ONTD

go to the museums with "suggested" admission, aka you can pay nothing (including the Met).

walk everywhere.

go to the daily show/colbert report tapings, check their sites the day of the show for ticket availability (a lot of people cancel).

they become more available the closer you get to the date-- for example, if you check today for later this week, probably nothing, but if you check on thursday, there might be some available. :) No harm in trying imo. Checking the day of is really the way to go.

parks are usually free!

Do you like to people watch? Could always go to a touristy area or park with a drink and just chill. Bound to see some interesting folks lol.

Last time I went we did the carriage ride around central park, it was nice. But I don't remember how much it costs. Google can probably tell you.

Edited at 2012-11-19 06:13 pm (UTC)

Go to Nintendo World and play the games for free

also visit Toys R Us

it's awesome tbh. there is no where else in america that has it.

try on absolutely everything in the f21 in times square.

- Times square has all the tourist traps (stores and sights). In the 50's streets there's things like nintendo store, apple store, rockefeller tree, candy stores, etc etc I could go on.
- 5th avenue walk to 34th street. Actually Idk if things are decorated for christmas yet, (maybe?) but at night, this street is beautiful with the christmas decorations.
- Tapings of daily show/colbert said above.
- Visits to places like cnn you can see newscasters reporting live.
- Museums that you can pay like 10 cents to get in. (suggestion admission) (MET, Museum of Natural History..)
- Central Park, bryant park, etc.
- Highline on the west side.
- It's like 25 bucks, but going to the top of the rock to snap a photo or two during the sunset is a really nice once in a lifetime experience.

whatever you do though, do it in the mornings of weekdays. weekends in the city suck.

Edited at 2012-11-19 07:06 pm (UTC)

I don't remember how much tickets are, but if you like musicals, I would highly suggest A Christmas Story. It's so good.

Late to this post, but if you don't mind crowds, watching them blow up the balloons for the parade>actual parade. Wednesday evening, on 77 and 81st between Central Park W and Columbus.