Bootlace Guide to New York--Fun on a Shoestring

This city has long been the most expensive to visit in the nation, and among the 10 most expensive in the world.

Statisticians figure this siren of a town can wheedle about $256 a day out of the average visitor. And they’re not counting on you eating at the Quilted Giraffe and sleeping at the Plaza. Only that a can of soda costs $1 and a movie $7.

But you don’t have to succumb to the siren’s song. As a Manhattanite on a modest salary paying $900 a month rent for a studio apartment, my ears were pretty well tuned out. Survival dictated that I find alternate routes to the Big Apple’s core.

Fortunately, New York City is a city of choices: Elaine’s or Joe’s Diner, Gucci or Andy’s Cheepees, limos or subways.

You don’t have to leave here with your credit card smoking. And if you’re coming this summer, you’re in even better luck. The choices increase as the weather improves and the streets fill with new diversions.

What follows are some of Manhattan’s most interesting and fun things to do . . . whether or not you have money.

N.Y. IN THE ALTOGETHER

One of the nicest--and cheapest--things to do in Manhattan is just to look. Take the No. 6 train to the Brooklyn Bridge station, then stroll back to Manhattan over the pedestrian walkway of the Brooklyn Bridge.

With the wind blowing and the steely skyscrapers of lower Manhattan looming monolithic before you, the sight can leave you in awe.

There’s also the bridge, with miles and miles of gray cable soaring up, up and away. It’s even better at sunset.

For a different angle on New York City, see it from above--from the observation deck of either the Empire State Building, 34th Street and Fifth Avenue, or the World Trade Center on Wall Street.

I choose the former, just to look at the Art Deco elevator doors. Observation decks are on the 86th (you can go outside) and 102nd (enclosed) floors; admission is $3.25 for adults, $1.75 for seniors and children 5 to 12. Open from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

I like the city even better after dark, when the neon signs and the street lights make it seem to glow from underneath. Pure magic.

The World Trade Center observation deck on the 107th floor of Tower 2 is $3.50 for adults, $1.75 for seniors and children 6-12. Open 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Another idea is to see Manhattan from a boat. The best deal floating is the Staten Island Ferry. A quarter will take you on an hourlong round-trip that includes views of Manhattan, Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty.

ENTERTAINMENT

In New York City, entertainment means anything from Pavarotti at the Met to a one-man band in the subway, “Cats” on Broadway to dressed-up dogs in Central Park, Warhol at the Museum of Modern Art to the guy who does Jesus in pastels on the sidewalk in the Village.

If your heart is set on taking in a Broadway show, take advantage of the TKTS booths at Times Square and on the mezzanine of the World Trade Center Tower 2. They offer half-price tickets the day of the show (not for every show).

Two-for-one vouchers, affectionately called “two-fers,” also are available for some shows; contact the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Better bets are the off-Broadway productions and the incredible proliferation of outdoor productions in the summer, most notably Joseph Papp’s free Shakespeare in the Park at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park. (Warning: People spend the entire afternoon in line for a seat for these evening performances, believing that the performances are worth the wait.)

The Riverside Shakespeare Company, 165 West 86th St., gives free performances in Riverside Park and at other parks in the five boroughs.

RSC also performs at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at 89th Street and the Hudson River on Sundays. New Dramatists’ Workshop, 424 West 44th St., offers free workshops and performances throughout the week. For extensive listings of off-the-beaten-track theater, check in the Village Voice.

As for music in Manhattan, hot clubs may have a $25 cover charge on weekends. Look for discount passes at boutiques, hair-cutting salons and other trendy places the club denizens might frequent--especially in SoHo and the Village.

For reasonably priced blues, country and pop in small settings, try Dan Lynch’s, 221 2nd Ave., the Lone Star Cafe, 61 Fifth Ave., or Tramps, 125 East 15th St.

Other pop music spots are the Bottom Line, 15 W. 4th St.; the Ritz, 119 East 11th St., and CBGB’s, a pit on the Bowery (315) that gave birth to many popular ‘70s bands, including Talking Heads and Blondie.

For classical music, opera and dance, half-price tickets are available at the Bryant Park ticket outlet, West 42nd Street between Fifth and 6th avenues.

The Juilliard School at Lincoln Center, 66th Street and Broadway, offers free concerts throughout the school year, September to May.

Manhattan theaters charge $7 for a first-release movie. But you can often see more interesting movies (and sometimes get better culinary accouterments) for less at alternate locations.

Movies at various independent theaters also are less expensive: Collective for Living Cinema, 41 White St.; Film Forum I and II, 57 Watts St.; Cinema Village, 12th Street and University Place; Thalia, 15 Vandam, and Joseph Papp’s Public Theater, 425 Lafayette St. The Public also shows an occasional free film on weekend afternoons and offers terrific theater productions at off-Broadway prices.

The Kitchen, a performing arts theater at 512 W. 19th St., shows movies in its video screening room for free.

Museums also show alternative movies. Recently opened, in the old and venerable Kaufman Studios, former home of Paramount, is the American Museum of the Moving Image, 35th Avenue and 36th Street in Astoria, Queens. The museum is dedicated to a behind-the-scenes look at movie making and promoting.

For your $5 admission ($2.50 seniors and students) you can see movie artifacts and recent technology, as well as classic films and experimental videos.

CHEAP EATS

The hot subject in Manhattan is food. When people aren’t eating, they’re talking about eating. The only reason New Yorkers aren’t all fat is because they spend so much time running to catch trains, planes, buses and meetings.

Whenever a bunch of us get together and want to dine out, East Sixth Street is our first thought. Between 1st and 2nd avenues are many Indian restaurants offering delicious dishes for an average of $5 or $6.

My favorite inexpensive restaurant--well, just one of my favorite restaurants period --is the Cottonwood Cafe, 415 Bleecker St. in Greenwich Village. Delicious Tex-Mex food, great margaritas. And whatever else you do, you must try the mashed potatoes.

Brunch on Saturdays and Sundays even features grits. It’s often crowded, but not hopelessly so. Put your name on the list and go down the street to Bird Jungle (401 Bleecker St.), an outrageous store with every imaginable bird, including some that roam around and talk to the patrons.

Another favorite is Carmella’s Village Garden, 49 Charles St. in the Village, serving terrific homemade Italian food. There’s always a line of people waiting, but once you’re eating, you’ll forget the inconvenience. Not dirt cheap, but $20 per person tops can get you a memorable dinner.

Other suggestions:

--Eastern European: Vaselka, 144 2nd Ave. (pirogi) and the Kiev, 117 Second Ave. (matzo brie or kasha varnishkas). Both cheap, cozy and atmospheric. The Kiev is always open.

--Pizza: Ray’s Pizza, 465 6th Ave. There are a million Ray’s--The Original Ray’s, the Real Original Ray’s, Famous Original Ray’s, Ray’s Famous Original--but this is the only one you want. A slice, with substantial crust and copious amounts of cheese, is $1.50, and you only need one.

The South Street Seaport’s whole floor of fast foods of every possible ethnic variety can be a real deal, although it’s nerve-racking trying to choose.

Another survival tactic of city denizens are the greengrocers. These cornucopias of fresh fruits and vegetables are on almost every other corner, and have ultra-fresh salad bars. Some have plebeian selections, but others offer cooked foods and homemade salads, all for $3 to $3.50 a pound. Take your movable feast somewhere scenic and have a party.

OUTDOOR FUN

Outdoor events are numerous; some are planned, many are serendipitous. The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation has a schedule of what’s going on in Manhattan and the other four boroughs. Street fairs, book fairs, food fairs and block parties abound.

The World Trade Center offers outdoor entertainment of all sorts. Trinity Church, a cool and peaceful haven in the financial district, offers contemporary music in its gardens at 74 Trinity Place (it also has the oldest graveyard in Manhattan) and classical music indoors at lunchtime Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout the year.

There’s always something going on at the Central Park Bandshell on weekends in the summer. The 843-acre park, between Fifth Avenue and Central Park West and 59th and 110th streets, is full of activities.

The Central Park Zoo is back after a major renovation, admission $1 adults, 25 cents children 3-12, seniors 50 cents.

Belvedere Castle is free and affords a panorama of the park. You can rent a rowboat or paddle boat on the lake, visit Strawberry Fields, fly a kite, play fetch with a dog or just stroll around.

Washington Square Park, at the foot of Fifth Avenue from MacDougal Street to University Place, gets my vote for the most entertainment per square foot: break-dancers on roller skates, fire eaters, comedians. The Washington Square Outdoor Art exhibit is set for May 27-29 and June 3-4.

One of the best places for quality street entertainment is on the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art: guerrilla theater, improvisational comedy troupes, mimes and musicians. Buy a pretzel, sit on a step and pass an hour or two.

The South Street Seaport presents Summerpier, free evening concerts of top-notch jazz and classical music.

MY FAVORITES

--Strolling the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights at night, watching the twinkling lights of Manhattan and feeling the summer breeze.

--Visiting the soaring Cathedral of St. John the Divine with its art, its arches, its memorials . . . and its peacock and chickens. The cathedral expands its menagerie temporarily in October during the Blessing of the Animals, when an elephant, camel, horse, mice, bugs and hundreds of dogs, cats and birds stop by for a visit and a benediction.

--Browsing the merchandise at Steuben Glass, Cartier’s and Tiffany’s. Dreaming costs nothing.

--Sitting on a stoop with an ice cream cone and a pal, contemplating that siren song.

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The most expensive part of any trip to Manhattan is where to stay overnight. Fortunately, while lodgings in the city are not cheap, there are numerous alternatives to the $200-plus-a-night hotels.

Most of the big hotels offer special weekend rates. Prices $100 to $150 per couple a night--not exactly a steal, but these rates may include breakfast, parking, champagne or other amenities.

The New York Convention and Visitors Bureau offers “The New York City Tour Package Directory,” updated annually and detailing the good deals in town. Request it, along with the “New York City Hotel Guide,” from the New York Convention and Visitors Bureau, 2 Columbus Circle, New York 10019, (212) 397-8222.

One booming alternative in New York City, as in many other big cities, is the bed and breakfast inn. New York City has about 1,500 full- and part-time B&Bs.;

Staying at B&Bs; can cut the cost of lodging in half. Prices begin at about $40 a night. Book early to get the best selection.

The following services have B&B; listings in Manhattan:

City Lights Bed and Breakfast: (212) 737-7049.

Hosts and Guests and Performing Arts Bed and Breakfast: (212) 874-4308.

Urban Ventures: (212) 594-5650.

Abode Bed and Breakfast: (212) 472-2000.