New York City under the snow: a dream come true! After discovering New York in autumn, I was eager to discover the city that never sleeps in winter. Here is my detailed itinerary to explore the Big Apple on a budget!

If you’re looking for good places to eat in New York, I recommend you to read this article where I listed all the restaurants I tried during my stay!

Brooklyn Bridge ©Samantha in a nutshell

Times Square ©Samantha in a nutshell

Day 2 – Say hi to the Statue of Liberty 

At 10am, we went to Whitehall Terminal to board the Staten Island Ferry (it’s completely free). Because doing New York without going to see the Statue of Liberty wouldn’t be like visiting the city at all. 

The 20 minutes cruise over, we went for a walk in the streets of Wall Street to Chinatown. There we stopped for lunch in a Taiwanese restaurant: Hua Yuan Szechuan. Be prepared for a friendly mood and delicious food!

After lunch, we attended a winter gospel celebration at the Marble Church. A unique experience in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, which deeply moved me. Then we went to the World Trade Center, the 9/11 Memorial, and in front of the Chrysler building. 

I couldn’t resist buying some doughnuts at Krispy Kreme for a snack. It was (obviously) delicious!

Finally, we spent the evening walking in lower Manhattan. We enjoyed the sunset at Battery Park before trying Wendy’s for the first time. I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed. A long (too long) wait for a burger that wasn’t that good.

Day 3 – Rainy day in NYC (MoMa, Summit One Vanderbilt)

On our third day, the weather played tricks on us. We went through all the seasons in less than 24 hours. We woke up in rainy New York, so we decided to go for indoor activities, to say museum! We went to the MoMa, and there was (strangely) no line at all at the entrance. After walking through the Guillermo del Toro temporary exhibit (which was absolutely fantastic), exploring the 6 floors of the museum and admiring the works of Van Gogh and Picasso, we fled because our stomach was screaming for food.

I had a crazy lunch at Ellen’s Stardust Diner, probably the best part of the day! The 1950s-themed blue and red coloured diner isn’t just known for its yummy American food but for being “the Home of the Singing Waitstaff”. Keep in mind that Ellen’s doesn’t take any reservations, so you have to queue, which can be from a few minutes to a couple of hours. We arrived at 12:00am and didn’t wait at all! I ordered eggs Benedict and a brownie for dessert which were very good.

After this nice break, we went to Central Park under the sun (I told you guys, the weather did not make sense!). We walked through Central Park up to the lake at 77th street W, then stopped in front of the Met before heading to the New York Public Library.

©Samantha in a nutshell

We finally made our way to the 91st floor of Summit One Vanderbilt, the brand-new observatory of the city, to admire the view at night. You’ll probably say to me, “Why do I have to do yet another observatory? There are enough of them”, and my answer is simple: because it is a unique and immersive experience. 

The different rooms were very nice but unfortunately very crowded. On top of that, the weather had decided otherwise, and the snow fell just as we were on top of the building. How to say that the view was not the best with a big white mist?

Day 4 – Thrift shopping and Broadway

My last day in the Big Apple required a shopping session! I couldn’t leave without buying some souvenirs.
Beyond Macy’s and Goodwill, check out Urban Jungle L train station in Brooklyn. You’ll find a huge thrift store with good quality second-hand clothes at low prices (I dare you to find an item for more than 25$). 

For lunch, we headed to Chelsea Market. We tried the tacos from Los Tacos No.1. If you come across this colourful stand in a corner of Chelsea Market, you’ll quickly understand that the three gentlemen who run it know what they are doing. Along the counter, you’ll find a variety of sides: grilled green onions, fresh peppers and cilantro. And there, behind the counter, are two of the most memorable discoveries: hand-pressed tortillas grilled to order and a flaming marinated pork gyro. You want that pork, I assure you. Sliced on the spot, juicy, tender, and lightly spiced with Mexican flair, it’s just… incredible!

Going to see a Broadway show was my lifelong dream! I couldn’t leave New York a second time without experiencing it. 

So after a quick trip to the hotel to change into more formal clothes, we spent our last night at the Great White Way, sitting on the red seat of the August Wilson Theater to see the musical Funny Girl. 3 hours of magic, 3 hours of singing and dancing, 3 hours of daydreaming (Lea Mitchel and the whole cast were mind-blowing, I must admit).

I know the purpose of this article is to give you ideas for cheap outings and visits, but if there is one thing where the expense is worth it, it’s Broadway! If I had to recommend only one thing, it would be this one.