In March, my friend and I set on a "balls-to-the-wall" trip to New York City. It was my first trip to my dream home and I was determined not to fall into financial ruin from the expedition. But, amazingly, we managed to make it out of the city alive for under $500-including 5 Broadway shows. Here's how:
1. Flight
Flights are one of those things you have to plan WAY WAY WAY in advance. It's great to go in an off-season (like spring break), but you should always keep your eyes open. We flew with Frontier Airlines, which cost around $80. The airline was super cute and sports a different animal on the tip of their wing. We flew up with Sheldon the Sea Turtle.
2. Hotel
We used AirBnB to find our hotel. The site finds people that open up parts of their house/apartment for rent. We paid $55 a night and stayed in Washington Heights. The place was really nice and included a kitchen, bathroom, and living room. We felt completely safe, as it took three keys to get into our room.
3. Broadway
Okay. This is the fun part. Theatre is a big part of both of our lives, so we knew we wanted to see a Broadway show for every night we were there. Here's our definitive list.
Day 1: Something Rotten
These were actually the most expensive tickets we bought all week--$47. Many Broadway shows (especially those who do not sell out every night) will sell discounted seats in the mezzanine. These seats, while not extremely close to the stage, will still offer a great view. Since Something Rotten hadn't sold out, we were actually moved up to the front of the balcony with no extra charge.
Day 2: Les Mis and Fun Home
Broadway also does a General Rush every morning. These tickets cost around $37 and are a great way to get tickets. Around 20 shows do the General Rush including Matilda, Chicago, and The Color Purple. My friend and I got to the Imperial (Les Mis's theatre) at 8 a.m. and sat down on the street outside of the theatre to wait. The theatres typically give out around 30 tickets so get there early.
So, we got of Les Mis tickets and then got a text from our professor who had just won the lottery for the matinee of Fun Home. Winning the lottery means that you can get two tickets at a discounted cost ($20). Almost every show has a lottery process, including the big shows such as Wicked or Hamilton. These lotteries usually happen online, but shows like Aladdin and Book of Mormon have live lotteries in front of the theatre two hours before the show.
Day 3: Book of Mormon
We entered the live lottery for Book of Mormon, but didn't win. Luckily, when Book of Mormon sells out they give the lottery losers a chance to buy discounted standing room tickets. They sell about 15 of these tickets for $27--which is a great deal. Although standing room might not be ideal, the back of the theatre is not really that far from the stage and we were able to get seats by the start of Act II.
Day 4: Avenue Q
Our last night in New York was probably the most stressful, because we hadn't planned which show to see. I had entered every lottery online. We ended up winning Phantom of the Opera and An American in Paris, but ended up deciding not to see any of those. We found out that Avenue Q gives 20 $20 tickets 20 minutes before showtime. So, at 7:00 we got in line for $20 tickets. The seats were amazing and we ended up going backstage at the show (for an unrelated reason).
That's how we got our tickets. There are other ways including the TKTS booth in Time Square or the Student Rush tickets (also 20 minutes before showtime).
4. Other Activities
Honestly, my friend and I were perfectly content to spend all our time at Times Square--but we did venture away at some points. Many tourist items are free in New York. We did get student rates to go to the Museum of Natural History and we went out to see the Statue of Liberty. If you are not a huge Statue of Liberty fan, it's more cost beneficial to take the Staten Island Ferry. The ferry is free and offers great views of the statue.
Overall, the trip was extremely cost effective and can be for anyone. Theatre, like New York City, might seem scary and expensive, but there are always ways to find the cheapest solutions.
