Spending a Day on the Upper West Side for Under $30, New York, New York

The hardest thing about saving money for my future travels is that I am living in New York City. The land where a yoga class costs $30 and a mixed drink costs $14. I decided to try a little experiment over the next year. While I’m writing this blog, I’ll be visiting different neighborhoods in New York City and spending an entire day on a budget. I’ve dubbed this the “Day on a Dime.”

I invited my friends Lisi and Pat along for the ride because they are crazy enough to go along with all of my ideas. I let Lisi pick the very first neighborhood, and she chose the lovely Upper West Side.

We started our day off with a trip to Pier 96. During the summer you can go kayaking for free on the Hudson River. They provide you with a locker, life vest, and kayak. There was absolutely no line when we arrived, so we got to jump right in. Not to mention that there was a sound check happening at the pier next door for later that evening which meant free tunes while we rowed (even if those tunes were for a teeny bopper concert). I have to say that kayaking was the highlight of my day. The only downfall was that our butts got soaking wet. We didn’t bring a change of clothes, so we were forced to walk around in our wet pants for the remainder of the day which attracted more than a couple of strange stares. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).