How to Eat Inexpensively in New York City
Try a sidewalk stand., Know your currency exchange rate., Visit ethnic food communities., Skip the sit-down., Use available "food guides."
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Try a sidewalk stand.
All over New York City, a vast community of hot food vendors sell steaming a la carte items out of portable carts and kiosks.
From all-beef franks to chicken on a stick, these tasty and protein-rich foods come at a bargain to those who don't turn up their nose at an outdoor culinary experience that truly represents life in the big city. -
Step 2: Know your currency exchange rate.
If you are coming from outside of the United States, it helps to know what kind of buying power the dollar has in order to see how far you can stretch your foreign funds. , From Chinatown to the various ethnic food neighborhoods like "little India" in Queens and the quintessential Jewish delis around the five boroughs, you can sometimes find authentic eateries that don't pad the prices of their food.
Many of these spots will cater to a local community, and not a tourist base.
As a result, they can be hard to find, but the payoff in food cost savings will make your efforts worthwhile. , All around the world, meals that include table service command high prices.
This is perhaps especially true in New York City and other parts of the United States, where expensive gratuities get added onto the final bill, making your cost even greater.
Don't be afraid to confine your food experience to café-style cuisine for additional savings on food expenses. , Print or web guides will help you locate some of the cheapest restaurants around New York City, to help you avoid paying out entirely too much for restaurant food. $2 tamales in Park Slope? There's much more on offer through the food guide at nymag.com, where an updated website can show you just where to get meals that won't break your travel budget.
Take a look and select some lower-cost restaurant options off the beaten path.
Zaga and other food guides offer seasonal hints on where vendors are selling the best-priced meal options in New York.
Read continually, and you'll have a better chance at savings. -
Step 3: Visit ethnic food communities.
-
Step 4: Skip the sit-down.
-
Step 5: Use available "food guides."
Detailed Guide
All over New York City, a vast community of hot food vendors sell steaming a la carte items out of portable carts and kiosks.
From all-beef franks to chicken on a stick, these tasty and protein-rich foods come at a bargain to those who don't turn up their nose at an outdoor culinary experience that truly represents life in the big city.
If you are coming from outside of the United States, it helps to know what kind of buying power the dollar has in order to see how far you can stretch your foreign funds. , From Chinatown to the various ethnic food neighborhoods like "little India" in Queens and the quintessential Jewish delis around the five boroughs, you can sometimes find authentic eateries that don't pad the prices of their food.
Many of these spots will cater to a local community, and not a tourist base.
As a result, they can be hard to find, but the payoff in food cost savings will make your efforts worthwhile. , All around the world, meals that include table service command high prices.
This is perhaps especially true in New York City and other parts of the United States, where expensive gratuities get added onto the final bill, making your cost even greater.
Don't be afraid to confine your food experience to café-style cuisine for additional savings on food expenses. , Print or web guides will help you locate some of the cheapest restaurants around New York City, to help you avoid paying out entirely too much for restaurant food. $2 tamales in Park Slope? There's much more on offer through the food guide at nymag.com, where an updated website can show you just where to get meals that won't break your travel budget.
Take a look and select some lower-cost restaurant options off the beaten path.
Zaga and other food guides offer seasonal hints on where vendors are selling the best-priced meal options in New York.
Read continually, and you'll have a better chance at savings.
About the Author
Angela Jackson
Writer and educator with a focus on practical cooking knowledge.
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