If you're living in New York City right now, I definitely don't need to tell you why it's so amazing. It's the city that never sleeps, an epicentre for business, art, music and culture, and home to so much rich history.
There's an endless number of reasons to love New York City, it's the home of unreal pizza slices, you can take the subway anytime, 24/7, and it has one of the most famous skylines in the entire world.
It really can't get much better than that, except for the abundance of free things you can do here! Yes, rent is astronomical and everything generally costs more in New York, but at least you can enjoy some seriously awesome activities in the city without spending a dime!
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30. Spend your day at the stunning Brooklyn Botanical Garden.
The Brooklyn Botanical Garden comes alive in the springtime when their beautiful cherry blossoms begin to bloom! Around the end of April is when they'll be at their most beautiful and you can visit them for free on Friday mornings from 8am util noon.
@keithimus29. Spend some time roaming the grounds of The Met Cloisters Museum.
Everyone's already heard of and been to the infamous Met Museum but they have a sister museum called the Met Cloisters overlooking The Hudson River. For New York State residents and students living in New York, the admission to this gorgeous museum is 'suggested admission' which means you can pay what you want or nothing at all!
@rgorman428. Explore the unique Socrates Sculpture Park.
Socrates Sculpture Park is located in Long Island and is a public park completely free and open to anyone who wants to visit. They're open 365 days a year and feature new sculptures from local artists all the time!
@lastweektonight27. Be part of a live taping of your favourite late night talkshow.
Tons of your favourite late night talkshows film live tapings beforehand, obviously, but what you might not know is that being in the audience is completely free! Shows like 'The Daily Show With Trevor Noah', 'The Dr. Oz Show', 'Last Week Tonight With John Oliver', and 'Late Night With Seth Myers' are all looking for live audiences for their tapings which costs $0!
@yogatothepeople26. Enjoy a yoga class at Yoga To The People.
Yoga To The People has multiple locations across New York City and aim to make yoga more accessible to everyone. They offer one type of class called the 'Power Vinyasa Flow' class that is completely donation based. They suggest paying $10 for the class but it's not mandatory.
@antonkerngallery25. Check out an art gallery opening in Chelsea.
Chelsea is home to tons of amazing art galleries that host new openings for local artists on Thursday nights every month. They're completely free to the public and a lot of them also include wine and cheese with the event!
@leormichan24. Take in the views from the Staten Island Ferry.
The Staten Island Ferry is completely free to ride and offers beautiful views of the city skyline and famous sites such as the Statue Of Liberty. You can avoid the steep prices of the other tourist ferries and choose this one instead which is just as good! Plus they serve food and drinks aboard as well.
@call_for_the_keys23. Enjoy a sunny walk along The High Line.
This is definitely NYC's most unique public park, which is completely free for everyone to enjoy all year long. It's a mix of brilliant architecture, gorgeous plant design and throw in views of the city and you've got an amazing city site!
@aracanclini22. Take a ride on the Roosevelt Island Tram for unreal views.
In order to take a ride and see the remarkable views from the Roosevelt Island Tram you'll need a subway pass. Access to the tram is completely free if you already pay for an unlimited pass, if not it will cost you a trip's worth. It's about 7-15 mins to get from Manhattan to Roosevelt Island and you'll be rewarded with beautiful sites along the way.
@janakpanchal_21. Spend some quiet time to learn at the New York Public Library.
The Rose Main Reading Room is a piece of history and beauty in the city and after being closed for 2 years it's finally open to the public again! It's a piece of stunning architecture with artwork on the ceiling that's perfect for a little quiet time to reflect and learn something new.
@syndicatedbk20. Challenge your friends to a movie trivia night.
Syndicated Bar has a whole lot to offer, they're a bar, a movie theatre and a restaurant all rolled into one. They constantly screen our favourite movies and episodes of new TV shows and on Tuesday nights you can take part in movie trivia!
@wanchee_juang19. Spend an evening at the MoMA.
New York City's famous Museum of Modern Art is an amazing spot to go if you love seeing the best modern art the world has to offer. Every Friday from 4-8pm the museum is completely free to the public to enter and view all the amazing art that lies inside.
@freetoursbyfoot18. Take a free walking tour in the city and see the sites.
Free Tours By Foot is a global tour company that offers tons of 'pay what you wish' style tours of major cities. They offer almost and unlimited amount of free walking tours in NYC that show you the best areas, sites and even food the city has to offer!
@ucbtny17. Laugh the night away at a comedy night at UCB Theatre.
UCB Theatre hosts tons of big names in comedy like Amy Poehler, Matter Besser and so many others. You'll definitely have to shell out some cash if you want to see shows like that, but this theatre also hosts tons of free shows like their improv nights and sketch teams.
@fatbottomedeats16. Indulge in a free wine tasting at Astor Wine & Spirits.
Astor Wine & Sprits has a huge selection of amazing wines from around the world. They also offer something super amazing that any wine lover would be so excited to hear: they have free wine tastings! Head over and attend one of their weekly tastings then receive a 20% discount on any wine you buy from them.
@aleximwunderland15. Visit the odd room filled with dirt in SoHo.
This unique installation called 'The New York Earth Room' was created by artist Walter De Maria back in 1977. It's a typical office loft space filled with 280,000 pounds of dirt and you can visit it for free!
@attilathehorn14. Enjoy a night of drinks and jazz music at Barbès
Barbès is a bar and performance space that hosts local jazz artists every night of the week. It's the perfect place to come to enjoy some amazing drinks and just as amazing live music without the extra cost.
@realtor_debralobue13. Visit the Bronx Zoo.
The zoo is 'pay what you can' on Wednesdays.
@theaccidentalbohemian12. Experience a paradise in the city at the New York Botanical Garden.
The New York Botanical Garden is truly an oasis in the heart of the city. It's an amazing place to escape into nature for a few hours and it will cost you nothing to do it! All day Wednesdays and Saturday mornings from 9-10am entrance to the grounds is completely free.
@greenasas11. Explore the hidden beauty at Wave Hill.
Wave Hill is a public garden and cultural centre that has a whole lot of hidden beauty just waiting to be explored. Check out the adorable cactus and succulent house, the flower gardens, the woodland paths, the aquatic gardens and so much more!
@sportsfromcoasttocoast10. Tour the gold vault at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
The Federal Reserve Bank of New York is home to vault full of thousands of dollars worth of gold bars! You can take a tour of the vault and see them up close and personal for free and you'll leave with a little baggie of shredded bills as well.
@lydiarse9. Visit the historic home of Alexander Hamilton in Harlem.
Alexander Hamilton is one of the founding fathers of the United States and owned one home in his life, this one located in Harlem, New York. You can visit the Hamilton Grange and learn a little bit about his life and how this great country came to be.
@marlynzertuche8. Discover the secret Whispering Gallery in Grand Central Station.
Hidden inside the magnificent Grand Central Station is a magical thing called the Whispering Gallery. Under an unsuspecting archway you can stand across the hall from the other person, facing into the corner and hear them whisper to you like they're standing right beside you!
@greatesteats7. Take a tour of amazing Brooklyn Brewery.
The Brooklyn Brewery is one of the best brewing companies in all of New York and you can see how they do their work first hand! They offer free tours almost every 30 minutes on the weekends and you can sample their beers in their tasting rooms for reduced prices.
@unlimitednewyork6. Watch the sunset over the city at Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Brooklyn Bridge Park offers one of the best views of the Manhattan skyline in the entire city. Head over there on a warm night and watch the sun go down over the skyscrapers and take some amazing pictures.
@hopeasana5. Learn about an important part in NYC history at the African Burial Ground National Monument.
In 1991 construction workers made a shocking discovery when they found remains of hundreds of African Americans who were part of the massive slave trade in NYC. Since the discovery they've created a national monument and a visitor's centre to honour and inform visitors about African American history.
@defne.tutus4. Explore the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
The Museum at FIT is a unique museum that puts on interesting exhibits on the history of fashion. These exhibits are always innovative and beautiful and entry to this amazing museum is completely free, always!
@igetintheflow3. Tour the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site.
You can visit the actual home and birthplace of the 26th President, Theodore Roosevelt. The historic site is decorated with period furniture to make the home more authentic to when he lived there as a child.
@laurazoppis2. Hunt for some vintage finds at the Brooklyn Flea.
During the winter months the flea market moves indoors in Industry City but starting in April through October you can find this fun flea market outdoors in DUMBO. It's a great place to snag some cool vintage pieces for super cheap!
@gmp31. Take a sunrise walk through Central Park.
What would an NYC list be without mentioning Central Park? Switch it up a bit and get there as the sun rises in the sky for beautiful views in the quiet, without all the crowds. It's truly a sight to see!
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