See NYC for Less This Winter
Seasonal promotions offer big savings on Broadway shows, museums, restaurants and more
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En español | Think New York City's too pricey to visit? It may not be, if you plan to go during the few weeks this winter when you can dine at award-winning restaurants, catch a Broadway show and visit the city's top tourist sites at a fraction of the usual cost.
It's all part of a citywide promotion that runs from Jan. 21 through Feb. 9 called NYC Winter Outing: a wallet-friendly combination of NYC Restaurant Week, NYC Broadway Week and NYC Must-See Week that allows visitors and residents alike to get meals for a steal and two-for-one deals on Broadway shows and attractions. (Despite their names, the deals last more than a week.)
Ticket sales and restaurant reservations open on Jan. 8 at nycgo.com/nyc-winter-outing. Set a reminder on your calendar if you want to nab hot tickets tor reservations. They'll go fast.
For Restaurant Week, you can get two-course lunches and three-course dinners for $42 at more than 400 restaurants, such as 21 Club, the Palm Court at the Plaza and the James Beard award-winning Union Square Café (whose regular three-course dinner is $72). The deal includes three choices for appetizers and entrées and at least two for dessert. Look for drink specials too. Note that some places don't offer the promotion for dinner or on weekends, and that meals can't be split between diners.
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Among the Broadway shows offering two-for-one tickets: To Kill a Mockingbird and Disney's The Lion King (whose seats often go for more than $150 apiece), as well as the Tony-award winning musical Dear Evan Hansen.
And the attractions offering two-for-one tickets run the gamut, including the Museum of Modern Art, the Bronx Zoo, Circle Line Sightseeing Cruises, the New York City Ballet and the Empire State Building Observatory (whose adult ticket to the top is usually a pricey $58).
The low prices are a way for the city's convention and visitors bureau to drum up business during what can be the slowest period of the year. January weather in New York can be shivery, with a risk of snowstorms and winds whipping down long avenues. But the month's average temperature is nearly 40 degrees, and you can luck out with surprisingly temperate, sunny days.
If not, you'll have saved enough money to buy a nice warm coat.