25 low-budget ways to love New York City this summer

Like trendy baked goods, subway delays and targeted ads from mayoral candidates, summer’s return is a quintessential part of the New York City experience.

One minute you’re bracing yourself against the icy wind tunnels of winter, then — BAM! — the trains are all empty! You leave work when it’s light out! You spend time in parks, beaches, rooftops and other outdoor locations! Glorious sunshine boosts your mood and encourages you to set fire to your bank account as you chase the good vibes of summer.

Wait! Don’t do that! One of the other magical aspects of summer in the city is that you don’t have to expand your budget to enjoy the wonders of the nation’s biggest metropolis. There are plenty of completely free activities on this list, but in general, we tried to keep everything under $40.

Given all the cheap fun to be had in New York this summer, it’s a miracle the subways aren’t jam-packed all hours of the day.

Catch some rays at Gansevoort Peninsula beach.

Hit the beach(es)

Sure, you can go to Rockaway Beach or Coney Island or Jacob Riis Park, just like everyone else. But the city boasts 520 miles of coastline, so why not make 2025 the year you explore beaches off the sandy path? Did you know the southernmost point in New York is on Staten Island, all the way out at Ward’s Point? It’s a beach that really hasn’t gotten enough love since Captain Christopher Billopp set up shop there in the 1700s (presumably).

Or perhaps you want to head to the Harlem River, where the hidden Swindler Cove was restored into a green space after being an illegal dumping site (don’t think about it!). Staten Island’s Cedar Grove Beach is the city’s newest beach, converted from a bungalow community. As such, it tends to be less crowded than its better-known neighbors. Even Grand Ferry Park in Williamsburg has a little beach area, if you just have to get some sun while overlooking the glorious East River. Want to windsurf or kite board? Plumb Beach, northwest of the Rockaways near Marine Park, is the place for you. After a day of digesting challenging art at the Whitney, you can relax on Gansevoort Peninsula, which has a sandy lounge area on the Hudson. And there are even more options throughout the city!

Catch Ellie the Elephant at a New York Liberty game.

Make 2025 your summer of sports

The New York Knicks could be playing NBA Finals games in June. News flash: Tickets won’t be cheap. Fortunately, there are plenty of more affordable, accessible ways to enjoy sports around the city. You can see the Brooklyn Cyclones, a minor league affiliate of the Mets, in Coney Island all summer long. Tickets generally go for as cheap as $20, and there are usually fun promotions you can add on — like the Thursday Meal Deal, when you can get a ticket, hot dog or chicken tenders, fries and a beer for $25 total. Every Thursday is a home game!

There’s also a way to get into Yankee Stadium without paying Yankee prices: Go see the NYC Football Club (it’s soccer). The MLS team has home games (a few are at the Mets’ Citi Field) throughout the summer months, with some tickets down in the $15 range.

The New York Liberty — the defending WNBA champions — have become a tougher ticket, but you can still see them play for as cheap as $30 (as long as you don’t try to attend a game against Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever, which is not budget-friendly).

But don’t just watch sports — play sports!

After admiring world-class athletes at the top of their game, you may feel inspired to get into — wait for it — the best shape of your life. You could start by heading to Bryant Park for free yoga classes on Tuesdays at 10 a.m. and Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Waterfront Workouts features bootcamps and sunset yoga, while Hudson River Park’s Healthy on the Hudson series features yoga (of course), high-intensity interval training and other free fitness classes Monday through Thursday evenings at 6:30 p.m. from June through September.

NYC Parks’ Shape Up NYC program offers free group fitness classes for adults across all five boroughs. Yes, Shape Up includes yoga, but you also have your pick of virtually every kind of fitness class known to humankind, from Zumba to circuit training to intenSati, which is described as “dance meets kickboxing meets yoga.” Holy cow!

Watch fireworks

You may be aware that the summer is when the Fourth of July happens, when our nation’s birthday is traditionally celebrated with grilled foodstuffs and fireworks. The Macy’s Fourth of July fireworks will once again be on the Hudson River this year (sorry, everyone in Brooklyn and Queens). The good news is that Prospect Park typically hosts its own Independence Day fireworks, and Luna Park at Coney Island has historically lit up every Friday night with a fireworks show. In the case of the latter two, official plans haven’t been announced, but they should come soon.

Anyone who simply cannot wait until July can head to Fort Hamilton on June 13 for a special bicentennial celebration, featuring a concert and — you guessed it — fireworks.

"Van Gogh's Flowers" is open now through Oct. 26.

Take in the majesty of Van Gogh’s Flowers

Warmer weather heralds growth and abundance, making late spring and all summer a great time to check out all the blooms and blossoms in the city’s secret oases. One not-so-secret oasis is the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, which is putting on what looks to be an excellent exhibition this summer: Van Gogh’s Flowers.

The garden will set up large-scale botanical displays and living art featuring some of the flowers that inspired Van Gogh (yes, including sunflowers). At $35 for weekday admission and $39 on weekends, this is the most expensive ticket in the guide — but it’s Van Gogh! Those with especially deep pockets, or a particular affinity for potentially murdered artists who were unrecognized in their lifetimes, can spring for the "Starry Night" drone show that takes place as the sun sets. It’s $49 for non-members.

See the world for the price of a subway ride

Manhattan’s Chinatown and Little Italy get a lot of the hype, but New York City – like the rest of America – was built by immigrants, and there are tons of neighborhoods around the city that celebrate the food and cultures of those who have made the city their home. The Bronx’s Arthur Avenue offers an alternative to the tourist-heavy streets of Little Italy in Manhattan, and New York’s largest Chinatown in Flushing, Queens could occupy a person for every day of the summer.

Pastitsio at Stamatis in Astoria.

Head to Bay Ridge, occasionally called Little Yemen or Little Palestine. Astoria is well known as one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the world, so you can’t go wrong spending a day trying all there is to eat and drink there (especially the Greek food) — but consider honing in on the magic of Little Egypt. Walk around Little Senegal in Harlem for a taste of francophone West African cultures, or head down to Little Odessa in Brighton Beach for a deep dive into Ukrainian and Russian food.

Get outside and listen to live music in one of the city’s parks

Summer needs music — otherwise you’re just hot and sweaty and silent for a few months! The cultural rulers of the city understand the requirement for audible entertainment, and once again there will be a healthy lineup of free shows all over New York. The heaviest hitter is Central Park’s SummerStage, which also has offshoots in parks across the five boroughs. You can head to Bryant Park for its free Picnic Performances (calling all accordion-lovers!), or check out Prospect Park’s characteristically excellent BRIC! Celebrate Brooklyn lineup.

A scene from a previous year's BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn concert series.

New York Philharmonic’s Concerts in the Parks series brings classical music to all five boroughs from June 4 to 7, while the Backyard at Hudson Yards puts on more modern fare for free every Wednesday at 5 p.m. starting June 25. You also won’t want to miss Lincoln Center’s Summer for the City series, featuring everything from dance to classical to jazz, while opera fans should check out The Met Opera’s free Summer Recital Series in Central Park.

Or enjoy live music in Times Square

But folks: THAT’S NOT ALL. The also-in-all-caps TSQ LIVE brings DJs and free concerts to Times Square Tuesday through Friday evenings, giving you a reason to actually be in Times Square. Don’t forget to hit up Sounds at Sunset in Brooklyn Bridge Park and the Battery Park City River & Blues series in Rockefeller Park. In New York, you can attend concerts all summer and never spend a dime.

Experience the alternative side of life at Coney Island

Maybe you’re someone who seeks entertainment that’s slightly less vanilla than, say, a free concert in Times Square. Coney Island has you covered. Tapping into the long tradition of circuses and freak shows, the Sideshows at the Seashore Theater is “home to the last permanently housed circus sideshow in the USA.” For a mere $15, you can see humans swallowing everything from swords to fire, and walking on sharp objects like glass and nails. The theater also wants you to know it’s air conditioned — what more could you ask for?

See Burlesque at the Beach

Perhaps more titillating entertainment? You don’t even have to leave Coney Island for Burlesque at the Beach, which is exactly what it sounds like. The shows are on Saturdays at 9 p.m. (though not EVERY Saturday), and each has its own theme, like “Black (S)excellence II.” For $25, you can get “a blend of old-style burlesque, sideshow freaks, strange women, new vaudeville and toe-tappin' music.” What a deal!

Check out a museum you've never been to …

You’ve probably been to the Met or MoMA at least once before, right? Why not try one of the city’s many lesser-known — but still excellent — museums? There’s the Jackie Robinson Museum just west of SoHo, which costs $18, but anyone with Culture Pass can get in for free. Railfans will likely see the $10 tickets to the New York Transit Museum as an absolute steal, while $15 gets you access to a huge collection of cute dog art at Murray Hill’s Museum of the Dog. The Merchant’s House Museum, a restoration of a building from 1832, costs around $16; Staten Island’s National Lighthouse Museum is a mere $7. Anyone interested in weird artifacts from New York’s long history should head to City Reliquary Museum, which is $8 for residents.

… or try these free museums that you may not know ...

Harlem’s National Jazz Museum in Harlem up on 129th Street is free, though it accepts “donations for admissions.” The Bronx Museum is ALWAYS free for everyone. Perhaps the city’s smallest museum, Mmuseumm in Tribeca, is a literal elevator shaft that costs nothing to explore — though it only holds around three people at a time. The Museum of Chinese in America is one of the best free museum experiences you can get. There’s no excuse not to be cultured this summer.

… or go to one of the city’s famous museums for free

On the other hand, New York’s cultural institutions are institutions for a reason! Why not check them out when they’re free? The Whitney is now free for anyone under 25, and offers free admission to everyone on Fridays from 5 to 10 p.m. and on the second Sunday of each month. New York residents can get into MoMA on Fridays from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., though you do have to reserve tickets in advance. Finally, the granddaddy of them all, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, still has its “pay-what-you-wish” policy for New York residents. This summer is your chance to check out exhibitions like the Costume Institute’s Superfine: Tailoring Black Style, an exploration of Black fashion over three centuries — you may have seen some of the outfits the exhibition inspired at this year’s Met Gala. Look a ticket-taker in the eye as you inform them you will not be paying for your visit, then enjoy a world-class collection guilt-free.

St. John the Divine is one of the city’s must-see cathedrals

Contemplate the infinite in a church

Not only are many of the city’s churches architectural wonders in their own right, but many of the most famous ones offer free cultural programming as well. St. Peter’s has its free Jazz Vespers each Sunday at 5 p.m., which is a highlight of a robust arts calendar. St. Patrick’s hosts a guest choir series, and you can buy a self-guided tour of the cathedral for around $20.

The Financial District’s Trinity Church features a wide range of musical offerings, including the free Jazz at One (Mondays at 1 p.m.), Pipes at One (Tuesdays at 1 p.m.) and Bach at One (Wednesdays at 1 p.m.). If 1 p.m. is too late for Bach, head to Grace Church Tuesdays through Fridays for Bach at Noon, or go for Organ Meditations on Saturdays and Sundays at 4 p.m.

Finally, it’s not free, but St. John the Divine is another of the city’s must-see cathedrals. It costs $15 to visit. Just remember: Freeloading is human, but to pay is divine.

Explore a food hall

At some point this summer, you’re going to have to eat. There are lots of budget-friendly restaurants that are worth a trip, but why limit yourself to one option? Gather some friends and explore a food hall or food festival in the city, and try a bunch of different foods at once! Head to Long Island City for JACX&CO., or check out the offerings at Moynihan Food Hall on your way into or out of the city by train.

Smorgasburg has made its glorious return at three locations: World Trade Center, the original space in Williamsburg and Prospect Park. DeKalb Market Hall is Brooklyn’s biggest food hall, featuring everything from Korean to Katz’s Deli. Chelsea Market is a staple that offers arts and crafts along with food, and Pier 57’s Market 57 is also worth a visit if you’re on the West Side for a day. Midtown’s Urban Hawker is New York’s ONLY Singapore-inspired food hall, where you can sample many varieties of Southeast Asian cuisine. Night owls can explore the Queens Night Market on Saturdays from 4 p.m. to midnight. Get out there and get to eating.

Witness Shakespeare in the Park at a brand-new theater

Last year, Shakespeare in the Park roamed the NYC Parks, forced into a nomadic existence because of renovations to the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. Well, this year, the renovations are complete, and Shakespeare returns to his home in the city’s most famous park. The new Delacorte Theater will play host to the Bard’s "Twelfth Night", featuring a star-studded cast that includes Lupita Nyong’o and Peter Dinklage. Performances will happen Aug. 8-13 (excluding Aug. 11), and while tickets are free, you’ll likely have to wait in line at the theater to get them — or try your luck with the digital lottery on TodayTix.

See movies under the stars (or clouds, depending on the weather)

Like with live music, movies make their way outdoors during summer in the city, and 2025 is no different than in years past. Brooklyn Bridge Park’s Movies With a View series happens Thursday nights in July and August — the full lineup will be announced in early June. Paramount+ Movie Nights will return to Bryant, with a schedule to be announced. NYC Parks’ “Movies Under the Stars” program pops up in parks in all five boroughs, with an emphasis on family-friendly entertainment.

Take in the theater around the city

Prerecorded audio-visual entertainment after daylight hours may be all the rage in these confusing, newfangled times, but the intimacy of live theater is timeless. And if you don’t want to scramble for Shakespeare in the Park tickets, there are other options around the city this summer. Little Island has a whole summer lineup that starts May 29 — tickets for shows run $25.

Public Theater’s Mobile Unit will bring Shakespeare to the rest of the city, as well, with "Much Ado About Nothing" popping up in parks and other public locations in all five boroughs from May 29-June 29. All performances are free.

Finally, Equity Library Theater of New York has been putting on plays in partnership with the New York Public Library for more than 80 years. This year, they’ll be staging free plays and readings at various locations throughout the city, culminating in the Equity Library Theater Summer Play Festival from August 2-23.

Treat yourself to free laughter

Get your laughter for free this summer thanks to a boatload of free comedy shows. The best deal in town is still Drop-In Comedy, which happens every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Two Boots in Park Slope — it’s not just free, they give you a free beer! A free drink can’t be matched, but Bomb Shelter Comedy has no cover and no drink minimum for its shows at The GAF West Thursdays at 8 p.m. and Saturdays at 9 p.m.

And the cost of laughs remains a steady $0 at We Have Fun, a comedy show at Young Ethel’s in Park Slope. It happens Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. Last, but certainly not least, is Ambush Comedy, which is also Wednesdays, but at 8 p.m. at Stefano’s Tattoo Studio in Williamsburg. Ambush is BYOB, and your ticket automatically enters you into a raffle for a $200 tattoo gift card. Free comedy AND free tattoos, wow!

Go camping in the city through the parks department.

Go camping with the family

Yes, you CAN camp in the city! Thanks to the Urban Park Rangers, families can pitch tents in four of the five boroughs this summer (sadly, those hoping to spend a night under the Manhattan stars don’t have the option this year). You have to enter a lottery to get access, but those who do will have the chance to camp out in Brooklyn’s Salt Marsh Nature Center (lottery opens June 4), the Bronx’s Van Cortlandt Park (lottery opens June 11), Staten Island’s Blue Heron Nature Center (lottery opens June 11) or Fort Totten Park in Queens (lottery opens May 28). Tents are provided, but you will need to bring your own sleeping bags and whatever other bedding you may require.

Finally check out city’s coolest subway station

Remember how the subways are all empty in the summer? Take even further advantage of that by spending a night (or a whole day) at a station full of entertainment! The downtown side of the 50th Street 1 stop has it all: Get revved up with a coffee at Tiny Dancer Cafe. Line your stomach with a slice from See No Evil Pizza. Then get the party started with a cocktail from Nothing Really Matters — all of these places are right inside the subway, so you can hang here all night long, or be on your way to another location in (checks board) about four minutes.

Make a nighttime visit to The Edge at Hudson Yards

OK, you’ll need something touristy to do when friends and family visit this summer, right? Hudson Yards bills The Edge as “the highest outdoor sky deck in the Western Hemisphere,” which must have all the other outdoor decks in the Western Hemisphere trembling with jealousy. Tickets are generally not super cheap, but if you go in the later nighttime hours (like 9 p.m.), you can get them for around $36. The plus side is that you will be treated to views from an unprecedented (in the Western Hemisphere) height.

Owls Head Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility

Learn about New York’s water systems

News flash: Urban infrastructure is cool. So cool that one of the hottest tickets in town recently was a tour of a wastewater treatment plant. While wastewater plants are off limits for the summer, Open House New York is satiating New Yorkers’ thirst for water-related activities with its Water Works series. The tours, lectures and programs in the series explore the water systems that are integral to the city and how climate change is affecting them.

Some highlights include the Port Infrastructure Boat Tour on July 23 and the Jerome Park Reservoir Tour on June 7. Tickets to the Reservoir tour are free with RSVP, while ticket information for the Boat Tour will be released later. If you can make it, you’ll be the coolest (or at least the most water-knowledgeable) person in your apartment building.

Eat al fresco all summer long

In just a few months, you won’t want to do anything but stay inside and make stew all day. Take advantage of the extended daylight hours and warm weather to make every meal an outdoor adventure.

“But there are so many restaurants in the city,” you’re thinking. “How can I find the ones that offer outdoor dining? Is there some kind of map I can use?” Why, yes, as a matter of fact, there is a map of all the restaurants approved for outdoor or sidewalk dining this summer. You could try Fort Greene’s Sailor, 21 Greenpoint or Lupa in Greenwich Village — and that’s just the tiniest tip of the al fresco iceberg.

Renew your vows

Ever dreamed of getting married at Lincoln Center? That’s what Lincoln Center asks in its description of The Wedding: New York’s Biggest Day, a mass celebration of love and partnership at the Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Join hundreds of other couples on Saturday, June 21 at 5 p.m., when various faith leaders, musicians, and performers will make the day extra special. The best part? It’s not legally binding! So you can test drive a marriage this summer as you look toward the final three-quarters of the 21st century – just make sure you reserve your spot ahead of time.