New York City is a vacationer's paradise. True, it can be expensive, but even on a limited budget you can have a great time, see all the sights, eat at exotic restaurants, and still have enough money left over to take in a show. The secret is to follow the lead of the natives.

Do you want to see the Statue of Liberty? You can wait on line for up to two hours to take the ferry to Liberty Island for $7.00, or get on the Staten Island Ferry which runs about every twenty minutes and costs nothing for a round trip. The Staten Island Ferry has been free for years.

Have your camera ready for some great shots of the New York skyline from the harbor... Wave at Lady Liberty as you sail past her... Get a hot dog and soda at the snack bar, and for under $10.00 you've had a great sightseeing adventure and lunch!

Wander back up to the South Street Seaport after your ferry ride and discover Old New York. Here you can check out lots of free entertainment in the form of street entertainers with food pushcarts everywhere, dispensing everything from pretzels to hot dogs to shish kebab.

The area also comes complete with modern day shops and restaurants. Supplied by the landmark Fulton Fish Market, (which has since been moved to the Bronx), these restaurants are great for any seafood dish. If fish isn't what you had in mind, New York offers an array of international cuisine.

Cucina della Fontana at 368 Bleeker Street in Greenwich Village is a favorite Italian eatery. The food is good and the glass-enclosed garden makes for a romantic dinner and with the price per person around $25.00 it's a real bargain. After dinner take in the sights and "people watch" in Greenwich Village... a great way to walk off the pasta.

Benny's Burritos at 113 Greenwich Avenue is a fun place to sample Mexican food and people watch at the same time. With margaritas the price will be below $20.00 each for healthy portions. The service and décor aren't the best in town, but it's a fun place.

Kiev at 117 Second Avenue in the East Village offers Ukrainian food at under $15.00 each. They are open 24 hours and serve up traditional herring salad, blintzes, challah, pierogies and borscht. This is no place for dieters, but a real treat for hearty eaters.

If you want to sample real New York Pizza try John's Pizzeria. Pizza is a mainstay in the New Yorker's diet and the "best" in New York is a hotly debated topic. The thin crust and brick oven baking make this one of the main contenders. The original downtown location at 278 Bleecker Street is in Greenwich Village. There's also one at 48 W. 65th Street - a great place to find an inexpensive meal in the Lincoln Center area.

Chinatown offers so many good, inexpensive places to eat that you can take your pick. The hints are to look for the places where you see locals eating or where you see a line forming. If you want a truly oriental dining experience, try letting the waiter recommend a specialty. Check the menu before you go in, some of the more popular places can be expensive.

If you plan on splurging for fine dining, New York is the place to be. Aureole at 34 E. 61st Street is at the top of many lists. The food is New American, the service is European. Dinner is prix fixe $63 ($85 for the tasting menu). Charles Palmer's restaurant gets rave reviews from the entrees to the desserts. If you can only try one fine dining experience during your stay, make it this one.

Make sure that you call well in advance for reservations at any of these restaurants and always check the prices since they can change quickly.

Magaret Chiffriller, a freelance writer and former educator, edits the Chiff pop-up free directory and the chiff.com local search where business sites are priced to let every business create an easy to find site: http://www.chiff.com

Margaret Chiffriller may be contacted at http://www.chiff.com/ or editor@chiff.com