More Museums For Your Moolah
Sun Herald
Sunday January 20, 2008
New York City sightseeing and no second mortgage needed? Kristie Kellahan tells how.
WHAT New York CityPassWHERE Six famous attractions in New York City, US. Gallery hop for days at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Guggenheim Museum. See the city from two memorable vantage points: the viewing platform at the Empire State Building observatory or out on the river aboard a Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise. Relive scenes from Night At The Museum as you wander the halls of the American Museum of Natural History, where the Ben Stiller movie was filmed.HOW MUCH By forking out $US65 ($75) for a New York CityPass you'll save more than $US66 towards the cost of entering six of the Big Apple's most popular tourist spots. There are additional savings on merchandise bought from the attractions and a discount voucher makes retail therapy more affordable at department store Bloomingdale's.WHY GO It's buzzing with life, culture and attitude. Anyone who says money can't buy happiness has obviously never been to New York City. The metropolis, in particular the island borough of Manhattan, provides every opportunity to drop serious cash on amazing world-class experiences (at Masa, a popular Japanese restaurant in the Time Warner Center, a fixed price dinner will set you back $US500, excluding wine). It is possible, however, to enjoy an affordable holiday here: you just need some street smarts, as the Noo Yawkers like to say. Making the most of the public transport system will save a fortune on cab fares and is often the fastest way to get from A to B. I bought a weekly MetroCard for unlimited subway travel for $US24 and enjoyed seven days of fast, efficient and safe travel to all the big attractions and shopping precincts.The CityPass gives fantastic value for money and differs from other entertainment booklets by covering only the premium attractions - the ones you would visit even if you didn't have a discount voucher. You won't find passes to the Museum of Potato Growing here. I plotted out my week according to the opening times of the galleries: a morning of experimental modern art at MoMA (followed by a power shop at the excellent gift store) and then it was on to the classics at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. After dinner near Union Square I drank in the beauty of New York at midnight from the observation deck of the Empire State Building. A two-hour cruise aboard the Circle Line may be considered the ultimate tourist cliche by locals but it brought me close enough to the Statue of Liberty to blow her a big kiss. The CityPass vouchers helped me prioritise the attractions I didn't want to miss: it would be easy to lose yourself in the organic experience of exploring New York - wandering the streets - and end up not visiting a single gallery or museum. With so many exhibitions featuring the world's finest art within blocks of each other, to my mind that's a wasted opportunity.FREE STUFF Each booklet has maps, tips and transport information to help you plan your journey. Discount merchandise and free upgrades at the attractions are bonuses.ADDED BONUS Time is money, especially when you have precious few days on holiday. The CityPass grants holders VIP status so you can bypass queues and be ushered to the front of the line. Genius. This was of great value to me at the Circle Line Sightseeing Cruise, when I arrived 10 minutes before the cruise's 11am departure to see a long queue of people waiting to buy tickets. Without the CityPass I would have been forced to wait an hour for the next cruise. At the Empire State Building it was a similar story as I waved my CityPass ticket and leapfrogged more than 100 people. Shorter queueing time equalled more viewing time of the Manhattan night skyline.DETAILS Buy your New York CityPass at www.citypass.com. The passes cost $US65 for adults and $US49 for kids. Passes are also available for other destinations including Boston, Seattle and Toronto.The Canny Traveller needs you! Do you know a cheap and great attraction, place to eat or stay? Share your tips at travelshd@fairfaxmedia.com.au.
© 2008 Sun Herald