Cheap/free NYC ideas???

Hey everyone...i have to go into manhattan tommorrow and am looking for a a few cheap/free things to do with the kids....both boys..one is 8 the other is 16. Of course I can think of a lot of "expensive" things to do...but with prom and other end of year things, I'd like to keep this trip as cheap as possible. Any Ideas? Scott

The Aids walk is tomorrow. Sign up is 8:30 and it's a 6.2 mile walk uptown through Central Park. I am going with my 16 year old son. They usually have corporate sponsors that provide food at the rest stops along the way. You can register online and do the sign up tomorrow. It may not be the kind of outing you are looking for, but it's a thought. Sue

SONY WonderLab! You will likely have to wait in line as they usually need reservations but build in room for walk-ins. It's free and WONDEFUL hands-on sciency-kind of stuff- Uber-Fun! Central Park Zoo. I think it may be about $4 per person, not entirely sure Museum of Nat. History- I think this is doation -they give you a suggested admission price, but I think it's flexible. Regardless, it is Fabulous and you could easily spend most of the ay there. Not sure how old your boys are, but the ToysRus Flagship store in Times Square is pretty cool with a ferris wheel to ride inside the store Just walking through Times Square is fun- lots of folks doing emos on the streets If you have $10-15 apiece to spend on one meal (my daughter and I eat super cheap hot dogs or whatever and save up so we can go here) try Mars 2112. I think it's at 51st and Broadway, but double check that with google. Its a hoot and a half- you ride a spaceship to Mars- the restaurant is dee underground and all the waitstaff are dressed as aliens. Total gimmick, but worth it for the looks on the kids faces. On weekends there are several flea markets and tons of street vendors all over- that in itself is fun to scope out. Hope this gives you some ideas.

Thanks for the suggestions!!!!! How much do you think it would be to eat at Mars 2112....is that what you meant by 10 to 15 dollars per person? Scott

It is. The entrees are about $10-15 I think. eally nothing special about the food, but the atmosphere i totally kickin'!And unless you get there at off peak eating hours, I guarrantee, you'll be waiting in line. But really it is totally worth the wait for kids! We usually go and get a few orders of fries to share, drinks and then dessert.

Come visit me in Brooklyn;)? The Metropolitan Museum of Art is next to Central Park and is "free" [there is a suggested admission amount, but you can pay or not pay what you want. [I can't remember what the weather is supposed to be like tomorrow, but it's a good bet if you'd rather be indoors]. They have a section with Egyptian stuff, mummies, tombs ... interesting. A few blocks up from there is Dean & Delucas [http://www.deandeluca.com] - a gourmet grocery store that is super pricey HOWEVER they have reasonably priced sushi [$4-8 bucks] if you like that kind of stuff they made an awesome no rice spicy chicken sushi wrap that is around $4. I was just there on Friday. Hope you have a great time! xosm