NYC, seven day expenses

[Yannis]

Gentlemen,

My 20 y.o. son will come to NYC at the end of the month for 7 nights.

Question: How much should I send him for his expenses?

Airfare is paid and he will stay 5 days at a family friends' home (some 35 mins north of the city), as well as another 2 days downtown, at a school friend of his, so the stay is free.
His expenses should consist of his meals, I assume (...and hope) that this will be ordinary restaurants or diners as he walks in the city.
Also, all his transportation fees (plus to and from the airport, I don't know which one) by subway. Is there a day pass, or week pass, and how much would that be?
Some minor shopping and some events like a theater or museum or something along these lines.

It's been a long time since I was in the area and cannot possibly know what's going on today. I would assume it shouldn't be all that much different from what he spends in The Hague or here in Athens, but I thought I should ask you as you know better, so your help is important to me.

Thank you for your time.

[Carl]

It's been awhile since I've used but unless going to be here awhile I'd skip the unlimited pass's as they are pricey.

Transportation pass Metro Cards are $1.00 and rides are $2.45, transferable up to 2 hours.
Cards can be filled at any amount and refilled.
Any money left on card is not redeemable so kinda pay as you go or hand the card over to someone before you leave.

How much are meals in the city..LOL!
You can find cheap eats at a few bucks a meal to couple hundred a person with everything in between.
Average on the lower end could be $20 for meal and tip per person, add an appetizer and drink 20-30.

Theater- Unless he has something he must see, TKTS sells deep discount tickets up to 1/2 price the day of the show. You get to see and pick from what is available, we have lucked out with some great seats. Bad part is if its al bad seats or sold out you have to move onto a second or third choice of shows. Good part is they are right at the theater district so you can get a great deal and run to the opening. Or maybe its a later show and grab dinner first... Shows can be from $60-couple hundred depending on seats and shows. Off Broadway, is less...

Not sure what else, If I missed something, just ask.
Carl

[mike ohlstein]

$500

[PeterPalmieri]

$500 sounds right. If he plans on using a credit/debit card you could probably send him with $200 cash, almost everything can be charged in NYC.

Train from up North is a one time ticket. Subways get you around the city pretty cheap, his friend will know the deal. Uber or taxi to the airport. If his friend is showing him all the good sights food can be very expensive around the tourist areas.

No worries UNCLE CARL is just a ferry ride away from downtown.

[Amberjack]

All good advice. Also, there is a lot of FREE stuff to do in the city. We wander the neighborhoods (flaneur) for days and never run out of things to see. Many people appreciate the Broadway shows, I've been to Manhattan for business and now pleasure for 30 years, have never been to a show and don't feel I've missed too much. Street meals can be surprisingly inexpensive as Carl says up to hundreds of dollars in the name restaurants. New Yorkers complain about the subways, I think they're incredible compared to what we have.

Two things I recommend for everyone: visit the 911 Memorial (not Freedom Tower or the Museum, both good but the Memorial itself). The Memorial is intensely moving and there are a lot of foreign visitors there. He may have to make reservations in advance. Also if the weather is good wander down to Battery Park to view the Statue of Liberty from the southern tip of Manhattan and mingle with the crowds lined up for hours to visit the island. It speaks to what an icon the statue remains for the world even in these fractured times. The Staten Island ferry which is free and leaves from nearby goes right by the Statue.

[Yannis]

Thank you guys!

Mike, I like your determination!!! but as you say $500 or € 400 it will be.
Pete, how do you know uncle Carl’s wishes? LOL
Amberjack, I’m like you...ca me parait que tu parles un peu le Francais ?

PS I still have my own ticket having gone up the Twin Towers !

[Carl]

No worries UNCLE CARL is just a ferry ride away from downtown.

Or a 20 minute drive.


And IF by some reason they decide to take a trip to the Statue of Liberty, make sure they only buy tickets at their sales booths. Some very entrepreneurial people sell non-valid tickets elsewhere.

Free - - Manhattan is full of free, just walk around and your bound to see street performers doing their thing, singing, dancing, magic shows and slight of hand. Going into the city and walking around used to be the cheapest date. Train to ferry was a buck or two, ferry to city was .50 on return(free now) and walking around was free + tips on some good sidewalk shows. Dirty water dog, pretzel and we were good.

As mentioned, credit cards are pretty much accepted everywhere and better not to carry lots of cash. The city is not bad like it used to be...but its still a city. I hear Rome is much worse...

With friends here, he'll get the drill.

[Yannis]

Thanks, Carl, very informative.

Is there a place called Dobbs Ferry ? I think thats where the house of our friends is.

[Joseph Fikentscher]

Dobbs Ferry is just north of the city. Check it out on Google Maps.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dobbs ... -73.872635

[Carl]

As Joe said, its just North of Manhattan up the Hudson River.
Train to city is right there.

[Yannis]

Thanks boys!

[Tony Meola]

Yannis

What ever you do, do not give him an unlimited credit card. You might have to sell the boat to pay the bill.

But $400 to 500 in cash and a credit card should work out for him. Plus with all the international banking that takes place today, you might be able to find a branch of a US bank over in Greece and you could open a small account to start. Get him a bank card this way if he needs cash, you could deposit the funds and he could retrieve it.

Also, he could just give his friend a check who could deposit it in his account and give your son the cash.

[Mark]

Yannis,

Sure you planned for this but make sure phone plans and credit cards don't hit you up for exorbitant international fees. You may be able to pay a small fee up front on your phone plane to accommodate international travel or just use FaceTime or Skype for free. I agree with previous suggestions, some cash but not too much. Pay with CC or DC. Explore, have fun but be safe. Stay out of bad places at bad times. Hopefully his friends will guide him.

Should he wind up at the Jersey Shore and get stuck. Just hollar.

Mark

[MarkD]

Yannis:

Many of us are very local. If he (you) need anything, just post the group = $, suggestions, whatever. Happy to help.

Mark

[Yannis]

Thank you for the suggestions and help. All good points.

Tony, I hope the jails in NY are OK, because the boat I’m not selling lol!

[Tony Meola]

Thank you for the suggestions and help. All good points.

Tony, I hope the jails in NY are OK, because the boat I’m not selling lol!

Yannis

Rikers is wonderful this time of the year. Water on all sides and some of the worst criminal element arrested in NY.

[Yannis]

Rikers is wonderful this time of the year.

Hahaha, too good!

[Carl]

Rikers is wonderful this time of the year. Water on all sides and some of the worst criminal element arrested in NY.

No worries Yannis, it would only be short term anyway...

Our illustrious leaders just took a vote and decided to close Rikers Island Prison and build our offenders a nicer place in the outer boroughs of NY.
The conditions are apparently just not that nice there.

Funny..I thought that was the idea, but hey, what do I know.




I bet ya those who voted for this are not going to have prisons built by them.
...just say'en

[Yannis]

Hey, Carl, at $80K per bed cost of construction, why not? They're not paying, you are!

[Carl]

Not only do we pay for the initial cost of building new prisons we get to have our properties decaluated too.

So far I'm glad Staten Island is not on the list of potential places they will be building...but that can change too.

[Bruce]

The Hamptons is a good place for a prison.

Near Anderson Cooper or Alec Baldwin would be good since they are bleeding hearts.

[Yannis]

Same here.
Not only for a new jail, but also for trash dumping or recycling factories.
Everybody wants such facilities on “the other” county’s land, never their own...

[Carl]

Same here.
Not only for a new jail, but also for trash dumping or recycling factories.
Everybody wants such facilities on “the other” county’s land, never their own...

There used to be a prison on State Island that they closed up a few years ago and turned it into a movie studio??

Anyway...this reminded me of a story I must have told once here...but pretty good so one more time.


I used to live on a dead end street right on the boundaries of the wet lands, fields of tall fragmites all around.




I get home one day pull in front of my garage and start making my way to the walkway as two blacked out vans come barrelling down the street, stop abruptly with doors flying open, I see assault rifles, orange, bright orange jumpsuits, lots of huge guys in orange jumps suits come pouring out of all the door...then the sound chain saws starting...yes with an S, saws.









Yes, my face must have been something to see.





It took a few seconds as the prisoners made there way over to the weeds, some with weed whackers. They were there to cut the weeds and fragmites back, along with cutting a couple trees and bushes.

Being wetlands we are not allowed to touch the weeds, but during fire season those weeds go up in flames like its nobodies business. Me, I never asked for permission...just mowed a little further every time so I had a nice distance between them and my house. But others felt a need to go overboard and or do it all at once while others announced their intentions all creating a problem with the parks department. So the community had gotten together requesting permission to cut back a few feet...guess they went a step further by having prisoners do it.

It might have been nice to know they were coming...

[Yannis]

What an experience...I’d still have traces of brown in my socks!!
I like your attitude, though, I’d mow a few more feet too...without asking!
Did that area have bugs, mosquitoes?

[Carl]

Not really any more then other places....I think the bats ate a good amount of them. There was marsh back in there a ways that must have held mosquitoes...but a ways away.

We did have pheasant, rabbits, raccoons, possum, muskrats in good numbers. Now the area is loaded with deer and here is a new one I never heard of...crabs. Land crabs where getting into the houses after Sandy and people could not get rid of them.

Yes, I think it was a brown shorts day.

That one and some time before when I experienced my first big brush fire. I got home early did some chores, think I was mopping the floor when I saw smoke and fire way back so I called 911. By the time I got off the phone it was BIG, fire engine came rushing down the block. Guess they had an earlier call.
They did their hookups and were ready...but fire kinda went sideways and died down by us and it was being fought in other areas. Fireman was standing on the rig with that big nozzle thing on top yacking to the other guys. Then all of a sudden we heard a whoosh with flames reaching over the phone poles. Guy up top gave a holy Sh$t and jumped off...looked like a scene from a movie with flames surrounding him. Intense heat... It was all burnt and over in a couple seconds. The fire engines bezels over the gauges melted...my wife's car which was parked across the street...her tail light lens melted.

[Yannis]

Guys,

My boy is back and I hope, when doing the maths, not to be over TWICE what you suggested!
Without counting the airticket which was not to be calculated in my original question and the stay, which was all completely free, except two wines that he bought in Amsterdam to carry as a gift.

We start with 4 hours departure delay that forces us to vote for a taxi instead of train at 1am, and which trains... plus $100.
I’m already +20% before even he reaches his destination...

The rest in a while, because although he’s back, he still is 3-4000 km away from me, at least 5 countries away...until Christmas.

[Carl]

Lousy going overbudget before getting to the plane.

He's back and I'm sure he has plenty of good memories.

[Tony Meola]

Yannis

At least he did not go completely crazy and totally bust the bank. But now you know how expensive NY is.