Restaurants can be problematic in NYC. Unless you know what you're doing, you'll waste too much valuble time and money on lousy food. Pack an abundent lunch in a cooler if you're driving to NYC. Then you can snack whenever you feel like it in your hotel room. My sister-in-law taught me that trick.
I used to weekend in NYC when I worked upstate. Usually went with opera-adoring Europeans who worked with us. Boy, did they know how to do the city right on a budget. They frequently stayed at a religious order or parish house. Of course, you must be saintly to do this. I still do it when on the road instead of a hotel. They need the money and I enjoy their company.
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