Although most first-time visitors spend the majority of their time in Manhattan, New York City has four other boroughs to explore: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island. Each borough has a wealth of neighborhoods with world-class museums, restaurants, cultural institutions and attractions. If you miss them, you’re missing four-fifths of the Big Apple!

It has to be the world’s most phenomenal travel bargain, as well as one of the all-time great travel experiences: the round-trip ferry ride from lower Manhattan to Staten Island, New York City’s answer to suburbia. The Staten Island Ferry takes riders - both workday commuters and out-of-town visitors - into the open waters of New York Harbor, surrounded by unsurpassed views.

Even in cold weather, people stand out on deck, jockeying for picture-taking position as the towers of Manhattan rise up in bulk and the Statue of Liberty passes so near you can observe the folds of her dress. White seagulls escort the ferry as it plows through the harbor on its twice-an-hour journey.

But all too many visitors, upon reaching Staten Island, just turn around and come back, which is a pity. There is much to entertain the visitor.

Be sure to check out the Staten Island ferry collection, a display of memorabilia located right at the St. George Ferry Terminal. A short walk from the ferry landing is the Staten Island Institute of Arts and Sciences, a small, inviting museum which draws on its collection of more than 2 million artifacts to mount changing exhibitions related to Staten Island’s art, natural science and history. Recent shows included one of advertising art and a collection of women’s handbags and purses dating back to pre-Victorian times.

The Snug Harbor cultural center, located two miles west of the Staten Island Ferry landing and easily reached by the S-40 bus, is certainly worth an afternoon. Snug Harbor is a visual and performing arts center located at an historic 19th century site, once a retirement home for aged sailors. Among its assets are 28 historic buildings that are fine examples of Greek Revival, Italianate, Second Empire and Beaux Arts architecture, and 83 sylvan acres of parklands. Snug Harbor attracts about a quarter of a million visitors a year to concerts, art exhibitions and various educational programs, and is home to the Staten Island Children’s Museum and the Staten Island Botanical Gardens.

Snug Harbor embarked on an extensive renovation program, including repair of its dock to accommodate regular ferry service between Snug Harbor and Manhattan, and beginning restoration of a 19th century 850-seat Music Hall, once a vaudeville theater. Built in 1882, it is the second oldest theater in New York City only Carnegie Hall is older.

Another lovely outing is to the Alice Austen House, a 15-minute ride on the S-51 bus to Hylan Boulevard. It is a storybook Victorian cottage with a shaded veranda, wide lawn, and unparalleled skyline view, once occupied by one of America’s pioneering women photographers. The house documents the life and times of Alice Austen, who lived at Clear Comfort for 80 years. The house and garden have been restored to their appearance in the 1890s with the aid of Austen’s remarkable photographic record. Her pictures of the early days of tennis, bicycling and motoring, as well as of immigrant peddlers, shoeshine boys and news girls are on display.

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Want to make the most of your New York visit but not sure where to go? Looking to expand that road trip into a full blown tourist excursion? Want to go to top tourist spots with free or cheap admission fees? Then you have come to the right place as I give you some of the most popular and cheapest tourist attractions in New York City.

New York City was founded in 1625 as a Dutch trading post and has been considered the United States’ largest city since 1790 with 322 square miles. It is also the most densely populated area in the United States with over 8.2 million locals. Other than being a center of business, trade and finance, New York City is also the headquarters of one of the most influential supranational bodies in the whole world: the United Nations.

With over 40 million local and foreign tourists, you can consider New York as one of the top tourist destinations in the United States. Who can tour New York City without paying a visit to the Empire State Building? Considered as the number one tourist attraction in New York with ten to twenty thousand visitors daily, the Empire State Building was formally opened in May 1, 1930 by the then President Hoover. It stands at 1,453 feet and one can see almost 80 miles of the city’s landscape and area in the observation deck in a clear day. The Empire State building has 102 floors and 1, 860 steps. Visitors are encouraged to buy tickets online to prevent long hours of waiting. Tickets are prices from $19 to $13 depending if you’re a senior, adult or child. The Empire State Building opens from 8 am to 2 am and the elevators start at 1: 15 am.

The second most visited tourist attraction is the Statue of Liberty which was shipped from France and completed in October 28, 1886. Maybe considered as one of New York’s landmarks, it offers free admission to the Liberty State Park but one has to ride a ferry to go there. Ferry prices range from $12 to $5 and tickets are sold online. The Statue of Liberty is one of those tourist destinations with tight security often requiring visitors to go through x-ray, baggage inspection and metal detectors.

Is it any wonder that Grand Central makes the top three most frequently visited areas in New York? It was opened in 1913 and has undergone many renovations since then becoming not just a terminal but is also a hub for shopping and dining. You can also try the Michael Jordan Steak House and the Metrazur for an unforgettable dining experience. Art exhibitions and events are also presented at the Vanderbilt Hall.

Who can not know the Rockefeller Center, home to the Today Show, NBC Studios, Late Night with Conan O’Brien and the Saturday Night Live. It was conceived by John D. Rockefeller Jr. in 1929 and was built during the Great Depression providing much needed jobs to New Yorkers. The complex includes nineteen buildings showcasing great art, architecture, shopping and a variety of delectable restaurants. Admission in the Rockefeller Center is free and is open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.