect for photos!
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Upper East Side
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For our first indoor activity, the Met is an obvious choice for students, as it is always pay-what-you-choose for New York students with ID. So, bring your Barnard/Columbia ID, and the Met can be free! One of the great things about this museum is that, since it has so many exhibits, you can go again and again and continue to experience new things! Plus, who can resist a classic Gossip Girl-esque photo on the steps? This is a great spot to visit regardless of weather conditions, and can be a fun date or group event!
- The Frick Collection, Upper East Side
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Just a 12-minute walk from the Met, the Frick offers a different kind of art museum experience. Housed in a Fifth Avenue mansion, this collection gives patrons an intimate viewing experience of both gorgeous art and architecture. The museum offers free admission on the first Friday of every month (except September and January) from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Lovely on any day, rain or shine, and great as a quiet date location.
- Guggenheim Museum + Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum
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I paired these two museums together because their pay-what-you-choose hours are both on Saturday evenings (Guggenheim p.m. 5 to 8 p.m., cash only, Cooper Hewitt 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.). This means, if you wanted, you could bounce from the Guggenheim to the Cooper Hewitt in one evening — they are less than 500 feet apart.
Hopefully one or more of these outing ideas has piqued your interest! If you have any suggestions for fun places to go for cheap in this *very* expensive city that you think Her Campus should highlight, feel free to email me (contact info below), or message our team on Instagram @hccolumbiabarnard.