There must be something about the air or the food or the water, or maybe the full moon, which brings out the crazy cat side in New Yorkers. The Washington Post has a report on how Governor Eliot L. Spitzer, struggling to close a $4.4 billion budget gap, has proposed making drug dealers pay tax on their stashes of illegal drugs. The new tax would apply to cocaine, heroin and marijuana, and could be paid with pre-bought “tax stamps” affixed to the bags of dope. Some critics in the legislature are asking what the governor has been smoking. “I guess if it moves, he’ll tax it,” said Republican state Sen. Martin J. Golden, who dubbed the proposal “the crack tax.” Some opponents said that because cocaine and weed would be subject to the new levies, it should more aptly be called “the crack-pot tax.”

California’s Arnold and New York’s Spitzer seem to be in an epic contest to see who is the craziest cat when it comes to cutting down on budget shortfalls. Arnold is closing down state parks and Spitzer is taxing dope dealers….May the best nut win.

And since we’re on the subject of crazy cats, a cat that slipped into the New York subway system and disappeared for 25 days has finally been reunited with its owner. New York resident Ashley Phillips said she was surprised subway workers found Georgia, her 7-month-old feline, after such a long time.

Note to every crazy cat in New York (which virtually includes every commuter in Manattan) - Don’t wander around on the subway and practice the basic rules of NYC subway safety, as defined by the MTA NYC Transit. Most subway accidents result from slips, trips, and falls on stairways when someone is in a rush. The best safety advice we can give you is: slow down when you are on the stairs, and hold the handrail.

And since we’re on the subject of Subway guides, let’s consider a few more. Here’s one on ‘how to pick up women on the subway’. Ask people for directions - this is the best and doesn’t even have to be an “icebreaker” — you should just ask for directions if you’re lost because people here are genuinely helpful. Blackberry: Even if you can’t afford to get it activated, type away on it. Even when underground. Girls will know you are so important you can’t be offline for even a minute…Read books with titles like “What to do with all your money” and “Lawyers guide to having a large member.” [Photo Credit - Clayton Hauck]

In fact, if you’re really so desperate for a subway relationship, and it doesn’t seem to be working, there is a legitimate, if somewhat desperate, way of moving things forward. Just head over to NYC Missed Connections on Craigslist and try to get the ball rolling.

Course, don’t take all this literally, and never do something like Joseph Weir, who tried to kiss, fondle and lick the legs and toes of more than 70 women on the New York subway over three years. Weir said his motivation was to get to know the women, but he recalled that often they would move away when he tried to “taste and touch them.”

Like I said, there’s something about New York.

So NYC & Company (www.nycvisit.com), the official New York tourism promotion organization, is rolling out the red carpet for all tourists, foreign and U.S. citizens, offering 20% discounts at 44 hotels for overnight Sunday-to-Monday stays. The Hartford Courant reports that in addition to this steep discount, many hotels are offering room upgrades, complimentary breakfast and other amenities.

Participating hotels include The Algonquin, the Grand Hyatt, the Hilton and others. Also, 10 luxury hotels, part of the Signature Collection group, are offering a “Third Night” promotion, in which you get the third night free after purchase of two nights, through Feb. 29. Participating hotels include the Hotel Plaza Athenee; Jumeirah Essex House; Loews Regency Hotel; Mandarin Oriental New York; The London NYC; The New York Palace Hotel; The Sherry-Netherland; The St. Regis Hotel, New York; The Waldorf Towers; and Trump International Hotel and Towers.

And in addition to the sweetheart hotel deals, the Courant says that New York is also trying hard to seduce visitors with a variety of discounts on tickets for Broadway shows, discount shopping coupons and reduced rate passes which help you skip the line when visiting tourist attractions and select restaurants and NYC nightclubs.

Not surprisingly, a Voice of America article by Victoria Cavaliere points out that a report released by New York City tourism officials this month found that a record number of visitors came to New York City in 2007. More than 46 million people vacationed in the “Big Apple,” spending around $28 billion last year. NYC & Company, the tourism arm of the city’s government, says total foreign travel to rose about 20 percent in 2007. Christopher Heywood, the Director of Travel and Media Relations for NYC & Company, said Europeans are at a special advantage. “We’ve seen a tremendous momentum from European markets as a result of the weak dollar,” he said. “We’ve seen a particular increase in markets like the U.K., which saw a 25 percent increase in 2007, and Spain which saw an increase of about 37 percent and Italy which went up 36 percent.

From what I can make, New York is walking a fine line between comparatively over-priced accomodation and an expensive holiday on one side, with a weakened dollar, world famous attractions, a vibrant and safe city, great nightlife, fancy restaurants, amazing shopping and smoothly functioning public services on the other hand.

And these holiday discounts, special passes and travel deals on hotel rates offered by NYC & Company are just the ticket to convince someone who’s a bit put off by the cost factor of a New York holiday.

In Part I of this series, we outlined ways to reduce air ticket costs, find hotel deals and discounts in New York and cheap airport to hotel transport. In Part II, we explored cheap eats at decent restaurants in New York City’s five boroughs.

In this post, the final part, we outline how to experience New York, visit the landmarks and tourist attractions, save on transportation costs, and lastly a mini shopping guide for NYC, with the best shopping deals and shopping streets in New York.

Want to go sightseeing in New York? Got 3 days? Buy the New York City Pass, which grants admission to over 40 top New York City attractions, with Grayline New York Sightseeing double-decker top deck view bus transport (optional), which takes you from one attraction to the next. Free multi-language guidebook with detailed maps, tips and directions for every tourist attraction which the pass provides access to. $145 for an adult pass and $139 for children below age 12.

If you don’t want to go on a guided and timed tour group on the bus, you have the option of buying just the pass, and arranging your own transport. 1 day adult pass costs $69, a 2 day pass for $99, a 3 day pass for $104 and a 7 day pass for $135.

The full list of New York tourist destinations which this pass takes you to are listed here, and the top 10 most popular attractions out of these are the Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty, Madame Tussaud’s, New York Skyride, Circle Line River Cruise, Guggenheim Museum,  Natural History Museum, Museum of Modern Art, Rockefeller Center Tour and the New York Aquarium.

There are few more exhilarating experiences in the world for a budding shopping addict than a whirlwind shopping tour around New York’s famous boutique lined streets. And the shops on Fifth Avenue provide the ultimate high on this particular adventure. The list of the must visit shops along Fifth Anevue includes Bergdorf Goodman, Brooks Brothers, Bulgari, Cartier, Disney Store, Fendi, Ferragamo Women’s, Fortunoff, Gucci, H. Stern, Harry Winston, Henri Bendel, Kenneth Cole, Louis Vuitton, NBA Store, Prada, Saks Fifth Avenue, Sephora, Takashimaya, Tiffany & Co., Trump Tower, Van Cleef & Arpels and Versace.

Let’s bring down the budget a couple of notches with some discount shopping. The above listed stores are just perfect - For window shopping, and the occasional once in a lifetime splurge. But for the ordinary American tourist, these shops are a luxury. Besides, you can get the same designer duds at discount stores around New York. The trick is find these stores, and be able to pick out items in mint condition.

Century 21: www.c21stores.com, 22 Cortlandt Street, between Church St. and Broadway, (212) 227-9092, labelled as ‘New York’s Best Kept Secret’ (naturally everyone knows about it), offers steep discounts between 40% to 70% off retail prices, with 15 departments full of great bargains on a fine collection of designer clothing for men, women and children, shoes, accessories, lingerie, cosmetics, gifts, electronics, linen and houseware. In short, a shopper’s paradise. Which is why you’ll be literally fighting throngs of NYC residents and visitors to get hold of the best of the lot. Truly a memorable shopping experience….

Gabay’s: www.gabaysoutlet.com, 227 First Avenue, between 13th and 14th Street, (212) 529-4036. Gabay’s sells designer overstock for men and women from fine fifth avenue stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Henri Bendel, at 50% to 80% off retail prices. Here, you’ll find the best brands and latest fashions, including handbags, shoes, eveningwear, suits, casual clothing, lingerie, sunglasses, swimwear and outerwear. Gabay’s stocks brand name items such as Yves Saint Laurent, Chanel, Gucci and Jimmy Choo for women, and Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and Gucci for men.

Syms: www.syms.com, 400 Park Avenue, (212) 317-8200. Syms is the official off-price representative for over 200 designer and brand name products. Syms is particlarly helpful if you’re looking for bargains in gowns and men’s suits from designers like Oscar De La Renta. The Syms store in Park Avenue is generally stocked up well due to high demand, and you can get further discounts if you register on their website.

Ok. I guess that takes care of all the aspects of a cheap, expansive and memorable New York trip. If this three part guide helps you save money, that makes me happy. If you like New York a little bit more because of all this information, that makes me happy. If you decide you want to take a New York trip after reading all this, that makes me happy. But most of all, what makes me happy, is that New York is a city worth visiting, and writing about. Be safe.

Web links: www.iloveny.com, www.nyctourist.com, New York Times - Travel section

Continued from Part I, where we looked into ways to get hold of cheap air tickets, reduce airport to hotel transportation costs and finding decent hotels at affordable rates. While that takes of the major portion of your expenses for a visit to New York, it still leaves out your dining and sightseeing costs. So we’ll devote this post to finding cheap restaurants with decent food and the next one for sightseeing, shows and New York transportation.

Before we get down to the restaurants, a word of advice. Saving money on food in NYC is not so difficult, if you avoid midtown, buy extra large packs and share (Example: A large coffee at Starbucks shared between two people is cheaper than buying two small ones), and try to maximize takeaways, at least for lunch, which saves you a 15% tip. And if you’re on a really tight shoestring budget, head straight for Flushing, Chinatown, which is just about the cheapest place to eat in NYC, with splendid dim sum and dumpling stalls.

Assuming you’re following along from the first part of this article, you should be looking out of your downtown Manhattan hotel room window and seeing Times Square or Fifth Avenue and the Empire State Building. So let’s start with the best restaurants in Times Square which are not tourist traps, as in chain restuarants or fancy-decor-with-pricey-food-and-small-portions.

Italian food : Becco on 8th Avenue, located at 355 West 46th Street is famous for it’s filling pasta special lunch ($16.95) and dinner ($21.95).

Asian food: Ruby Foos on 49th Street, located at 1626 Broadway is an Asian fusion restaurant, which is all the rage nowadays, and serves up a dazzling and sumptous array of Asian cuisine including dim sum, sushi, and Thai dishes attractively priced from $6 to $30, and suitable for family groups with memebrs of differing ages. They even have hotdogs and grilled cheese for kids.

American food: Virgil’s on 6th Avenue, located on 152 West 44th Street, cooks up the best barbecue and Southern fried food in town, with Memphis ribs and Carolina pulled pork. No frills, massive and mouth watering helpings and you are sure to leave with a full stomach.  Often packed, so it might be best to call in at (212) 921-9494 and reserve a table. Entree costs from $8 to $22.

Other than this, there’s Edison Cafe, located in the Edison hotel, 228 West 47th Street,  which is a good place for a quick meal or a takeaway, with cheap pancakes, sandwiches and matzo ball soup. Most of the clientele are people who work in the neighbourhood, so the price is lower than at other places, and the food is pretty fresh.

Right, let’s widen our sights and take a look at the rest of New York. Please note that we have a dilemma here - Keep expenses low, and sample a variety of diners based on wherever you happen to be. These are links to lists of cheap eats in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx and Staten Island, which covers all five New York City boroughs. Listed below are best choice restaurants in each borough.

Manhattan: Becco - Pre-fix lunch ($16.95) and dinner ($21.95) with Italian antipasta and unlimited tableside pasta, ribeye steak, grilled veal chop and Italian wines. Info: www.becconyc.com , between 8th and 9th Avenue, 355 West 46th Street, (212) 397-7597

Brooklyn: Eamonn’s Irish Pub and Restaurant - Entrees attractively priced around or less than $15, with roasted chicken breast for $12.95, chicken curry with boiled rice for $11.95, Irish sausage with mashed potatoes for $9.95, and fish and chips for $10.95. Food is hot and spicy, cheap and filling. Takeaways, sandwiches, pasta and chicken wraps cost around $8 to $10. Info: www.eamonns.net , 174 Montague Street, Brooklyn Heights, (718) 596-4969.

Queens: Sentosa - Malaysian cuisine. Tastes good, spicy and cheap. Roti Canai for $3 and beef rendang for $9. Advantage with the Spicy & Tasy restaurant just two doors away, so you get even more options, if you are in the same area. Both restaurants are well known, excellent food and great rates. Info: 3907 Prince Street, Flushing, (718) 886-6331

Bronx: Rambling House - Full Irish breakfast with eggs, bacon, sausage, pudding, fries and toast for $9, fish and chips for $10, lamb stew for $12, sandwiches and wraps for $9. Cheap, fresh and filling. Takeaways advised. Info: www.ramblinghouse.com , 4292 Katonah Avenue, Woodlawn, (718) 798-0443.

Staten Island: Marina Cafe -  Seafood restaurant. Entrees from $15 to $18, including jumbo stuffed shrimps, lobster ravioli and sauteed shrimp with tomatoes and sauce. Sandwiches and wraps around $1o, including Hamburgers, steak mignon sandwiches and grilled chicken wraps. Info: www.marinacafegrand.com , 154 Mansion Avenue
Staten Island, (718) 967-3077.

So there we have it. A full tour of New York, with lunch breaks at decent and cheap restaurants. For foodies with a yearning for sampling the best food that New York has to offer, please visit the website and blog of legendary New York cabbie, Famous Fat Dave and follow his mouth watering adventures. With his guided food tour, you’ll not only see the real New York, you’ll taste it too.

In the next and final installment of this series, we’ll round up with discount passes which allow you entry into various tourist attractions and shopping in New York. Continued in Part III - New York Budget Sightseeing & Bargain Shopping.

New York is the city of the rich, and that has two meanings. First, that a lot of very rich people live here. Second, that living in New York takes a lot of money. Both true. But for the frugal traveler on a budget, there are ways and then some, to bring the costs down to affordable levels by digging up travel deals across the board, from airline tickets to cheap restaurants and affordable upscale hotels. Let’s take an in-depth look at traveling, staying and getting to know New York City without the support of a limitless credit card.

Airline Tickets - With hundreds of airline discounts and best deals being offered by thousands of websites and booking agents, it’s a bit difficult to even really know whether you have the lowest price or not. This is where services like Yahoo’s Farechase and Sidestep come in. Farechase searches through all available travel offers and gives you the best price, based on your boarding location, destination, travel date and preferences. For example, a search on both Farechase and Sidestep for a round trip fare for one person from Washington D.C. to New York costs $139. The same search on Expedia shows $144. Not much of a difference, but every dollar saved adds up. Always remember that locking in airfare prices when they’re low is the best way to get hold of a cheap air ticket.

Also consider the cost of getting to and from the airport. Unless your hotel is offering a shuttle service, this is usually where you get hit by the infamous New York cabbie. With tip and toll, a ride to JFK airport can cost upto $55. Since strangers to the Big Apple are usually too diffident and scared to ask around, they generally miss out on the cheaper options. Options include the Airtrain which transports passengers to and from the airports once evevry 3 minutes from 5 a.m. to midnight and once every 15 minutes after that, the New York Airport Service Express Bus for Manhattan, ETS Air Shuttle for Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens residents, and the Super Shuttle Manhattan which services all of New York City and the surrounding areas. Booking tickets online for these options usually result in significant savings, when compared to a taxi from the airport to your hotel.

Hotel Booking - Every visitor to New York wants a hotel with a view adjacent to Times Square. And that costs big bucks. If you lower your standards and settle for an ordinary hotel in the middle of nowhere, the crappy service and transport hassles will make you regret the entire vacation. A feasible alternative exists in finding a travel deal at one of the upscale hotels located in downtown Manhattan. The best way to do this is with Hotels.com.

A search for a New York hotel on Hotels.com lists prices starting at $170 for hotels in Times Square and $90 for one near Madison Square Garden. Lots of deals and a plethora of choices. Booking a hotel online, well in advance of the travel date, is likely to reduce the price a bit further.

In the next part, we’ll assume that you managed to fly in and are tucked into a comfortable and warm hotel room. That leaves exploring the joys of the Big Apple and hitting the streets of the City that never sleeps. We’ll take a look at restaurants which offer decent and reasonable food, and ways to get around New York without making a cabbie rich and shopping till you drop. Continued…Part II - Cheap restaurants in New York and Part III - Budget Sightseeing and Bargain Shopping in New York.