15

@ Mornalizz - thanks for the great reply :) Thinking about staying in Brooklyn! I've been to NY before and staten island was great:) Deffo going back! Good tips on saving money with food - I always find on previous holidays food takes up more money than I expect.

I'll be 21 when I get there so I can't wait too see some NY nightlife. I'm thinking I'll be there around mid August. If your around love to meet up with you and have a drink! :)

16

@ Longislandbob - good suggestions thanks! I would have liked to have gone to Boston and I was thinking about it but I don't want to feel I'm constantly travelling rather enjoying the places I visit. I've always wanted to go to Philidelphia (I too am really into history and politics) so I think it looks great.

17

College football!!! nothing like it anywhere in the world.

Show up 4-6 hours early and learn about tailgating (beer and roast meat cooked in the parking lot. A female 20-something who likes sports? It will be the time of your life.

I'd recommend
http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa-13/pac-10/2013-ucla-bruins-football-schedule.php
or
http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa-13/pac-10/2013-usc-trojans-football-schedule.php

Edited by: LongIslandBob

18

It's hard to say really, because I don't know all that you'll do each day. I gave some examples of things you say you want to do, so... maybe $80/day (average)? Maybe with a little extra for an occasional splurge.

I'd still decide in the order I noted.
Also see FAQ 260.

Taxi calculater. The main issue is distance.
Since you are spending a reasonable amount of time, I would suggest learning the bus and metro routes.

If you take a day each from xChicago, xPhiladelphia, xLA, and maybe xNYC (since you've been before), you will be fine adding xBoston.

Add Cal and BC to the list.

19

No need to take taxis in LA (except for maybe late at night from a club). Tourists typically stay in Santa Monica or Hollywood. Both of those places have pretty good transit.

And I agree that you should start in Boston for a few days. I would cut two days from Philadelphia, maybe stop in Baltimore on the way from Philli to DC and spend fewer days in San Diego. I know I can always spend more time in New York.

In a lot of these towns, a drink in a fashionable bar will easily run you $10 or $15. Look for happy hour specials. And getting into a club is $20 at a minimum. Museums run the gamut from free to $15. DC is free museum mecca and most New York museums have a free night. If you're considering going to Disneyland or Sea World or Shedd Aquarium in Chicago (just a few examples) budget separately.

20

quoteAdd Cal and BC to the list.[/quote]

The Cal State Golden Bears (Berkeley , San Fran) can safely be added to the list of places for a football tailgate.
http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/pac-10/california-golden-bears.php

Boston College
http://www.fbschedules.com/ncaa/acc/boston-college-eagles.php
has a great football program as well, but their stadium is kind of urban. I doubt people tailgate there much.
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=boston+college+stadium&hl=en&ll=42.334883,-71.166022&spn=0.00281,0.004823&fb=1&gl=us&hq=college+stadium&hnear=0x89e3652d0d3d311b:0x787cbf240162e8a0,Boston,+MA&cid=0,0,14317077396747690725&t=h&z=18

Edited by: LongIslandBob

Edited by: LongIslandBob

21

Sure they do.

22

Sure,
dispute me with facts and photo evidence why don't ya (wink).

23

I can't say I've seen a baseball game in all those cities, but I think seeing one at Wrigley Field in Chicago would be the way to go, as it has a lot of atmosphere as Inmop says. The day games during the week will probably be less expensive and easier to get tickets for than night games or weekend games. This is a Cubs game in Wrigley Field on the north side of Chicago, to be clear (rather than a White Sox game at Cellular Field on the south side). Have a nice trip.

24

sounds good. We'll keep in touch

Xoxoxo

25

I have taken a number of my European friends to base ball and foot ball games here in the USA. They were not impressed, they are use to soccor and rugby and found our foot ball lacted action in comparison and baseball was a total bore. And with your budget I think you may find it expensive to attend.

26

The nice thing about baseball is that there are still cheap seats.

27

NYC doesn't have to be a budget buster if you're staying in a dorm room.

If you don't want to spend $25 on the Empire State Building, you can get a great view for free at Brooklyn Bridge Park or at Gantry State Park in Queens. Walking over the Brooklyn Bridge is free. The Staten Island Ferry is free. Central Park is Free. Some museums admissions are actually suggested donations and you can leave less than they request. If you have a valid student ID admissions are often discounted.

Cheap eats abound in NYC and it helps to narrow it down by location and type of food to get recommendations. You can use chowhound.com or yelp.com or menupages.com to search. I'd splurge for $2.50 pizza, those $1 slices usually don't resemble actual pizza. You can save a buck on bottled water by filling a bottle at the hostel if that helps. Look for lunch specials and make that the big meal of the day and get something cheap like pizza for dinner.

As noted above look for Happy Hours going out at night. They're usually an after-work thing, but there are places with late night Happy Hours too. I don't go clubbing, but am under the impression that some clubs' cover charges only apply to men. Or look for lounges with small/no cover. Yelp.com can be helpful here too: http://www.yelp.com/topic/new-york-no-cover-lounge-clubs-in-manhattan

Especially if you stay in Brooklyn, you're not going to want to reduce your time in NYC. Brooklyn has many interesting neighborhoods for eating and going out at night. Besides the Brooklyn Bridge Park, you would probably like Prospect Park. Near there are the Brooklyn Botanical Garden and Brooklyn Museum (reduced admission if you have student ID).

If you want to go to Boston for a few days, maybe drop a day from Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Diego or maybe even DC if you're not so into museums. Definitely not from NYC or San Francisco, though.

28

The nice thing about baseball is that there are still cheap seats.

The Mets used to have $5 pretty often (sometimes even $2) when they were still in Shea, but since moving into their new ballpark such deals seem to have disappeared. The Yankees also recently moved into a new ballpark and the situation might be similar. Another issue is tiered pricing, meaning the tickets for games versus good opponents will be more expensive.

In NYC you could consider a minor league baseball game, the Mets have a team in Brooklyn (the Cyclones) and the Yankees have one on Staten Island. Or maybe some of the other cities' major league ballparks have truly cheap seats. I wouldn't expect them at Wrigley Field in Chicago (the Cubs), but that is a good place to see a game.

29

Yes, it can be expensive to see a baseball game. With regard to Cubs games at Wrigley Field, you can go up there for day games during the week and buy them off the street. That is where you can get a good deal. I have done that many times, though not that recently. For night games and weekend games, it will be expensive, though.

I have gotten great tickets buying them outside stadiums. For example, during the Seattle Mariners division-winning 2001 season, I bought a ticket no more than 10 rows above the Mariner's dugout for about $20 just before the game. The game was sold out; people were flying in from Japan to see Ichiro Suzuki; and I think it was a Saturday night. He could have gotten much more for it, but sometimes people just want to make you happy.

Edited by: pippali