Increasing MTA fares, salary freezes and lackluster savings are all such a drag. I mean, who has the time to really invest in their cultural awareness anymore?
I'm digging the New York CityPASS because it really gives you a cultural insight into all of what the Big Apple has to offer — for $79. You'll essentially get half off admissions to:
- The Empire State Building
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- American Museum of Natural History
- Museum of Modern Art (MOMA)
- Two ticket options (Guggenheim Musem & Top of the Rock; or Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island and Circle Line Cruise)
This treat comes at a great value for several cities, including New York, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hollywood, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California and Toronto.
The main question: will consumers go for it? If you look at venues like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Natural History, the admission fee is based on a donation concept. The Statue of Liberty entrance to the pedestal and museum is not included with the pass, but a certain number of entrance tickets are free if you're an early bird. You've got to do the math and see if it all adds up (or you can cheat and use a calculator).
If you're looking to avoid the lines — the CityPASS is a great EZPass doubler.
The CityPASS is definitely a great investment if you're a tourist looking to blanket New York…but if you're a native, I suspect you'll find ways to stagger your cultural education (and for much cheaper, too).