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Can you have a full night out in New York City for under $20? We did it.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Apr 2, 2026
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Emily Nadal / Gothamist
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Apr 2, 2026
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This column originally appeared in Looped In NYC, our weekly newsletter for where to go and what to know.
There’s a joke that New York City has a $20 “leaving the house tax” because it’s so hard to venture out without dropping at least that much. It’s true: Gotham is one of the most expensive cities in the world and a fantastic place to accidentally blow way more cash than anticipated.
So when the Looped In team asked me to plan a night of activities under $20 – in this economy – I battened down the bank account and girded my loins. Not because I’m a particularly high roller – I really do find that the best things in life, like watching ships go by on the East River with some friends and a flask, are cheap or free – but because drinks and bites and cover fees and subway fares (RIP, unlimited MetroCard) add up quickly. Would I actually be able to write this column?
With help from my colleague, Emily Nadal, we made a list of options and set out for an evening in Manhattan. Here’s where we went and what we spent:
Rudy’s **(Hell’s Kitchen): $**5
In the end we decided to start the night at Hell’s Kitchen holdout Rudy’s, home of the free hot dog with drink purchase deal. For just $4, I enjoyed a pint of lager and a particularly well-grilled dirty water dog in the company of bros and more grizzled-looking locals alike, because nothing unites New Yorkers like love for a deal. (I also tipped the bartender, bringing my total to $5.)
Shi Jiao Fu Zhou (Chinatown): $3.25
Next we ventured to Chinatown’s Shi Jiao Fu Zhou, where, for the ridiculous price of $3.25, I enjoyed a plate of peanut noodles and resisted the urge to tell the cashier that it’s not the ‘80s anymore, and they could easily get away with charging more (but we’re also glad they don’t).
PhotoSLAM at the International Center of Photography (Lower East Side): $5
Laden with carbs, we shuffled off to the International Center of Photography, an institution that, despite spending my entire life in New York City, I had somehow failed to ever visit before. The “homecoming” themed PhotoSLAM is like “The Moth,” but each presenter only gets five minutes, and their stories are based on a photo series. It was pretty cool! After the show, we chatted with the host, pointing out how amazing it is to go from hot dogs and beer with the post-work Midtown crowd to viewing these moving photo essays in less than an hour (and spending very little). "That's New York City for you," he said.
While the PhotoSLAM event is sporadic, and there aren’t any upcoming ones currently scheduled, ICP has a wealth of other public programming worth checking out.
Art gallery hopping (Thursdays, various locations): Free entry, free wine
Pro-tip: If you’re in Manhattan on a Thursday night, you can easily find an art gallery opening, and they often serve wine. The experience and your beverage come free of charge. OSMOS on 1st Street was nearby, so we checked out a photo exhibition of haunting, saturated images of America by Catherine DeLattre and the late Fred Herzog. The space was intimate and the crowd was kind and sociable.
Ray’s Candy Store (Alphabet City): $5 for cookies and ice cream
Finally, I ended my night at the legendary Ray’s Candy Store across from Tompkins Square Park. Cannot recommend this over half-century-old institution enough: It is a stronghold of old school NYC energy, a portal to another era of the city still staffed by its namesake, the man the myth the legend, the indefatigable over 90-year-young Ray Alvarez. I still had $6.75 to spare, so I splurged: $5 for cookies and an ice cream cone.
Total spent: $18.25
In total we visited five spots, including two cultural experiences, and I got two drinks, a hot dog, a plate of noodles, a cookie and ice cream with $1.75 to spare.
Emily Nadal contributed to this story.
Tagged
culture
events
food
looped in
new york city
nightlife
things to do
Hannah Frishberg
Hannah Frishberg covers New York City arts and culture. Got a tip? Email Hannah at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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