Tee-browsing along the sidewalks of New York. Photo by John and Keturah

The “I (heart) NY” tee is a global phenomenon. Walk through any major European city and you’re bound to see one, two, or ten of the tees, known for their block lettering and bright red heart. For good reason, too. Nothing translates into “cheap souvenir” like buying five New York shirts for just $10!

We (heart) souvenirs

Created pro bono in 1977 by Milton Glaser for a marketing campaign to promote New York State, the original design for “I (heart) NY” was intended to be in the public eye for only a few months. But locals and tourists alike took hold of the black, white and red symbol. A popular souvenir movement was born.

While finding your own special tee in Times Square or around Soho has its own allure, shops around Chinatown and Madison Square Garden (in the west 30s) offer better deals. Look for street vendors with tables of tees offering crazy deals. Some vendors even sell five shirts for $10. Individual tees go for about $3 to $30, depending on quality.

While you’re at it…

Grab some of the other cheap trinkets available on the vendor tables in Soho and the Fashion District. We’re talking about mini taxi cabs, cityscape snow globes, foam Statue of Liberty crowns, Times Square playing cards, etc. Classic. 

Also see: Our recommended budget hotels in New York City.

Popularity: 10% [?]

When planning your trip to New York, it’s easy to forget to pack your bathing suit. (After all, not many affordable hotels are blessed with swimming pools.) However, the city’s Downtown Boathouse offers kayak rides in the Hudson River throughout the summer and fall… for free!

The all-volunteer boathouse has been getting New Yorkers (and visitors) into the Hudson for 10 years, and an estimated 250,000 kayak trips have been enjoyed so far. The group provides several programs: kayaking lessons, three-hour kayak adventures up the Hudson, harbor tours, and the popular “walk-up kayaking.”

Free Walk-Up Kayaking

Between May 17 and October 19, the group offers its free walk-up kayaking program. It’s simple: walk up to any of the group’s three boathouses, sign a liability waiver, put on a life jacket, and grab a kayak and paddle. You’re restricted to paddling inside the protected waters surrounding the boathouse (so lay aside your plans to head for Lady Liberty). The staff keeps a watchful eye on the kayakers.

Rules: Anyone who can swim is permitted to kayak. Children between 16-18 years may take a kayak out on their own, if a parent or guardian is present at the boathouse. Children younger than 16 may go out, but must be accompanied by an adult in a double-kayak.

Boathouse locations and hours

The Downtown Boathouse has three locations, each with their own hours:

Pier 40 at Houston Street and the Hudson River — 9 AM to 6 PM, weekends and holidays.

Pier 96 at 56th Street and the Hudson River — 9 AM to 6 PM, weekends and holidays. Also open weekday nights from 5 PM to 7 PM, June 16 through August 29.

72nd Street and the Hudson River — 10 AM to 5 PM, weekends and holidays.

For more information, visit the New York City Downtown Boathouse’s website.

Popularity: 16% [?]

New York City is full of freebies — especially during the summer. From free IKEA sunset cruises to the Bryant Park film series, there’s an endless variety of free activities.

One well-known freebie that we’d never experienced is the Today Show’s “Summer Concert Series” at Rockefeller Center. During the summer months, world-famous singers perform free outdoor concerts on Friday mornings. Thousands of tourists show up each week, but we’d always stayed away.

It always seemed like a big deal: wake up before 6 a.m., take the subway all the way to Rockefeller Center (these Cheapos live in Brooklyn), stand in a crazed crowd, listen to a couple of songs, and then battle the multitudes down into the subway. Why not just watch it on TV?

Well, this morning we woke up and decided to go for it. We looked at the schedule earlier in the week and noticed that Coldplay, possibly our favorite band, was set to perform at 8:30. So, we hopped on the train at 6:15 a.m. and hoped for the best.

As expected, it was insane. The crowds were thick (some fans slept overnight in order to score a spot close to the stage, while others camped out inside a nearby Dean and Deluca coffee shop), helicopters were flying overhead, and it somehow was already 80 degrees Fahrenheit and humid.

But before this we could say “I need another coffee,” Coldplay took the stage and all was forgiven. Fans were clapping. Al Roker (the Today Show’s affable weatherman) was singing. Double-decker tour buses were driving by, their normally-seated passengers erupting into dance party mode. We were still sweating, but didn’t mind. After all, this was summer in New York and we were seeing Coldplay for free. Viva les Cheapos!

The photos above and below were all taken by the two Cheapos who attended the show (there is a full album on the EuroCheapo Facebook page).

Other upcoming performers appearing later this summer include Boy George (July 7), Miley Cyrus (July 25), and Paula Abdul (August 29). See the Today Show’s website for full details.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Cheapo’s traveling to (or living in) New York City, take note: On Wednesday, June 18, the city’s first IKEA opened in the Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn. It’s notable (and controversial) for many reasons, but right now we’d like to focus on the budget travel implications of the new store.

The store offers a free water taxi service every 20 minutes (from 8 AM to 10 PM) from Pier 11 in lower Manhattan, just south of South Street Seaport. Even if you’re not in the mood for shopping, the ferry could provide an entertaining diversion. It’s free — no proof of purchase required. Once at IKEA, you can enjoy a moderately priced Swedish-themed meal, pick up some house wares, or simply re-board and head back to Manhattan.

Last night, on the store’s second day, I wanted to check it out. So, I rode my bike down to the pier after work and met my friend Greg Young, with whom I produce the weekly “Bowery Boys” podcast (a weekly podcast on the history of New York City, sponsored by EuroCheapo). As the opening of the Swedish furniture behemoth is a notable event in the city’s history, we felt a certain responsibility to show up and register its impact.

Free ferry ride to Red Hook

There, at Pier 11, was a bright yellow ferry, its side emblazoned with a navy blue IKEA logo. We were greeted by the New York Waterways’ crew, which operates the IKEA ferry (as well as several other water taxis around the city). Contrary to my expectations, there were hardly any other passengers around. One crew member handed us each a free ticket, while another collected it as we stepped aboard the vessel. I locked my bike up on the deck. We sat inside, although we should have headed upstairs to the open-air upper deck (clearly more fun).

The ferry ride is great. You pull out into the harbor, then pass along the north side of Governor’s Island, floating along the Brooklyn shore. As you arrive at Red Hook, you pass the shipping yards, round the bend, pass the Fairway supermarket, and pull into the IKEA port. Behind the pier, the big blue box beckons.

Swedish-inspired dinner for $6.99

Once inside, we headed straight for the restaurant (pushing our way passed the clown-greeters as quickly as possible!). There was almost no wait. Apple-glazed salmon with veggies, with lingonberry juice for $6.99? Check! (The famed Swedish meatballs with mashed potatoes are an even cheaper option.)

Touring the store (optional) 

Finishing dinner, we took the tour of the IKEA. You know the scene. Notably: Many interior settings (bedroom with funky wallpaper, office with fake computer, kitchen with faux photos) are complimented with giant floor to ceiling windows looking out over the neighborhood, waterfront, and skyline. We witnessed many shoppers taking a break and simply stopping to gaze out the windows.

Downstairs in the “Marketplace,” pick up a 100-pack of “Glimma” tea candles for $3.99. The check-out was a breeze.

Free ride home

Greg and I emerged from IKEA at 8:45, two hours after we walked in. We carried our purchases in two bright blue sacks ($.59). “If it can fit in the sack, you can take it on the water taxi” reads the sign at the dock. However, if you buy a new sofa or a children’s bedroom set, you’ll have to pay for delivery. 

A water taxi was waiting at the pier. There were probably 15 other passengers on board. We climbed up to the top deck as the boat reversed and began its trek back to Manhattan. How strange to see the Statue of Liberty sliding by behind Governor’s Island. How odd to see the other side of the passing Staten Island Ferry. How great to be taking a boat ride for free.

Editor’s Note: Although the ferry was nearly empty, and the store and restaurant were not jammed with other customers, we can only assume that this was because it was a Thursday night and the store had only been open for two days. We’re also assuming that, like other free and fabulous things in this city, soon enough this attraction will also be crawling with people. In the meantime, however, we recommend stepping aboard.

Popularity: 23% [?]

The scene at Magnolia Bakery, May 29th at 5 p.m.

The “Sex and the City” movie opens nationwide this weekend. So, we got to thinking… “What would Cheapo Bradshaw* do?” 

Sweet stop 

Carrie would wait in line for 45 minutes to indulge her sweet tooth with a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery in the West Village.

Cheapo Bradshaw would bypass the c-r-a-z-y line around the corner and go to Billy’s Bakery—started by a former Magnolia employee—where we swear the cakes taste the same, if not better. A cupcake here will cost you $2, which is 25 cents less than what Magnolia charges. Hey, you’ll have a quarter to call someone who cares. Us!

A bit of shopping

Carrie would drop upwards of $600 at the Jimmy Choo shoe salon.

Cheapo Bradshaw would take the nearest subway train—probably wearing flats—downtown to Battery Park City, where the Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) is almost never packed and the shoes are sold at deeply discounted prices.

A quick cocktail 

Carrie would wax poetic while sipping on designer Cosmopolitans at Onieal’s Speakeasy, which was called “Scout” on the show. The “Perfect Peach Manhattan” here costs $12, not including the tip.

Cheapo Bradshaw would head to any number of fun, campy bars in the West Village, where 2-for-1 drink specials abound. Top shelf? Boots & Saddle (76 Christopher Street), a self-proclaimed “kitchsy cowboy bar,” where there’s a buy-one-get-one-free Cosmo drink special almost every night. For even more savings, print out a “free drink” coupon from the bar’s website. These “Boots” were made for sippin’!

Out on the town 

Carrie would visit the swanky Soho House, the members-only club where entertainment and literary types meet, eat lavishly (a sandwich costs $16), and enjoy looking at the rooftop pool.

Cheapo Bradshaw would browse the shelves at The Strand, the used bookstore that boasts “8 miles of books” and hosts lots of free signings, readings, and other events.

A hotel for fun 

Just because she can, Carrie would rest that gorgeous head of hair on a 6,000-count pillowcase at the Hotel Gansevoort, where room rates run from $425 to $725.

Cheapo Bradshaw would choose to stay at the Gershwin, where there’s never a shortage of characters at the bar, and the rooms are designed with flair. (In fact, they resemble what Carrie’s apartment might have been sans the HBO set designers…)

Got a tip for Cheapo Bradshaw? Leave a comment here. Then, find out how you can get your big apple break!

*About Cheapo Bradshaw: Cheapo Bradshaw adores her boyfriend “Mr. Medium” (an actual Mr. Big would be way too much of an investment) and her new eco-friendly tote bag. She scours vintage and secondhand store racks. Her gal pals are frugal and they meet once a month for book group, where they drink wine that was bought in bulk.  When CB has extra cash, she travels. 

Popularity: 18% [?]

By now you know, dear Cheapos, a “Friday flip-through” wouldn’t be the same without a reference to an animal. Last week we reminded you about the frog festival in Louisiana, today we celebrate cats (no, not the musical).

Feline friend- 

Our friends over at Trippist, when not telling stories about Amsterdam’s public transportation or spending the summer in Rotterdam, are practicing their best Dr. Dolittle. Apparently, there’s a neighborhood cat one Trippist writer sees often. A photo on their site today, titled “furry friend”, made us smile. We have our own office cat (Oliver aka Prince Olaf: Scroll down to the bottom of ‘about us’), so we’re big feline fans.

Celtic care- 

The May 2008 issue of “International Travel News” (ITN) is chock full of some juicy travel tips. Among them, one writer’s take on how renting an apartment in Paris can save you lots of euros—and a fabulous list of interesting accommodations worldwide. In London, The Celtic Hotel is the latest property from the family that brought us the St. Margaret’s. One of ITN’s correspondents stayed there for a week last December and loved the location (in Russell Square), the great rates (£40 for a single), and the friendly service. 

City-score! 

This week was a slow week for snail mail in the EuroCheapo headquarters (ValPak anyone?), but then our copy of “CityScoops” arrived. We’ve never been able to figure out how often the little magazine, with interesting takes on New York City living, is published. We just know we’re fans.

This month’s issue includes a story on doggy dating (there we go again with the animal references!) in NYC, all the subway stations where you can see pop art murals and fine art paintings. And, finally, two personal favorites—a how-to guide for doing Broadway on a budget followed by a story on snagging cheapo spa treatments. The best part? A quick web search for “CityScoops” put us on their homepage, where we learned you can download the entire May ‘08 issue. City-score encore!

One last (dog-related) thing-

Finally, and we promise this will be our last reference to pets, there’s still time to enter our photo caption contest. We’ll announce the winner on Monday. 

Have a fabulous weekend, Cheapos!

Popularity: 17% [?]

Who IS that girl? Identify her and win “The Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget.”

We’re not procrastinating, but… We were just gazing out of our window at Broadway and Houston in New York and realized that a new billboard is being painted right before our eyes!

But who is she?

The first comment below to correctly identify the celebrity will win a copy of the “Rough Guide to Europe on a Budget,” newly out in bookstores! Quick! Name her!

Popularity: 12% [?]

New York calls itself the “media capital of the world” for good reason: countless newspapers, magazines, television networks, film studios, and communications companies are based in the Big Apple. Many popular American television shows are taped in the city, and several are broadcast live—often with the city’s pedestrians passing by in the background.

Here are three of our favorite ways to be part of a TV show, times to show up, and ways to get on camera.  The best part? Most of it is free.

1) The Late Show with David Letterman
Where: Ed Sullivan Theater (1697 Broadway, at 53rd Street)
When: Weekdays

Home to the “Ed Sullivan Show” from 1948-1971, the theater now hosts David Letterman’s popular late night talk show, broadcast on CBS at 11:30 PM.

Tickets in person: Tickets are free and may be requested by visiting the theater and submitting a written request for shows up to one month in advance. Audience members will be contacted by phone if their request is accepted. The ticket office is open weekdays from 9:30 AM to 12:30 PM, and 10 AM to 6 PM on Saturdays and Sundays. 

Tickets in advance: To secure tickets in advance without visiting the theater, use the show’s online ticket lottery. Fill out a form and, hopefully, you will be contacted by phone and asked a trivia question before you’re granted your free tickets. Note: They are serious about this. When we were called, they asked us for the name of the owner of the “Hello Deli”. Luckily, we knew it was “Rupert.” A friend wasn’t as lucky and was turned down. Know your Letterman!

Same-day tickets: A limited number of same-day standby tickets are available on the day of taping by calling (212) 247-6497 starting at 11 AM. This phone number is only “active” when tickets are available. Seats for standby tickets usually are in the back of the theater, but hey, it’s a great last-minute way to see the show. Visit the show’s website for more information about obtaining free tickets.

Tip: Assistants from the show scope out the crowd before taping. They hone in on bubbly, smiley types who are “camera ready.” We suggest chatting up these assistants. In the best case, you will be ushered down to the first two rows. Score.

2) Total Request Live (”TRL”)
Where: MTV Studios - 1515 Broadway at Times Square
When: Mondays through Thursday at 3:30 PM

MTV, the music television behemoth, broadcasts this hour-long musical show from its headquarters overlooking Times Square four days a week. The show is a medley of music videos, celebrity interviews, and live performances, taking place inside the studio and sometimes on the street. Tourists can watch the show taping from the sidewalk (and get in everyone’s way) or get plucked from the crowd to be a part of the in-studio audience.

Advance tickets: You may email MTV to request a “chance for studio audience tickets.” Check out this page for details. According to MTV, audience members must be between the ages of 16-24 or at least look like they are.

Same-day tickets: We know (on younger brother authority) that if you want to land a same-day spot in the studio audience, you’d better get in line early and “look the part.” Meaning? Get there before 2 PM (the show airs at 3:30 PM) and wear your best retro sweatshirt. A few dozen stand-outs will get ushered upstairs for the live studio show.

Otherwise, you can watch the show tape from below and be seen, if only as a tiny speck, within the larger crowd and street shots.

3) NBC Studios
Rockefeller Center -30 Rockefeller Plaza, between 49th and 50th Streets
When: Daily and Nightly

This is the mother load. “30 Rock,” as it’s often called, houses the NBC television network’s studios and corporate headquarters. Shows produced there include Saturday Night Live, The Today Show, NBC Nightly News, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and more.

A studio tour ($18.50) takes you behind the scenes in many of the network’s studios, although it doesn’t get you tickets to any of the shows. (You might, however, see some stars walking through the hallway or in rehearsal, like on Saturday when SNL cast members are hard at work. We got to see Will Ferrell, Jimmy Fallon and Sean Hayes, when we swept through last time.)

Tickets to NBC shows taped in the building are offered in advance by email or telephone. Each show has its own ticketing policy and details are offered on this page of the NBC website. The Today Show broadcasts live from its windowed street-level studios at Rockefeller Center every morning from 7 AM to 10 AM, with its hosts taking frequent trips into the noisy crowd. Bring a smile—and scream.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Q:  My wife and I are planning our daughter’s wedding in New York City this fall. We’ll have about fifty people traveling to the city for the occasion. Should I book 25 rooms myself or ask everyone to be in charge of their own reservation? – Steve K, Bellevue, Ohio

A: Good question, Steve! Planning a wedding in New York is already quite a project, and you probably aren’t in the mood to tackle reservations for 50. But there is a payoff to booking a group.

An “every man for himself” may initially seem easier, but could easily become a hassle, as plans change, people need different directions, and you need to arrange transportation. Most importantly, however, it rules out your bargaining power to get a group discount.

Hotels love groups, as they’re guaranteed blocks of filled rooms. Hotels will negotiate special rates with you, depending on availability and the number of rooms you need. These rates will almost always be cheaper than the rates you could book individually online, even on so-called “discounted” Websites.

Third-party reservation sites, like Expedia, Orbitz, and Hotels.com, offer “group booking” services to help you navigate the process. If you try to book more than nine rooms on any of these sites, you’ll be taken to a “group booking” page that asks for your contact information. A salesperson will then contact you, discuss your needs, and come back with quotes from hotels.

This is a helpful service, of course, but if you already know which hotel you’d like to stay in, we’d strongly suggest checking directly with their sales department, as well, as you’ll eliminate the middleman and most likely land a better deal. Good luck!

Have a question for us? Ask the Cheapos!

Popularity: 9% [?]

Malaysia Airlines continues to tout its New York City-Stockholm route, which takes off three days a week and then continues onto Kuala Lumpur.

Through Spring 2007, round-trip fare on this direct flight is only US $199. Sure, taxes add on at least another $180 and the offer doesn’t extend into Sweden’s sunny summer season…

But $390 is an unparalleled deal for an eight-hour, transatlantic flight, and we think Stockholm is fantastisk most any time of year.

Tickets must be purchased by March 9th, 2007.

Popularity: 10% [?]