New York doesn't need an introduction, but it earns one anyway. This is the city of a thousand films and a million dreams: the skyscrapers of Manhattan, the glow of Times Square, the green expanse of Central Park, the Statue of Liberty out in the harbour, the steam rising from the subway grates. It's loud, fast, endlessly diverse, and utterly electric, a place where every neighbourhood feels like a different country and something extraordinary is always happening just around the next corner. Few cities deliver such a concentrated hit of pure energy.
Here's the honest budget picture: New York is one of the most expensive cities in the world, and accommodation in particular can be brutal, the single biggest factor in whether your trip costs a little or a fortune. But the brand promise holds even here, because so much of what makes New York magical is completely free. Walking the Brooklyn Bridge at sunset, strolling Central Park, riding the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty, gawping at the Grand Central ceiling, all free. The food, too, is a bargain if you eat like a New Yorker, with a dollar-slice of pizza or a halal-cart platter costing a few dollars, and the subway gets you everywhere cheaply. The trick is to sleep smart and spend your money on experiences. We'll show you how.
